Trial reportBMC medicine2026
Transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation combined with robot-assisted gait training to improve mobility and balance in spinal cord injury: intramuscular electromyography as a biomarker for functional recovery.
Trial report in BMC medicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation for motor function and functional independence in patients with spinal cord injury: a systematic review.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitation · 2026Pooled it
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
14 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundRobot-assisted gait training (RAGT) and transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation (tSCS) are emerging interventions for incomplete spinal cord injury (iSCI). While tSCS modulates spinal excitability, it remains unclear whether its efficacy is enhanced when paired with high-dose robotic stepping compared to conventional physical therapy (CPT).
methodsThis prospective, double-blind, randomized controlled trial evaluated 20 adults with iSCI (AIS B-D). Participants were randomized to RAGT + tSCS (n = 13) or CPT + tSCS (n = 7). Both groups received 40 sessions over 8 weeks (5 sessions/week), including 20 min of tSCS using identical parameters. Primary outcomes were the Berg Balance Scale (BBS) and Timed Up and Go (TUG). Secondary outcomes included 10-m walk test (10MWT) speed, Walking Index for SCI II (WISCI-II), ASIA motor score, and intramuscular electromyography (iEMG) of lower-limb musculature. Data were analyzed using repeated-measures MANOVA and univariate general linear models (GLM) to test group × time effects across outcomes, with ANCOVA adjustment for baseline BBS to refine precision.
resultsA significant multivariate group × time interaction was observed (Pillai's trace = 0.982, p < 0.001). Univariate models demonstrated significantly greater gains in the RAGT + tSCS group for BBS (F (1,18) = 42.465, p < 0.001), TUG (F (1,18) = 97.500, p < 0.001), WISCI-II (p = 0.009), and ASIA motor score (p < 0.001). At 8 weeks, the RAGT + tSCS group outperformed the CPT + tSCS group in adjusted BBS (mean difference + 7.67; 95% CI, 5.14-10.19; p < 0.001), TUG (- 10.91 s, p < 0.001), WISCI-II + 1.26 points (p = 0.021), and ASIA score (+ 7.93 points, p < 0.001). iEMG revealed significantly higher activation in the tibialis anterior, vastus lateralis, and gastrocnemius medialis for the RAGT group (all p < 0.001). Conversely, 10MWT speed improved similarly across both arms (p = 0.708).
conclusionsPairing tSCS with task-specific robot-assisted stepping yields superior improvements in balance, functional mobility, and neuromuscular activation compared to dose-matched CPT. These results suggest that state-dependent neuromodulation during guided stepping effectively amplifies motor recovery, though walking speed may require additional overground progression to differentiate between modalities.
trial registrationThe trial is registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry. REGISTRATION NUMBER: ChiCTR2300074090. Registration date: 2023 July 30. Chinese Clinical Trial Registry reference: www.chictr.org.cn.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.