The study aims to explore how cardiovascular function changes in the first year after a spinal cord injury, and to see how different treatments, like spinal stimulation through the skin (transcutaneous spinal stimulation), affect blood pressure.
The main questions are:
How does stimulation affect blood pressure over the year? What is the level of cardiovascular activation throughout the year?
The study will start during the inpatient stay at the Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation and continue after discharge as an outpatient, totaling about 20-29 sessions over the year.
Individuals with a spinal cord injury undergoing inpatient rehabilitation at the Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation
Between 18-75 years old
7-50 days after injury
Injury level ≥ T6 (a cervical or a high-level chest injury)
A ventilator is needed for breathing.
Devices such as brain/spine/nerve stimulators, a cardiac pacemaker/defibrillator, or intra-cardiac lines are present in the body.
There is a significant disease affecting the blood vessels or signals in the heart, or a recent heart attack (myocardial infarction) has occurred.
A new medication has been prescribed to treat blood pressure or a heart problem within the last five days (excluding midodrine).