Cervical Spinal Cord InjuryEarly Phase 1NCT07299734
Feasibility and Safety of a Combined Augmented Reality and Functional Electrical Stimulation System
A Early Phase 1 study testing AR + FES in people with Cervical Spinal Cord Injury, run by University Health Network, Toronto at 1 site in Canada.
Trial summary
Cervical spinal cord injury (cSCI) can result in substantial loss of upper-limb function, with associated socio-economic impact on affected individuals and the healthcare system. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 65 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Cervical Spinal Cord Injury
- What is being tested?
- AR + FES
- Type of treatment
- Medical device
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 7 participants
- Where
- 1 siteCanada
- Study dates
- Jan 2026to Oct 2026
- Phase
- Early Phase 1
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 to 65 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Chronic cervical SCI
- Any level or severity of cervical SCI, traumatic or non-traumatic
- Can carry out object manipulations but with visible impairment (i.e., 5-25 on the GRASSP Prehension Performance sub-score).
Who cannot join
- Any disease or injury other than the SCI that may be affecting grasping performance.
- Individuals with any self-reported FES contraindications (pacemakers, implantable defibrillator, implanted neurostimulation device, metallic implants in the stimulated areas, cardiac conditions, epilepsy, uncontrolled seizures, wounds or fractures on the target limb)
- Inability to understand the study procedures
- Muscles do not respond to FES to produce grasping movements
- Currently participating in another upper limb rehabilitation intervention study (regular physical and occupational therapy is permitted).
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
Canada1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
Lyndhurst Centre, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute - University Health Network
Toronto, Ontario
Sharmini Atputharaj, MSc, 416-597-3422 ext. 6119, Sharmini.Atputharaj@uhn.ca
About this study
Official title: Assessing the Feasibility and Safety of a Combined Closed Loop Functional Electrical Stimulation and Augmented Reality System for Individuals With Cervical Spinal Cord Injury
Cervical spinal cord injury (cSCI) can result in substantial loss of upper-limb function, with associated socio-economic impact on affected individuals and the healthcare system. Evidence suggests that non-invasive neuromodulation such as functional electrical stimulation (FES) therapy can contribute to regaining upper-limb function, which is a top priority for this population. This pilot study will involve individuals with cSCI using a device that combines augmented reality (AR) and functional electrical stimulation (FES) for 20, one-hour sessions over a 10-week period. The sessions will include upper-limb rehabilitation where individuals will interact with different objects with the aid of the AR +FES system. The primary objective is to assess safety and feasibility, measured by the absence of serious adverse events and participants' ability to independently set up and use the system. Secondary objectives include adherence to the intervention and user feedback through structured interviews. Exploratory outcomes will examine preliminary efficacy using clinical measures such as the Spinal Cord Independence Measure (SCIM) and the Graded Redefined Assessment of Strength, Sensation and Prehension (GRASSP).
- Conditions
- Cervical Spinal Cord Injury
- Being tested
- AR + FES
- Keywords
- Cervical spinal cord injury, Augmented reality, Functional electrical stimulation, Neuromodulation
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
AR + FESDevice
Within each one-hour experimental session, participants will interact with different objects (e.g. block, credit card, marble). They will be wearing an augmented reality (AR) headset and electrodes will be placed over finger flexors, thumb flexors and finger extensors muscles. The AR headset will track hand posture and use the difference between the actual posture and a target posture to regulate functional electrical stimulation (FES) delivered via the electrodes.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Single group | Experimental | Participants will go through 1 screening session, 20 experimental sessions (2 sessions per week for 10 weeks), 1 discharge assessment, and 1 follow up assessment (one month after the last experimental session). Receives: Device: AR + FES |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Adverse events
Presence of adverse and serious adverse events. These will be recorded during each session. The criterion for success is no study-related serious adverse events and no study-related adverse events that cannot be alleviated by stopping electrical stimulation.
Measured: Week 1 to week 14.
Feasibility - Set-up time
The study will track independence with the system by assessing set-up time.
Measured: During experimental sessions from week 1 to week 10.
Feasibility - Assistance required.
The study will track independence with the system by assessing the number of times assistance is requested.
Measured: During experimental sessions from week 1 to week 10.
Secondary outcomes (2)
Adherence
Number of missed sessions.
Measured: During experimental sessions from week 1 to week 10.
User feedback
Structured and semi-structured interviews.
Measured: Discharge assessment at week 10.
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted23 Dec 2025
- Study startJan 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completionOct 2026 (estimated)
- Study completionOct 2026 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Cervical Spinal Cord InjuryStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by University Health Network, TorontoThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Early Phase 1
- Primary purpose
- Device feasibility
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 7 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University Health Network, Toronto
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Canadian Training Platform for Trials Leveraging Existing Networks
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- José Zariffa, PhD, Principal investigator, University Health Network, Toronto
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07299734
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 25-5898
- Status last verified
- Nov 2025
- First submitted
- 25 Nov 2025
- Last updated
- 23 Dec 2025
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Yes: De-identified coded study data may be used or shared with other researchers for future studies. Directly identifying information will be replaced by a number, which will be applied to the study data. The participant key matching the code to the participant will be kept by the UHN study team. This may include storing the coded study data in controlled-access databases or open access, publicly accessible databases.
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 23 Dec 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Assessing the Feasibility and Safety of a Combined Closed Loop Functional Electrical Stimulation and Augmented Reality System for Individuals With Cervical Spinal Cord Injury
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07299734
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 25-5898
- Conditions
- Cervical Spinal Cord Injury
- Keywords
- Cervical spinal cord injury, Augmented reality, Functional electrical stimulation, Neuromodulation
- Phase
- Early Phase 1
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 7 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- University Health Network, TorontoUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Canadian Training Platform for Trials Leveraging Existing Networks
- Study start
- Jan 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completion
- Oct 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion
- Oct 2026 (estimated)
- First posted
- 23 Dec 2025 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Cervical spinal cord injury (cSCI) can result in substantial loss of upper-limb function, with associated socio-economic impact on affected individuals and the healthcare system. Evidence suggests that non-invasive neuromodulation such as functional electrical stimulation (FES) therapy can contribute to regaining upper-limb function, which is a top priority for this population. This pilot study will involve individuals with cSCI using a device that combines augmented reality (AR) and functional electrical stimulation (FES) for 20, one-hour sessions over a 10-week period. The sessions will include upper-limb rehabilitation where individuals will interact with different objects with the aid of the AR +FES system. The primary objective is to assess safety and feasibility, measured by the absence of serious adverse events and participants' ability to independently set up and use the system. Secondary objectives include adherence to the intervention and user feedback through structured interviews. Exploratory outcomes will examine preliminary efficacy using clinical measures such as the Spinal Cord Independence Measure (SCIM) and the Graded Redefined Assessment of Strength, Sensation and Prehension (GRASSP).
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Device feasibility
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 1
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Single group | Experimental | Device: AR + FESParticipants will go through 1 screening session, 20 experimental sessions (2 sessions per week for 10 weeks), 1 discharge assessment, and 1 follow up assessment (one month after the last experimental session). |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 65 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (3 listed)
- Chronic cervical SCI
- Any level or severity of cervical SCI, traumatic or non-traumatic
- Can carry out object manipulations but with visible impairment (i.e., 5-25 on the GRASSP Prehension Performance sub-score).
Key exclusion criteria (5 listed)
- Any disease or injury other than the SCI that may be affecting grasping performance.
- Individuals with any self-reported FES contraindications (pacemakers, implantable defibrillator, implanted neurostimulation device, metallic implants in the stimulated areas, cardiac conditions, epilepsy, uncontrolled seizures, wounds or fractures on the target limb)
- Inability to understand the study procedures
- Muscles do not respond to FES to produce grasping movements
- Currently participating in another upper limb rehabilitation intervention study (regular physical and occupational therapy is permitted).
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| AR + FESWithin each one-hour experimental session, participants will interact with different objects (e.g. block, credit card, marble). They will be wearing an augmented reality (AR) headset and electrodes will be placed over finger flexors, thumb flexors and finger extensors muscles. The AR headset will track hand posture and use the difference between the actual posture and a target posture to regulate functional electrical stimulation (FES) delivered via the electrodes. | Device | Single group |
Primary outcome
Adverse events
Time frame: Week 1 to week 14.
Presence of adverse and serious adverse events. These will be recorded during each session. The criterion for success is no study-related serious adverse events and no study-related adverse events that cannot be alleviated by stopping electrical stimulation.
Feasibility - Set-up time
Time frame: During experimental sessions from week 1 to week 10.
The study will track independence with the system by assessing set-up time.
Feasibility - Assistance required.
Time frame: During experimental sessions from week 1 to week 10.
The study will track independence with the system by assessing the number of times assistance is requested.
2 secondary outcomes
Adherence
Time frame: During experimental sessions from week 1 to week 10.
User feedback
Time frame: Discharge assessment at week 10.
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 23 Dec 2025.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Yes. De-identified coded study data may be used or shared with other researchers for future studies. Directly identifying information will be replaced by a number, which will be applied to the study data. The participant key matching the code to the participant will be kept by the UHN study team. This may include storing the coded study data in controlled-access databases or open access, publicly accessible databases.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
José Zariffa, PhD principal investigator
University Health Network, Toronto
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A Early Phase 1 study testing AR + FES in people with Cervical Spinal Cord Injury, run by University Health Network, Toronto at 1 site in Canada.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 3 inclusion and 5 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 23 Dec 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Canada. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
What does this phase mean?
Early Phase 1 (sometimes called Phase 0) studies give a very small amount of a treatment to a few people, mainly to see how the body handles it.
Not every study follows the same path, and some studies (observational studies, device studies) have no phase.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Sharmini Atputharaj, MSc (416-597-3422 ext. 6119, Sharmini.Atputharaj@uhn.ca), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Adverse events (time frame: Week 1 to week 14.). The study lists 3 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 23 Dec 2025; AzTrials last refreshed its copy on 7 Nov 2026.