NCT07165353 Virtual Walking to Reduce Chronic Neuropathic Pain in Subjects With SCI
| NCT ID | NCT07165353 |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Phase | — |
| Sponsor | Swiss Paraplegic Research, Nottwil |
| Condition | Spinal Cord Injuries (SCI) |
| Study Type | INTERVENTIONAL |
| Enrollment | 40 participants |
| Start Date | 2026-01-20 |
| Primary Completion | 2027-11-30 |
Eligibility & Interventions
Eligibility Fast-Check
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What to Expect as a Participant
You will actively receive the study intervention — which may be a drug, biologic, device, or procedure.
This trial targets 40 participants in total. It began in 2026-01-20 with a primary completion date of 2027-11-30.
⚠ This information is for research awareness only. Always consult your physician before joining any clinical trial. Participation is voluntary and you may withdraw at any time.
Brief Summary
About 70% of people with a spinal cord injury in Switzerland have chronic pain that lasts more than 3 to 6 months. This pain can be caused by muscle or joint problems, or by nerve damage (neuropathic pain). Neuropathic pain is often hard to treat, and current treatments may cause side effects or not work well. This study will test whether virtual walking from different visual perspectives can reduce chronic neuropathic pain and improve quality of life after spinal cord injury. We will also compare which perspective works best. To better understand how the training works, we will use two tests-quantitative sensory testing (QST) and contact heat-evoked potentials (CHEPs)-to measure changes in the pain and nerve systems.
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Sufficient knowledge of German language to understand the instructions, assessments and to fill in questionnaires. * Age ≥ 18y, ≤ 75y * Chronic traumatic or non-traumatic SCI (\>6 month after SCI) with an SCI severity grade AIS A, B, C or D * At or below level spinal cord injury neuropathic pain on trunk or lower extremities diagnosed by a neurologist following the ISCIP classification (Bryce et al., 2012) of at least 4/10 intensity on a NRS (Langford et al., 2023) * Ability to draw with a pen Exclusion Criteria: * \- Serious psychiatric disorders, which are accompanied by imminent or current acute harm to oneself or others, or which require inpatient psychiatric treatment for other reasons, or other indications of a foreseeable, seriously harmful effect of participation in the study based on the clinical impression from the psychological screening interview * Participants with a walking ability more than 5 minutes without walking aids * Pregnancy (anamnestic) in women of child-bearing age (18-49 years) * Known epilepsy * neurological disorders (multiple sclerosis, ALS, Guillan-Barré Syndrome, congenital disorders, polyneuropathy)
Contact & Investigator
Gunther Landmann, KD Dr. med.
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
Schweizer Paraplegiker Zentrum Nottwil
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can join the NCT07165353 clinical trial?
This trial is open to participants of all sexes, aged 18 Years or older, up to 75 Years, studying Spinal Cord Injuries (SCI). Full inclusion and exclusion criteria are listed in the Eligibility Criteria section. Always confirm your eligibility with the research team before applying.
Is NCT07165353 currently recruiting?
Yes, NCT07165353 is actively recruiting participants. Contact the research team at karina.ottiger@paraplegie.ch for enrollment information.
Where is the NCT07165353 trial being conducted?
This trial is being conducted at Nottwil, Switzerland.
Who is sponsoring the NCT07165353 clinical trial?
NCT07165353 is sponsored by Swiss Paraplegic Research, Nottwil. The principal investigator is Gunther Landmann, KD Dr. med. at Schweizer Paraplegiker Zentrum Nottwil. The trial plans to enroll 40 participants.