Overview
The study's main goal is to determine the efficacy of a therapy with brain-computer interface controlled functional electrical stimulation for neurorehabilitation of spinal cord injury patients' upper limbs. For this purpose, a randomized controlled trial will be performed to compare the clinical and physiological effects of the brain-computer interface therapy with those of a sham intervention comprised by the application of functional electrical stimulation independently of brain-computer interface control.
Eligibility
Inclusion Criteria:
- Spinal Cord Injury at neurological levels C6 or C7
- American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) classification A, B, C or D
- Upper limb spasticity of less or equal to +1 measured with the Modified Ashworth Scale
- Time since disease onset of more than 6 months and less than 60 months
- Normal or corrected to normal vision
Exclusion Criteria:
- Severe attention deficits
- Previous diagnosis of traumatic brain injury
- Previous diagnosis of peripheral nerve injury
- Previous stroke diagnosis
- Previous diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases
- History of fractures in upper extremities
- Skin lesions
- Contractures in upper extremities that hamper mobility
- Excessive muscle spasms