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Electrical muscle stimulation for blood sugar control after spinal cord injury

Tests electrical muscle stimulation on blood sugar handling in adults with spinal cord injury.

Key facts

Who runs it
University of Bath
Where
United Kingdom1 site in 1 countryChoose a country to see its sites
Trial code
Registry title
Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation and Glucose Control in Spinal Cord Injury
Status
Recruiting
People taking part
20 people, planned
Started
8 Aug 2025
Expected to end
1 Sept 2027
Type of study
Interventional, 2 groupsOne group gets an existing treatment, for comparison.
Treatments tested
  • NMES
  • Sham (No Treatment)
Record updated
7 August 2025

Who can take part

AI summary

From the trial's eligibility criteria. Machine-read from the registry text on this page, so it can be wrong. The registry text below and the trial team decide who can take part.

The trial is looking for adults with a spinal cord injury, and adults without an injury as a comparison group. It tests whether electrical muscle stimulation (NMES) improves blood sugar control.

Age
18 years or older.
Sex
Males and females can join.
Disease stage
People with spinal cord injury: injured more than 1 year ago, American Spinal Cord Injury Impairment Scale A-C, injury level Cervical 5 to Lumbar 2. People without an injury can also join as controls.
Earlier treatment
People with spinal cord injury cannot join if they trained with electrical stimulation in the last 6 months. No one can join who is taking a medicine to lower high blood sugar.

Main reasons for not taking part

  • Diagnosed type 2 diabetes, or taking medicine for high blood sugar.
  • Pregnant or planning to become pregnant during the study.
  • Cannot tolerate the NMES, or the stimulation does not make the thigh muscle visibly or palpably contract.
  • Recent leg fractures, nerve injury in the legs, known lower motor neuron injury, or unhealed pressure sores.
  • Past uncontrolled autonomic dysreflexia (a sudden, dangerous rise in blood pressure).

The registry criteria, word for word

Show all 20 criteriaShow less

Who can take part

  • We are asking all individuals who meet our study criteria if they would like to take part. We are looking for both males and females who meet all the criteria on this list for either SCI or non-injured individuals:
  • Individuals with SCI:
  • >1-year postinjury
  • 18 years of age or above
  • American Spinal Cord Injury Impairment Scale A-C
  • Level of Injury, Cervical 5-Lumbar 2
  • Have capacity to provide informed consent; Non-injured individuals:
  • 18 years of age or above

Who cannot take part

  • Has previously experienced uncontrolled autonomic dysreflexia
  • Recent history of lower limb fractures
  • Has been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, or actively taking a pharmaceutical to address elevated blood glucose
  • Unable to understand explanations and/or provide informed consent
  • If you cannot tolerate the NMES intervention
  • Is pregnant or planning to become pregnant during the study duration; SCI only:
  • Recently trained with electrical stimulation (< 6 months)
  • Peripheral nerve injury to lower extremities
  • Unresolved pressure ulcers
  • Known lower motor neuron injury
  • If the research team cannot induce visible or palpable contractions of the quadricep muscle with NMES
  • If they cannot tolerate the NMES intervention

This trial has no sites in United States.

It has sites in one country. Choose a country to see its sites.

About the trial

What the trial wants to find out

Overall aim: To identify the impact and acceptability of a novel method of neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) for improving glucose control using a dual stable isotope tracer OGTT in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI).

Read full original descriptionShow less

Objective 1:

1. To establish the extent to which an acute bout of NMES improves health-related measures of glucose control, compared to a SHAM control trial. 2. To identify the relative magnitude of effect, compared to non-injured control participants (CON).

Hypotheses:

1. NMES will be more effective at improving glucose control by increasing peripheral glucose uptake, relative to SHAM condition. 2. The effect will be greater in individuals with SCI compared to non-injured control participants.

Objective 2:

To investigate the real-world feasibility of NMES as a therapeutic intervention, participants with SCI will be given instructions for 2-weeks of at-home use. In-depth interviews will be conducted to evaluate acceptability and identify areas that could be adapted to effectively implement NMES in a future trial.

Participants will complete two experimental trials in a randomised crossover fashion separated by 7 days which will consist of either a sham control (SHAM) or an acute bout of NMES during a 3-h oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). Following the experimental trial days, participants with SCI will take home a NMES device and will be given instructions for 2-weeks of at-home NMES use (Figure 1) to assess acceptability and feasibility.

The 2 groups in the trial

  • Spinal Cord InjuryTreatment being tested

    Participants will undergo two 3-hour oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTTs) with dual stable isotope tracers in a randomized crossover design. One OGTT will be paired with an acute bout of neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES), and the other with a sham condition (SHAM). After the OGTT sessions, participants will complete a 2-week period of at-home NMES use to assess real-world feasibility and acceptability through interviews.

    Treatment: NMES and Sham (No Treatment)

  • Non-injured Control (CON)Existing treatment, for comparison

    Age- and sex-matched individuals without SCI. Participants will undergo two 3-hour oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTTs) with dual stable isotope tracers in a randomized crossover design. One OGTT will be paired with an acute bout of NMES, and the other with a sham condition (SHAM). CON will not participate in the at-home NMES phase.

    Treatment: NMES and Sham (No Treatment)

Questions to ask the study team

  1. How often do I need to come in, and for how long each time?
  2. Are travel costs paid?
  3. Can I keep my own doctor?
  4. What happens if I want to stop?

Contact the study team: see the registry record → Contacts and Locations

Print a page for my doctor

Data and sources

Registry record
Listed on ClinicalTrials.gov.
Official title
Novel Use of Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation to Improve Glucose Control in Individuals With Spinal Cord Injury
Plain-language title
Electrical muscle stimulation for blood sugar control after spinal cord injuryGenerated from the registry record. The registry title is the official one.
AI summary
From the trial's eligibility criteria. Read by machine on 14 November 2026.
Record updated
7 August 2025