A Comprehensive Assessment of Altered Embodiment in Individuals With Spinal Cord Injury

NCT06688916 · tracked via the Priya Life Science Switzerland tracker

Sponsor

Swiss Paraplegic Research, Nottwil

Phase

Observational

Started

2025-06-04

Last updated

2025-10-08

Condition(s) studied

Spinal Cord Injuries (SCI)

Investigational drug(s) / intervention(s)

Behavioral assessmentFunctional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI)

Behavioral assessment: A comprehensive behavioral assessment of embodiment and its effect on daily living, taking into account pain, interoception, emotions and anxiety, sleep quality, life satsfaction and cognition.

Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI): Neural mechanisms of embodiments will be explored with MRI sequences including structural MRI, resting-state and task-based fMRI of the head. The task will be a modified version of the rubber hand illusion, previously used to asess embodiment. Participants will be required to lay in the MRI with their legs bended upright and a screen placed at the level of their hips, which will show a pair of legs. The participant's leg will be stroked with a paintbrush while the image on the screen will be showing the virtual legs being stroked. Participants will be required to report how strongly they perceive the virtual legs as their own, as a measure of embodiment.

Study summary

Spinal cord injury (SCI) occurs when trauma or other factors damage the spinal cord, disrupting the flow of sensory information from the body to the brain. This interruption can interfere with embodiment-the body awareness and physical sensations processed by the brain-sometimes leading to a phenomenon called disembodiment.

For people with SCI, disembodiment may appear as unusual body sensations, like feeling that a limb is in a different position than it actually is. Such changes in body awareness can impact daily life, mental health, and rehabilitation outcomes.

Despite its importance, the study of embodiment in SCI remains limited. This project aims to explore how SCI alters embodiment, focusing on its specific characteristics, the effects on daily life, and the underlying brain activity as measured by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Both people with and without SCI will participate.

Procedure: Participants will complete a single examination lasting 2 to 2.5 hours, including approximately 55 minutes in the MRI scanner (with preparation and follow-up).

Eligibility

Sex

ALL

Min age

18 Years

Max age

65 Years

Healthy volunteers

Accepted

Inclusion Criteria for all participants: * Age between 18 and 60 * Normal or corrected-to-normal visual acuity * German or Italian native speaker Additional Inclusion Criteria only for individuals with SCI: * Diagnosis of traumatic spinal cord injury * Lesion level below T1 (first thoracic vertebra) * Time since injury \>= 12 months * Residual sensation on the upper leg (sensory capability of 1 or higher on at least one leg in the dermatomes L2 and L3 for both light touch and pin prick). Exclusion Criteria for all participants: * Pregnancy or breastfeeding * Diagnosis of other psychiatric or neurological disorders (e.g. epilepsy, tumor in the central nervous system) * Confirmed diagnosis of alcohol and/or drug abuse with active consumption within the last 6 months * Confirmed diagnosis of traumatic brain injury, intended as visible changes in the brain diagnosed by a radiologist * Stroke * Inability to perform study procedures (e.g. inability to consent) Additional Exclusion Criteria for both HC and SCI undergoing the fMRI procedure: * Active medical devices (e.g. cardiac pacemaker) * Inability to perform study procedures (e.g. claustrophobia)

Primary outcome measure(s)

Score on the Body Feelings and Illusions questionnaire (BoFI) — Baseline
A questionnaires that assess different dimensions of embodiment and disembodiment.

Trial sites (1)

Facility	City	Region	Status
Swiss Paraplegic Research	Nottwil	Canton of Lucerne	Recruiting

More Swiss Paraplegic Research, Nottwil trials in Switzerland

Investigation Into Optimal FES Training Characteristics After Spinal Cord Injury Recruiting

Urine Incontinence Occurrence and Sexual Hormones in Women With Chronic Spinal Cord Injury/Disease - a Pilot Study Recruiting

The Effect of Probiotic and Prebiotic Supplementation on Gastrointestinal Health in Individuals With Chronic Spinal Cord Injury Recruiting

Virtual Walking to Reduce Chronic Neuropathic Pain in Subjects With SCI Recruiting

The Effects of Eccentric Compared to Standard Strength Training in Primary Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Starting soon

Other trials for the same condition

Virtual Walking to Reduce Chronic Neuropathic Pain in Subjects With SCI Recruiting

Study on Preliminary Safety and Efficacy of Epidural Electrical Stimulation to Manage Lower Urinary Tract Dysfunction After Spinal Cord Injury Recruiting

Official registry record

This page summarises publicly available registry data for informational purposes — not medical advice. Eligibility is determined by each study team; patients should discuss participation with their clinician.

View NCT06688916 on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗ ← All trials in Switzerland