On the use of sham transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation in spinal cord injury clinical trials

John L K Kramer; Tania Lam; Fabio M V Rossi; Judy Illes

doi:10.1093/brain/awaf040

On the use of sham transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation in spinal cord injury clinical trials

Brain. 2025 May 13;148(5):1456-1458. doi: 10.1093/brain/awaf040.

Authors

John L K Kramer^{1

2

3}, Tania Lam^{2

3

4}, Fabio M V Rossi⁵, Judy Illes⁶

Affiliations

¹ Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology, and Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada, BC V5Z 1M9.
² International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries (ICORD), Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada, BC V5Z 1M9.
³ Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute, Vancouver Coastal Health, Vancouver, Canada, BC V5Z 1M9.
⁴ School of Kinesiology, Faculty of Education, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada, BC V6T 1Z1.
⁵ School of Biomedical Engineering and Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada, BC V6T 1Z3.
⁶ Neuroethics Canada, Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada, BC V6T 2B5.

Abstract

Kramer et al. examine the reasons put forth by investigators for excluding a sham condition in trials of neuromodulation therapies for individuals with spinal cord injury. They conclude that current dogma does not justify this design, and emphasize the need for future trials to include appropriate controls.

Abstract

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