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A Novel Cooling Vest to Protect Persons With SCI From Hyperthermia

NCT05441449 · Status: COMPLETED · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 15

Last updated 2025-04-30

Study results available
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Summary

Persons with higher levels of spinal cord injury (above the 6th thoracic vertebrae: Hi-SCI) are unable to maintain their core body temperature (Tcore) within the normal range (97.5-99.7 °F) when exposed to warm environments. Even limited exposure to warm temperatures can cause hyperthermia (Tcore 100.4°F) in Hi-SCI. Mild hyperthermia causes discomfort and impaired thinking, but if unchecked, can lead to permanent damage to the brain, multiple body organ failure, and death. Warm seasonal temperatures have an adverse effect on personal comfort and the ability to participate in daily social activities in persons with Hi-SCI. Interventions addressing this vulnerability to hyperthermia are limited.

A self-regulating "smart" cooling vest designed for persons with Hi-SCI, that can effectively dissipate body heat, is a novel and promising strategy to address this problem. Once the current prototype is further developed and bench-tested, the investigators will test the vest in able-bodied participants for safety and comfort. The investigators will then test the vest in participants with Hi-SCI for efficacy. The aim for the cooling vest to minimize the expected increase of 1.1°F in Tcore by at least 50 percent and increase thermal comfort, during a controlled exposure to heat (95°F). If successful, the vest will provide a promising intervention to decrease the adverse impact of warm temperatures on comfort, quality of life, and participation in societal functions for Veterans with Hi-SCI during the warmer seasons.

Conditions

  • Spinal Cord Injuries

Interventions

DEVICE

Cooling Vest

A self-regulating cooling vest for persons with SCI that can utilize both conductive and evaporative methods to dissipate body heat as a proof-of-concept to prevent an excessive rise in Tcore and thermal discomfort during a controlled exposure to a warm environment. The vest is an article of clothing, is made of commercially-available "wicking" material, which once saturated with water, uses evaporation to dissipate heat. Channels embedded in the vest supply cooled water to keep the wet vest cool. The cooling capacity of the vest is regulated by a microprocessor which continuously receives feedback from the user's skin and core temperature. The vest is non-invasive and supplies no energy to the user.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • VA Office of Research and Development

    lead FED

Principal Investigators

  • John Philip Handrakis, PT DPT EdD · James J. Peters Veterans Affairs Medical Center

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
DEVICE_FEASIBILITY
Masking
NONE
Model
FACTORIAL

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Max Age
68 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2023-12-18
Primary Completion
2025-01-31
Completion
2025-01-31
FDA Device
Yes

Countries

  • United States

Study Locations

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT05441449 on ClinicalTrials.gov