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

NCT06688916 · Status: RECRUITING · Type: OBSERVATIONAL · Enrollment: 80

Last updated 2025-10-08

No results posted yet for this 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).

Conditions

  • Spinal Cord Injuries (SCI)

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

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.

BEHAVIORAL

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.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Swiss Paraplegic Research, Nottwil

    lead NETWORK

Eligibility

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

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2025-06-04
Primary Completion
2026-05-31
Completion
2026-05-31

Countries

  • Switzerland

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 NCT06688916 on ClinicalTrials.gov