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Microneurography and Intraneural Microstimulation for Upper Limb Sensory Investigation in Healthy and Amputee Subjects

NCT07691957 · Status: RECRUITING · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 100

Last updated 2026-07-09

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

The goal of this experimental study is to investigate the somatosensory system through intraneural recording and stimulation of the median nerve in healthy volunteers and participants with upper-limb amputation. The main questions it aims to answer are:

* How does median nerve activity encode tactile perception during different types of mechanical tactile stimulation in healthy subjects?
* How can tactile information be artificially encoded and restored through intraneural microstimulation in both healthy subjects and upper-limb amputee participants? How rich and functionally meaningful is the restored sensory information?
* What are the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying tactile stimulus processing and the associated patterns of brain activation during tactile stimulation?

Participants will undergo median nerve recordings using microneurography during controlled mechanical tactile stimulation, as well as intraneural microstimulation with specific patterns to evoke near-natural tactile sensations. They will perform perceptual reporting tasks related to stimulus type, intensity, and localization, as well as psychophysical tests under different stimulation conditions. When possible, they will also undergo non-invasive recordings of brain activity using electroencephalography during sensory stimulation.

Conditions

  • Upper Limb Amputation
  • Healthy Subjects

Interventions

PROCEDURE

Microneurography

Microneurography is a minimally invasive neurophysiological technique that allows direct recording of the electrical activity of single peripheral nerve fibers using specific microelectrodes inserted into the nerve.

PROCEDURE

Intraneural Microstimulation

Intraneural microstimulation is a minimally invasive neurophysiological technique in which small electrical currents are delivered through a microelectrode inserted into a peripheral nerve to selectively activate nerve fibers and evoke sensory perceptions.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Scuola Superiore di Studi Universitari e di Perfezionamento Sant'Anna

    collaborator OTHER

  • Azienda Ospedaliero, Universitaria Pisana

    lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
NONE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

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

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2024-03-04
Primary Completion
2026-12-31
Completion
2026-12-31

Countries

  • Italy

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 NCT07691957 on ClinicalTrials.gov