Project Type
independent
Project Start Date
09/01/2021
Project End Date
08/31/2026

Gabapentin is a medication commonly used in SCI to manage neuropathic pain. Emerging preclinical and clinical evidence suggests that early initiation of low to medium doses of gabapentin and continued delivery for a range of 2 weeks to 4 months has a persistent, positive effect on motor and autonomic neurologic recovery. The objective of the proposed study is to conduct the first ever prospective, dose-exploration trial to test the early administration of gabapentin as an intervention for neurorecovery. This research project falls under the Intervention Development stage of research as the primary goal is to assess the feasibility of conducting a well-designed intervention efficacy study in the future. We are proposing a feasibility study that will evaluate several features that are important for a future efficacy trial: enrollment rate, randomization to placebo, delivery of treatment and follow-up protocol, blinded evaluations, and retention rate.