AIH for Spinal Cord Repair

Inclusion Criteria: * Male and females Veterans between 18-85 years * Chronic cSCI (1 yr of injury) * Cervical injury at C8 or above * Sensory function: impaired (score of 1) but not absent (score of 0) or intact (score of 2) innervations in dermatomes C6, C7 and C8 during light touch and pin prick stimulus using the International Standards for Neurological Classification of Spinal Cord Injury (ISNCSCI) sensory scores * Motor function: Able to grasp small objects with one hand and able to perform a visible precision grasp between the index finger and thumb * Motor scores ISNCSCI: 1 to 4 but not 5 on finger flexors and finger abductors on the hand tested. * These criteria were selected to ensure that hand impairment will not interfere with the ability to perform training and proposed tests Inclusion criteria for controls: * Male and females (18-80 years) * Right handed * Able to complete precision and power grips Exclusion Criteria: * Uncontrolled medical problems including pulmonary, cardiovascular or orthopedic disease * Any debilitating disease prior to the SCI that caused exercise intolerance * Premorbid, ongoing major depression or psychosis, altered cognitive status * History of head injury or stroke * Metal plate in skull * History of seizures * Receiving drugs acting primarily on the central nervous system, which lower the seizure threshold such as antipsychotic drugs * chlorpromazine * clozapine * or tricyclic antidepressants * Pregnant females * Ongoin…