Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40891982›Full record

Trial reportThe journal of spinal cord medicine2026

Acute effects of neuromuscular electrical stimulation on lactate, IGF-1 and cognition in chronic spinal cord injury: A pilot randomized cross-over study.

Wouter A J Vints, Ugnė Mazuronytė, Orgesa Qipo, Oron Levin, Swathi Gujral, Jeanine Verbunt, Charlotte C M van Laake-Geelen, Vaida Pokvytytė, Nerijus Masiulis

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in The journal of spinal cord medicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Trial
  2. Trial
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Wouter A J VintsDepartment of Health Promotion and Rehabilitation, Lithuanian Sports University, Kaunas, Lithuania.ORCID 0000-0003-1803-4949
Ugnė MazuronytėDepartment of Health Promotion and Rehabilitation, Lithuanian Sports University, Kaunas, Lithuania.
Orgesa QipoDepartment of Health Promotion and Rehabilitation, Lithuanian Sports University, Kaunas, Lithuania.
Oron LevinDepartment of Health Promotion and Rehabilitation, Lithuanian Sports University, Kaunas, Lithuania.
Swathi GujralDepartment of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, SA.
Jeanine VerbuntDepartment of Rehabilitation Medicine Research School CAPHRI, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Charlotte C M van Laake-GeelenDepartment of Rehabilitation Medicine Research School CAPHRI, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Vaida PokvytytėDepartment of Health Promotion and Rehabilitation, Lithuanian Sports University, Kaunas, Lithuania.
Nerijus MasiulisDepartment of Health Promotion and Rehabilitation, Lithuanian Sports University, Kaunas, Lithuania.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionIndividuals with spinal cord injuries (SCI) exhibit an accelerated age-related cognitive decline compared to healthy individuals, even after adjusting for mood factors and concomitant traumatic brain injury. We hypothesized that neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) on hamstring and gluteal muscles may induce a dose-dependent increase in lactate and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) which is hypothesized to be associated with a temporary enhancement of cognitive performance.

methodsTwenty-two individuals with chronic SCI participated in a randomized cross-over study, receiving NMES on one of both visits. Participants randomly underwent a single session of 30 or 60-minute NMES. Lactate, IGF-1 levels and processing speed on the Symbol Digit Modalities test (SDMT) were tested before, immediately after and 30 minutes after intervention or 60 minutes rest.

resultsLactate levels increased significantly immediately after NMES conditions compared to control (

conclusionAcute NMES did not induce changes in IGF-1 levels or cognitive performance in individuals with SCI. However, 30 min of 100 mA of NMES significantly increased lactate levels, and could be used as a marker of NMES intensity in this population. Further research is required to explore various NMES protocols and their impact on cognitive domains in individuals with SCI.

Indexed as

CognitionElectric Stimulation TherapyInsulin-Like Growth Factor ILactic AcidSpinal Cord InjuriesAdultCross-Over StudiesFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedPilot ProjectsProcessing SpeedIGF1 protein, humanInsulin-Like Growth Factor ILactic AcidCognitive agingDose–responseLactic acidMyokinesNeuromuscular electrical stimulationspinal cord injury

Identifiers

PMID40891982
PMCPMC13591980

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.