Clinical trial · Interventional
Assessing Spinal Accessory Nerve Recovery After Post-operative Electrical Stimulation
Assessing the Feasibility and Effect of Post-operative Electrical Stimulation on Spinal Accessory Nerve Recovery After Neck Dissection for Head and Neck Cancer
- Source
- ClinicalTrials.gov
- Retrieved
- Sep 8, 2026
- Layer
- normalized (units and labels harmonized; values unchanged)
- Run
- ING-CLINICALTRIALS-20260908-000001
Summary
Brief summary (as posted)
Shoulder weakness and pain are common after neck dissection surgery for head and neck cancer. This is often caused by injury to the spinal accessory nerve, which controls important shoulder muscles. Recovery can be slow and incomplete, affecting patients' ability to return to daily activities. This project will test whether a brief, low-dose electrical stimulation treatment can help the nerve heal faster and improve shoulder function. The treatment is applied during surgery and is safe, non-invasive, and quick to deliver. If successful, this approach could lead to better rehabilitation, less disability, and improved quality of life for patients undergoing cancer surgery. The project also supports the development of new medical technology and offers a pathway to expand the use of electrical stimulation in other nerve injuries.
Conditions
Conditions (3)
Free-text conditions as registered, with the CancerIndex entity they were reconciled to and the match type.
| Condition (as posted) | Mapped entity | Match | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Head and Neck Cancer | Malignant Head and Neck Neoplasm | ALIAS | 0.90 |
| Neck Dissection | — | UNRESOLVED | — |
| Nerve Injury | — | UNRESOLVED | — |
Interventions
Interventions (1)
| Intervention | Type | Mapped drug | Match |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical Stimulation | Device | — | UNRESOLVED |
Design
Arms and outcomes
Arms (2)
- type
- NO_INTERVENTION
- label
- Standard of Care
- type
- EXPERIMENTAL
- label
- Electrical stimulation
- description
- Post-operative electrical stimulation of spinal accessory nerve post neck dissection.
- interventionNames
- Device: Electrical Stimulation
Primary outcomes (1)
- measure
- Constant Murley Score (CMS)
- timeFrame
- 6 months post operative
- description
- Shoulder function will be assessed using the Constant-Murley Score (CMS), a validated composite measure of shoulder function. The CMS ranges from 0 to 100 points, where higher scores indicate better shoulder function. The score incorporates four components: pain (15 points), activities of daily living (20 points), range of motion (40 points), and strength (25 points). A score of 100 represents full, pain-free shoulder function with normal strength and range of motion, while a score of 0 reflects complete dysfunction.
Eligibility
Eligibility (as posted)
- Sex
- All
Show eligibility criteria text
Inclusion Criteria: * Undergoing neck dissection Exclusion Criteria: * Previous neck dissection, previous implantable stimulator (i.e. pacemaker), previous spinal accessory nerve injury, pre-existing shoulder injury or weakness
References
Publications (2)
- RESULTCostello MC, Errante EL, Smartz T, Ray WZ, Levi AD, Burks SS. Clinical applications of electrical stimulation for peripheral nerve injury: a systematic review. Front Neurosci. 2023 Aug 3;17:1162851. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1162851. eCollection 2023. PMID 37600003
- RESULTGane EM, Michaleff ZA, Cottrell MA, McPhail SM, Hatton AL, Panizza BJ, O'Leary SP. Prevalence, incidence, and risk factors for shoulder and neck dysfunction after neck dissection: A systematic review. Eur J Surg Oncol. 2017 Jul;43(7):1199-1218. doi: 10.1016/j.ejso.2016.10.026. Epub 2016 Nov 17. PMID 27956321