Gabapentin is a medication commonly used in spinal cord injury (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. A mock efficacy design will be employed. Participants will be stratified based on ASIA Impairment Scale (AIS) grade A-B or C-D and randomized to 1 of 3 arms. Study medication will be initiated within 5 days post-injury and administered for 90 days. Participants will be followed for an additional 90 days after stopping treatment.
The objective of the proposed study is to conduct the first ever prospective, dose-exploration trial to test the feasibility of 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.