UG3NS137282
Cooperative Agreement
Overview
Grant Description
A FULLY-IMPLANTED SPINAL CORD STIMULATION SYSTEM TO RESTORE SENSATION AND RELIEVE PHANTOM LIMB PAIN AFTER LOWER-LIMB AMPUTATION - IN THE UNITED STATES, OVER 1.5 MILLION PEOPLE LIVE WITH LOWER-LIMB AMPUTATION (LLA). OVER 70% OF PEOPLE WITH LLA EXPERIENCE PHANTOM LIMB PAIN (PLP), WITH 50% EXPERIENCING “HIGH INTENSITY” PAIN AND 25% DESCRIBING THE PAIN AS DISABLING. OPIOID PRESCRIPTIONS AMONG PEOPLE WITH PLP ARE COMMON, WITH ONE STUDY SHOWING NEARLY 30% OF PEOPLE THAT UNDERWENT AN AMPUTATION EXHIBITING CHRONIC OPIOID CONSUMPTION. WHILE SCIENTIFIC UNDERSTANDING OF THE MECHANISMS OF PLP IS LIMITED, EVIDENCE SUGGESTS THAT THE LOSS OF SENSORY FEEDBACK AFTER AMPUTATION CONTRIBUTES TO DEVELOPMENT OF PLP. THERE IS GROWING EVIDENCE THAT NEUROPROSTHESES THAT RESTORE SOMATOSENSATION AFTER AMPUTATION CAN REDUCE OR COMPLETELY ALLEVIATE PLP. FOR EXAMPLE, RECENT STUDIES IN OUR LAB DEMONSTRATED THAT SPINAL CORD STIMULATION (SCS) VIA PERCUTANEOUSLY IMPLANTED LEADS CAN EVOKE SENSATIONS IN THE MISSING LIMB AND REDUCE PLP. WIDESPREAD CLINICAL ADOPTION WILL REQUIRE FULLY IMPLANTED SYSTEMS THAT COMMUNICATE WIRELESSLY WITH EXTERNAL SENSORS ON THE PROSTHESIS, ALLOWING US TO EXPLORE LONG-TERM AT-HOME USE OF SOMATOSENSORY NEUROPROSTHESES. THE PRIMARY GOAL OF THIS PROJECT IS TO QUANTIFY THE SAFETY AND FEASIBILITY OF A FULLY IMPLANTED SCS SYSTEM TO TREAT PLP BY RESTORING SENSATION FROM THE MISSING FOOT IN PEOPLE WITH LLA. USING A CROSS-OVER DESIGN, WE WILL QUANTIFY CHANGES IN PLP WHILE SUBJECTS WITH LLA USE THE SYSTEM AT HOME FOR 9 MONTHS, AS COMPARED TO CHANGES IN PLP THEY EXPERIENCE WITH TRADITIONAL SCS. ADDITIONALLY, USING CUTTING EDGE NEUROIMAGING TECHNIQUES, WE WILL EXPLORE IF THERE ARE CHANGES IN BRAIN REPRESENTATIONS OF THE LOWER LIMB ASSOCIATED WITH PLP AND WHETHER THOSE CHANGES ARE REVERTED IN SUBJECTS THAT EXPERIENCE PAIN RELIEF VIA SOMATOSENSORY RESTORATION. UG3 PHASE (MONTHS 1-24) AIM 1: OBTAIN FDA AND IRB APPROVAL FOR A STUDY OF SENSORY RESTORATION TO TREAT PLP IN PEOPLE WITH LLA WE WILL PERFORM BIOCOMPATIBILITY AND LARGE-ANIMAL GLP STUDIES IN SUPPORT OF AN IDE APPLICATION FOR A ONE-YEAR TRIAL OF A FULLY IMPLANTED SCS SYSTEM TO RESTORE SOMATOSENSATION AND REDUCE PLP. AIM 2: QUANTIFY CHANGES IN CORTICAL REPRESENTATION OF THE LOWER LIMB IN PEOPLE WITH PHANTOM LIMB PAIN WE WILL PERFORM MAGNETOENCEPHALOGRAPHY STUDIES IN 10 PEOPLE WITH LLA WITH PLP, 10 PEOPLE WITH LLA WITHOUT PLP, AND 10 ABLE-BODIED CONTROLS TO QUANTIFY CHANGES IN CORTICAL REPRESENTATIONS THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH PLP. UH3 PHASE (MONTHS 25-60) AIM 3: TEST SAFETY AND EFFICACY OF SOMATOSENSORY RESTORATION FOR REDUCING PHANTOM LIMB PAIN DURING A ONE-YEAR IMPLANTATION PERIOD, SIX SUBJECTS WITH LLA AND PLP WILL PROGRESS THROUGH A RANDOMIZED CROSS- OVER STUDY IN WHICH THEY RECEIVE TRADITIONAL, PARESTHESIA-BASED SCS FOR SIX WEEKS AND REAL-TIME SOMATOSENSORY RESTORATION FOR NINE MONTHS, SEPARATED BY A ONE-MONTH WASHOUT PERIOD.
Funding Goals
TO SUPPORT BASIC AND CLINICAL NEUROSCIENCE, BIOMEDICAL, BEHAVIORAL AND SOCIAL SCIENCE, EPIDEMIOLOGIC, HEALTH SERVICES AND HEALTH DISPARITY RESEARCH. TO DEVELOP NEW KNOWLEDGE AND APPROACHES RELATED TO THE PREVENTION, DIAGNOSIS, TREATMENT, ETIOLOGY, AND CONSEQUENCES OF DRUG ABUSE AND ADDICTION, INCLUDING HIV/AIDS. TO SUPPORT RESEARCH TRAINING AND RESEARCH SCIENTIST DEVELOPMENT. TO SUPPORT DISSEMINATION OF RESEARCH FINDINGS. SMALL BUSINESS INNOVATION RESEARCH (SBIR) LEGISLATION IS INTENDED TO EXPAND AND IMPROVE THE SBIR PROGRAMS TO EMPHASIZE AND INCREASE PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIALIZATION OF TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPED THROUGH FEDERAL SBIR RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, INCREASE SMALL BUSINESS PARTICIPATION IN FEDERAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, AND FOSTER AND ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION OF SOCIALLY AND ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND WOMEN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS IN THE SBIR PROGRAM. THE LEGISLATION INTENDS THAT THE SMALL BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER (STTR) PROGRAM STIMULATE AND FOSTER SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION THROUGH COOPERATIVE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CARRIED OUT BETWEEN SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS, FOSTER TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER BETWEEN SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS, TO INCREASE PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIALIZATION OF INNOVATIONS DERIVED FROM FEDERAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, AND FOSTER AND ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION OF SOCIALLY AND ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND WOMEN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS IN TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION.
Grant Program (CFDA)
Awarding / Funding Agency
Place of Performance
Pennsylvania
United States
Geographic Scope
State-Wide
Related Opportunity
University Of Pittsburgh - Of The Commonwealth System Of Higher Education was awarded
Implanted Spinal Cord Stimulation System for Phantom Limb Pain Relief
Cooperative Agreement UG3NS137282
worth $3,242,520
from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke in September 2025 with work to be completed primarily in Pennsylvania United States.
The grant
has a duration of 2 years and
was awarded through assistance program 93.279 Drug Abuse and Addiction Research Programs.
The Cooperative Agreement was awarded through grant opportunity Blueprint MedTech Translator (UG3/UH3 - Clinical Trial Optional).
Status
(Ongoing)
Last Modified 9/5/25
Period of Performance
9/1/25
Start Date
8/31/27
End Date
Funding Split
$3.2M
Federal Obligation
$0.0
Non-Federal Obligation
$3.2M
Total Obligated
Activity Timeline
Additional Detail
Award ID FAIN
UG3NS137282
SAI Number
UG3NS137282-1441998037
Award ID URI
SAI UNAVAILABLE
Awardee Classifications
Other
Awarding Office
75NQ00 NIH National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
Funding Office
75NQ00 NIH National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
Awardee UEI
MKAGLD59JRL1
Awardee CAGE
1DQV3
Performance District
PA-90
Senators
Robert Casey
John Fetterman
John Fetterman
Modified: 9/5/25