The long-term objective of this study is to optimize the rehabilitative potential in spinal cord injury (SCI) by maximally harnessing the potential available for functional neural plasticity. SCI is an important cause of serious, long-term disability in young adults. This fact, further complicated by rising disability-related costs, makes SCI a significant economic and social burden. Upper limb dysfunction is one of the most prevalent and debilitating impairments. More than 75% of patients with quadriplegia (paralysis of all 4 limbs following spinal cord injury in neck and upper back) prioritize return of upper limb function over any other lost function. Alleviating deficits of the upper limb may represent a cost-effective stategy to reducing the burden of SCI.