This study examines safety and feasibility of a study protocol using a combination of functional electrical legcycling with voluntary armwork (hybrid training) as either skiergometer or armcycling in high intensity intervals for persons with spinal cord injury paraplegia.
Cardiovascular disease is one of the most common causes of early death in people with spinal cord injury. Physical activity at high intensity is known to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease in other patient groups. During aerobic training, combining functional electrical stimulation (FES) with voluntary arm-work induces a higher oxygen uptake than FES cycling alone and high intensity interval training induces higher oxygen uptake than training at continuous intensity. The hypothesis is that combining hybrid training with high-intensity induces even higher oxygen uptake thereby reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease. This training modality has not been tested before, so before conducting a randomized controlled trial testing the effect of this training modality on oxygen uptake, the aim was to asses safety and feasibility of this protocol.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NA
Purpose
OTHER
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
8
FES-legcycling combined with either arm skiergometer or arm-cycling in 4 x 4 min. intervals at 90% peak power output, 3 times a week for 8 weeks
Specialhospitalet for Polio og Ulykkesramte
Rødovre Municipality, Denmark
Number of serious adverse events
Assessed by number of incidences of autonomic hyperreflexia or acute cardiac events
Time frame: 8 weeks
Shoulder pain
Measured using Wheelchair Shoulder Pain Index (WUSPI), a 15 item questionnaire measuring shoulder pain during daily activities. Each item is scored on a 10 mm visual analog scale with anchors no pain to worst pain ever. Total index score range from 0 - 100. Within each item there is a not applicable option. The score used is performance corrected WUSPI score, dividing total index score by number of item responses and multiplied by 15. Higher score indicate higher level of shoulder pain.
Time frame: 8 weeks
compliance
Assessed with number of dropouts and proportion of fulfilled training minutes
Time frame: 8 weeks
intensity
Assessed as mean intensity of the 4 x 4 min. intervals as proportion of peak watt measured at baseline test. Peakwatt for FES-cycling was defined as an average of the three highest watt values within 30 sec. For skiergometer peak watt was defined as the highest average of one min. splits.
Time frame: 8 weeks
Peak oxygen uptake
Assessed measuring pulmonary gas exchange. Peak oxygen uptake is defined as respiratory exchange ratio of 1.05 or higher, concentration of blood lactate of 7 mmol/l or more and subjective rating of perceived exertion on the Borg 6-20 scale of min. 16.
Time frame: 8 weeks
leisure time physical activity
leisure time physical activity measured with leisure time physical activity questionnaire - SCI (LTPAQ-SCI), asking number of min. spent performing low-, moderate and high intensity leisure time physical activity pr. day, scored by multiplying number of min by number of days yielding number of minutes of leisure time physical activity per week.
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Time frame: 8 weeks
health related quality of life
health related quality of life measured with Short Form 36 (SF-36), categorically based on a three to six categories Likert scale. An algorithm transforms the scores into a 0-100 scoring system, with higher scores indicating better quality of life
Time frame: 8 weeks
Fatigue
Assessed with the Multi Dimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI-20) covering 5 dimensions of fatigue which are scored using a five level scale. Sub scale scores range 4-20 are calculated as the sum of item ratings and total fatigue score range 20-100 is calculated as the sum of sub scale scores with higher scores indicating lower level of fatigue.
Time frame: 8 weeks