Losing Balance to Prevent Falls after Spinal Cord Injury
Project Background
Many individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) live with the persistent threat of falling. The physical and psychosocial consequences for the individual are significant, as is the economic impact on health systems and society. Little time is spent on balance training during rehabilitation and few evidence-based approaches to restoring balance after SCI have been identified. We have developed a new method of balance training, called RBT+FES, that combines reactive balance training (RBT, practice recovering one’s balance after a perturbation) and functional electrical stimulation (FES) of the leg muscles.
Objectives
To provide a preliminary evaluation of the efficacy of RBT+FES in people with chronic SCI in comparison to RBT alone.
Methods
This study is a pilot randomized clinical trial. The experimental arm will involve 18 sessions of PBT+FES while the control arm will involve 18 sessions of PBT alone. Twenty-two individuals with SCI will participate. Clinical and biomechanical assessments will be completed before training begins, immediately post-training, and six months post-training. Clinical measures of balance, strength and proprioception will be administered by a physical therapist blind to group allocation. Falls will be monitored for six months after training.
Results and Outputs
In progress.
Knowledge Translation
Pending.
Team Members
Kei Masani PhD, Senior Scientist, KITE-University Health Network; Associate Professor, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto
Katherine Chan MSc, Clinical Research Coordinator, KITE-University Health Network
Matthew Heffernan, MSc, PhD Candidate, Rehabilitation Sciences Institute, University of Toronto
Cindy Gauthier PT, PhD, Lecturer, School of Rehabilitation, University of Montreal
