Exercise responses with TSCS following SCI
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Impact of transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation on autonomic cardiovascular control and upper-body exercise performance in individuals with a spinal cord injury (STIMEX-SCI): An exploratory study
IRAS ID
333496
Contact name
Thomas E Nightingale
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Birmingham
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 4 months, 29 days
Research summary
Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a devastating and complex neurological condition that results in not only impaired sensory and motor functions but also impairments to the autonomic nervous system (ANS). Progressive physical deconditioning following SCI is associated with low-levels of cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF). Due to a diminished supraspinal sympathetic output to the heart and blood vessels, thereby reducing peak heart rate and blood pressure (BP), individuals with cervical and upper-thoracic SCI typically exhibit blunted responses to exercise. As such, these individuals are at an earlier and heightened risk for the development of cardiovascular disease. Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) has emerged as a potential strategy to be used within populations suffering from various neurological dysfunctions. Recent findings have demonstrated that epidural SCS (ESCS) can effectively modulate cardiovascular control and improve exercise performance by up to 26% in an individual with tetraplegia. Whilst promising, ESCS is highly invasive and requires a costly surgical procedure. Preliminary work with non-invasive transcutaneous SCS (TSCS) has revealed comparable responses to ESCS for motor and autonomic control (e.g. improved trunk stability and bladder function, and normalised BP). However, there is currently little to no evidence on both the acute and longitudinal responses to pairing aerobic exercise with TSCS. Therefore, the aim of this project is to investigate the effectiveness of vigorous intensity upper-body aerobic exercise paired with TSCS, compared to exercise alone, on CRF (primary outcome) and other cardiovascular, motor, cognitive, and health-related quality of life outcomes, acutely and longitudinally over an 8-week period.
REC name
Wales REC 7
REC reference
23/WA/0284
Date of REC Opinion
31 Oct 2023
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion