iCycle II
Research type
Research Study
Full title
iCycle II: Recovery of function through cycling therapy with virtual reality biofeedback in chronically spinal cord-injured people
IRAS ID
286353
Contact name
Lynsey Duffell
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University College London
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
Z6364106/2021/06/12, Data Protection Registration
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 5 months, 30 days
Research summary
The annual incidence of traumatic spinal cord injury is estimated at 2,500 (35 per week) in the UK and, due to advances in research and clinical management, the majority now have incomplete injuries, with significant potential for neurological improvement. Discovering ways to provide intensive, but cost-effective Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) rehabilitation is therefore increasingly important.
The iCycle combines Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) cycling with Virtual Reality (VR) cycle-racing feedback, where winning correlates with voluntary effort, to promote recovery. The aim is to improve walking in people with incomplete injuries, fundamental to independence and quality of life as well as long-term health. We know that more intensive rehabilitative training leads to better outcomes: the iCycle has the potential to increase intensity of exercise without additional demands on therapists’ time and therefore cost.
Following the encouraging results in our first study; it is now important for us to find out whether recovery will continue at a similar rate if iCycle training continues beyond 4 weeks. We will offer six volunteers with SCI to participate in this 28 week, single-site open feasibility trial. The intervention phase will be for up to 12 weeks (3 sessions per week), with outcome measures (ISNC-SCI motor scoring, Trunk Impairment scale, Walking Index for Spinal Cord Injury, 6-minute walk test and Goal Attainment Scale) taken every 4 weeks and fed back to the participants. Each participant may then decide, at the end of each 4-week period, whether or not they wish to continue training, up to 12 weeks. In addition, neural conductivity will be assessed (using TMS) to provide preliminary evidence of the mechanisms underlying any observed neurological and functional recovery.REC name
West Midlands - Edgbaston Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
21/WM/0173
Date of REC Opinion
1 Sep 2021
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion