Article

OBJECTIVE: To examine acute metabolic and heart rate responses in individuals
with motor complete spinal cord injury (SCI) during stepping and standing with
body weight support (BWS). DESIGN: Cohort study.
SETTING: Therapeutic exercise
research laboratory. PARTICIPANTS: Nonambulatory individuals with chronic, motor
complete SCI between T5 and T12 (n=8) and healthy, able-bodied controls (n=8).
INTERVENTION: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Oxygen consumption (V o2)
and heart rate. RESULTS: Individuals with motor complete SCI performed standing
and stepping exercises in a BWS system with manual assistance of lower body
kinematics. V o2 and heart rate responses were assessed in relation to level of
BWS. Weight support was provided by an overhead lift at high (>/=50% BWS) or low
(20%-35% BWS) levels during stepping and standing.
Although participants with
motor complete SCI were unable to stand or step without assistance, levels of V
o2 and heart rate were elevated by 38% and 37%, respectively, when load was
maximized during stepping (ie, low BWS). Participants without an SCI (able-bodied
group) had a similar acute response to exercise. None of the participants met the
target range for V o2 response in any of the tasks. However, stepping was
sufficient to enable half of the participants in the SCI group to attain the
target range for heart rate response to exercise. CONCLUSIONS: Individuals with
motor complete SCI exhibit cardiovascular responses during body weight-supported
exercise. Findings indicate that body weight-supported stepping provides a
minimal cardiovascular challenge for individuals with paraplegia. Emphasis on low
weight support during locomotor training can trigger additional heart rate
adaptations.
CI - Copyright (c) 2015 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by
Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Langue : ANGLAIS