Article

With today's specialized medical care, life expectancy of persons
with a spinal cord injury (SCI) has considerably improved. With increasing age
and time since injury, many individuals with SCI, however, show a serious
inactive lifestyle, associated with deconditioning and secondary health
conditions (SHCs) (e.g. pressure sores, urinary and respiratory tract infections,
osteoporosis, upper-extremity pain, obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease)
and resulting in reduced participation and quality of life (QoL). Avoiding this
downward spiral, is crucial. OBJECTIVES: To understand possible deconditioning
and SHCs in persons aging with a SCI in the context of active lifestyle, fitness,
participation and QoL and to examine interventions that enhance active lifestyle,
fitness, participation and QoL and help prevent some of the SHCs. METHODS: A
multicentre multidisciplinary research program (Active LifestyLe Rehabilitation
Interventions in aging Spinal Cord injury, ALLRISC) in the setting of the
long-standing Dutch SCI-rehabilitation clinical research network. RESULTS:
ALLRISC is a four-study research program addressing inactive lifestyle,
deconditioning, and SHCs and their associations in people aging with SCI. The
program consists of a cross-sectional study (n = 300) and three randomized
clinical trials. All studies share a focus on fitness, active lifestyle, SHCs and
deconditioning and outcome measures on these and other (participation, QoL)
domains. It is hypothesized that a self-management program, low-intensity
wheelchair exercise and hybrid functional electrical stimulation-supported leg
and handcycling are effective interventions to enhance active life style and
fitness, help to prevent some of the important SHCs in chronic SCI and improve
participation and QoL. CONCLUSION: ALLRISC aims to provide evidence-based
preventive components of a rehabilitation aftercare system that preserves
functioning in aging persons with SCI.

Langue : ANGLAIS