Article

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether, for patients after stroke, propelling a
functional electrical stimulation (FES)-assisted leg-cycling wheelchair requires
less energy than propelling a manual wheelchair, and whether leg propulsion with
FES has lower energy costs than without FES. DESIGN:
Within-subject comparison.
SUBJECTS: A total of 16 patients after stroke were recruited from the university
hospital. METHODS: Subjects propelled 2 leg-cycling wheelchairs (a
FES-leg-cycling wheelchair and a leg-cycling wheelchair) and a manual wheelchair
for 200 m as quickly as possible. Cardiopulmonary responses (heart rate, oxygen
consumption, carbon dioxide production, minute ventilation, and respiratory
exchange ratio) and energy costs (physiological cost index and oxygen cost) data
for each wheelchair-type were compared for each subject. RESULTS: The
cardiopulmonary responses were significantly higher, and energy costs
significantly lower for propelling the FES-leg-cycling wheelchair and leg-cycling
wheelchair compared with the manual wheelchair. No significant difference was
found between the FES-leg-cycling wheelchair and the leg-cycling wheelchair.
CONCLUSION: Propulsion of a leg-cycling wheelchair with or without FES yielded
significantly higher cardiopulmonary responses and required less energy than
propulsion of a manual wheelchair. The energy costs of cycling with FES was
comparable to the energy costs of cycling without FES.

Langue : ANGLAIS