Article

Individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) need options for negotiating
architectural barriers, completing essential transfers, and accessing items on
high shelves or in cupboards that cannot be reached from the wheelchair or safely
managed with reachers. Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) and the Department
of Veterans Affairs (VA) have developed an assistive technology device to assist
individuals with SCI to stand and transfer. The 8-channel implanted CWRU-VA
system enables persons with SCI to exercise, stand, and maneuver in the vicinity
of their wheelchairs. Interventions that decrease barriers to mobility and
participation can have a significant effect on an individual's perceived quality
of life (QOL). This study uses a qualitative research methodology comprised of a
series of semi-structured interviews to determine the effects on perceived QOL of
an implanted 8-channel functional electrical stimulation (FES) system for
standing after SCI. The results reveal that individuals with SCI currently using
an implanted FES standing system perceived significant improvements in QOL
related to the neuroprosthesis. Implanted neuroprostheses for standing have the
potential to improve QOL for veterans living with SCI.

Langue : ANGLAIS