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Locomotor training improve metabolic function, body composition and trunk motor control in spinal cord injured individuals
Author(s) -
Paleville Daniela Terson,
Lorenz Douglas,
Aslan Sevda,
Harkema Susan
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.27.1_supplement.693.9
Subject(s) - trunk , medicine , physical medicine and rehabilitation , spinal cord injury , physical therapy , treadmill , rehabilitation , spinal cord , biology , ecology , psychiatry
Obesity and cardiovascular problems are some of the most common complications in chronic spinal cord injury (SCI). Lower resting metabolic rate and oxygen consumption in individuals with SCI individuals may be related to higher risk of obesity, hyperlipidemia, diabetes and coronary artery disease. Improved postural and motor of the trunk muscles are related to independence in activity of daily living. We propose that locomotor training (LT) is a therapeutic intervention that can improve these outcomes. LT is a task‐specific rehabilitation, in which participants are placed on a treadmill with partial body weight bearing supported by a harness, and therapists manually facilitate the participant to accomplish gait. Our hypotheses are that: individuals with SCI will have lower percentage of body fat as measured by dual energy x‐ray absorptiometry (DEXA) and skinfold subcutaneous fat assessment; will have higher resting metabolic rate as measured by basal oxygen consumption (open circuit spirometry) and will improve in trunk postural control and neural activation of the trunk muscles after LT as measured by the trunk functional neurophysiologic assessment (EMG). This is preliminary data from an ongoing project from individuals with chronic SCI (n=5). These participants show lower percentage of body fat, maintained or increased lean body mass; improved metabolic function at rest and during exercise and enhanced motor control of the trunk muscles during different voluntary maneuvers after 60 sessions of locomotor training (60 min. sessions, 3–5 times per week).