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Rehabilitation Research Centre
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[ top ]This project presents an opportunity to improve the long-term health and fitness for a wide range of physically disabled people. There are three phases. First, it will quantify the cardiorespiratory and neuromuscular effects of computer controlled functional electrical stimulation cycling over a range of velocities in recent spinal cord-injured patients. Second, the project will train these individuals using a new Australian FES-cycle versus a traditional exercise bicycle to assess the effectiveness of FES exercise for enhancing cardiorespiratory fitness, muscle size and strength. Finally, it will seek to define the optimal stimulus for cardiorespiratory and muscle training to improve general health in spinal cord-injured patients.
[ top ]| Chief Investigator: | Associate Professor Glen M
Davis Rehabilitation Research Centre The University of Sydney |
| Co-Principal Investigator: | Mr Che
Fornusek Rehabilitation Research Centre The University of Sydney |
| Co-Principal Investigator: | Mr Steve Rougellis Multi-Tems Pty Ltd |
| Co-Principal Investigator: | Mr Peter Bennett Multi-Tems Pty Ltd |
[ top ]Confinement to a wheelchair following spinal cord injury (SCI) is associated with severe degenerative changes including muscle atrophy, loss of skin and bone integrity, a diminished physical fitness level and a higher incidence of cardiovascular disease in this population (Davis, 1993). The costs to paralysed patients, health care providers and Australian society was over $56 million in 1995 (NSW only) comprising primary SCI rehabilitation, loss of income, and treatment of on-going medical problems lasting up to 20 years after the initial spinal cord trauma! (Motor Accident Authority of NSW - 1995 Annual Report)
The development of modern bioengineering technologies in rehabilitation medicine has promoted recent interest in the clinical use of ‘FUNCTIONAL ELECTRICAL STIMULATION’ (FES) — a technique which utilises electrical stimulation under computer control to elicit purposeful movements in paralysed muscles (Davis and Glaser, 1990). Spinal cord-injured subjects can perform FES cycling exercise to improve their health and fitness, and this has significant beneficial outcomes in terms of reducing on-going health care costs (Glaser et al., 1987; Davis, 1993). Existing FES exercise systems are currently very expensive (in excess of $A35,000), are constructed overseas without sales and technical support in the Southeast Pacific region, cannot be used by individuals with significant muscle atrophy (i.e. who cannot produce even minimal pedal forces to elicit cycling), and are restricted to pedalling velocities within a narrow range (35-50 rev •min-1).
Multi-Tems Pty Ltd, an Australian medical instrument company with a proven history of developing and marketing bioengineering technologies for therapeutic use within the physically disabled community, has recently developed a new FES exercise cycle which overcomes all of the limitations of the US-manufactured device at a substantially lower cost ($A15,000). This FES exercise cycle, in addition to utilising a unique stimulus wave-form to activate the paralysed muscles, employs an exercise paradigm and force application which is unlike any other currently in use world-wide.
[ top ]The Rehabilitation Research Centre (University of Sydney) and Multi-Tems Pty Ltd have received an Australian Research Council grant to validate this recently-developed isokinetic FES-cycle and measure its possible medical benefits for spinal cord-injured adults with a view to commercial development within Australia and the Southeast Pacific region.
Three specific objectives are proposed:
[ top ]More information concerning the research design of this project as well as the outcomes of studies currently under way will appear on this web site as they become available. Technical details of the "new" FES-cycle for paralysed individuals are currently non-disclosed and under provisional patent protection.
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