Cardiovascular Response to Dynamic Functional Electrical Stimulation during Head-up Tilt

• Main Author: Yoshida, Takashi
• Other Authors: Popovic, Milos R.
• Language: en_ca
• Published: 2010
• Subjects: Spinal cord injury; Orthostatic hypotension; Rehabilitation engineering; Functional electrical stimulation; 0541; 0382
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1807/25528

Orthostatic hypotension (OH) is a prevalent condition among individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI). After an injury, OH often reduces the benefit of neurorehabilitation and also prolongs periods of inactivity that lead to secondary complications. This study investigated whether the cardiovascular response to head-up tilting can be improved using functional electrical stimulation (FES) and rhythmic passive movements of the lower extremities. Participants with high thoracic and cervical SCI were recruited. While the participants were tilted head-up to 70 degrees, four conditions were applied in a random sequence: 1) no intervention, 2) rhythmic passive leg movements, 3) isometric FES, and 4) a combination of FES and passive leg movements. The measured cardiovascular parameters indicated that a combination of FES and passive leg movements induced the most desirable response to head-up tilting. The proposed intervention will enable more individuals with SCI to participate in beneficial neurorehabilitation that uses a novel tilt table.