Effect of Blood Flow-restricted Exercise Frequency on Strength Recovery Following Incomplete SCI
Effect of Blood Flow-restricted Resistance Exercise Frequency on Strength Recovery Following Incomplete Cervical Spinal Cord Injury
The goal of this clinical trial is to determine the effect of treatment frequency on the physical recovery of adults with incomplete spinal cord injury. The treatment will last for eight weeks and will occur either either two or three times weekly. The main research questions are:
- How do changes in muscle strength compare between participants who receive eight weeks of blood flow-restricted exercise two times vs. three times weekly?
- How do changes in the level of independence performing a selected functional task compare between participants who receive eight weeks of treatment two times vs. three times weekly?
- How do changes in the perceived exertion needed to perform a functional task compare between participants who receive eight weeks of treatment two times vs. three times weekly?
The researchers will compare people receiving treatment two vs. three times per week to see if they differ in the amount of change seen in muscle strength, level of independence performing a functional task requiring use of the targeted muscle group, and/or perceived exertion required to perform the functional task.
Participants will:
- complete three pre-treatment evaluation sessions to establish muscle strength, level of independence performing a functional task, and perceived exertion required to perform a functional task.
- perform four sets of 20 muscle contraction repetitions of blood flow-restricted exercise on the left and right sides of the body using the targeted muscle group either two times or three times weekly depending on treatment group assignment.
- complete three post-treatment evaluation sessions to establish muscle strength, level of independence performing a functional task, and perceived exertion required to perform a functional task.
Study Overview
Status
Conditions
Intervention / Treatment
Detailed Description
Participants in both treatment groups will receive blood flow-restricted (BFR) intervention for eight weeks. Other than substituting BFR exercises for those typically performed with the target muscle group, a participant's established treatment program will not change with study enrollment.
Participants will engage in pre-treatment data collection measuring the strength and functional use of the target muscle group for three consecutive days before beginning the BFR protocol. We will use a dynamometer to measure in Newtons the maximum force a participant can exert with the left and right target muscle. To measure functional use, we will assess the assistance a participant needs to perform a designated functional task using the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) rating scale. Participants will rate their perceived effort with the Borg category-ratio 10 Rating of Perceived Exertion (Borg) scale.
Each BFR exercise session will begin with measuring resting blood pressure to ensure it is between 80/50 mmHg and 150/90 mmHg. We will then place a 50% inflated pneumatic cuff either with or without an electrical stimulation (ES) device, as appropriate, on the participant's target limb. The participant will perform 4 sets of 20 low-dose contractions of the target muscle with 30 s rest between sets. We will only use ES supplementation when a participant can not perform additional set repetitions independently. Resistance band placement will increase repetition difficulty as strength increases. The treatment regimen will then repeat with the contralateral limb.
We will repeat the measurement of muscle strength and functional task performance for three consecutive days at the conclusion of the eight-week treatment regimen. Again, we will rate the assistance provided for functional task performance using the FIM scale, and the participant will report the effort exerted using the Borg scale.
Study Type
Enrollment (Estimated)
Phase
- Not Applicable
Contacts and Locations
Study Locations
-
-
Nebraska
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Omaha, Nebraska, United States, 68104
- Quality Living, Inc.
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-
Participation Criteria
Eligibility Criteria
Ages Eligible for Study
- Adult
- Older Adult
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
Description
Inclusion Criteria:
- A current client receiving treatment for a spinal cord injury at Quality Living, Inc.
Exclusion Criteria:
- Does not speak English
- Can not follow commands
- Recent history of deep vein thrombosis, autonomic dysreflexia, orthostatic hypotension, or cardiovascular disease
Study Plan
How is the study designed?
Design Details
- Primary Purpose: Treatment
- Allocation: Randomized
- Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
- Masking: None (Open Label)
Arms and Interventions
Participant Group / Arm |
Intervention / Treatment |
|---|---|
|
Active Comparator: Two times per week
Participants will received blood flow-restricted exercise treatment two times per week for eight weeks.
Treatment will target one muscle group both on the left and right side of the body.
Participants will complete four sets of 20 muscle contraction repetitions with a 30-second rest period between each set.
If a participant can not complete all 20 repetitions in a set, they will receive electrical stimulation to the muscle to prompt performance of the remaining set contractions.
|
Blood flow-restricted exercise involves performance of low-load contractions of a target muscle group while a pneumatic cuff placed proximally on the limb partially restricts blood flow to muscles and venous return to central circulation.
Other Names:
|
|
Active Comparator: Three times per week
Participants will received blood flow-restricted exercise treatment three times per week for eight weeks.
Treatment will target one muscle group both on the left and right side of the body.
Participants will complete four sets of 20 muscle contraction repetitions with a 30-second rest period between each set.
If a participant can not complete all 20 repetitions in a set, they will receive electrical stimulation to the muscle to prompt performance of the remaining set contractions.
|
Blood flow-restricted exercise involves performance of low-load contractions of a target muscle group while a pneumatic cuff placed proximally on the limb partially restricts blood flow to muscles and venous return to central circulation.
Other Names:
|
What is the study measuring?
Primary Outcome Measures
Outcome Measure |
Measure Description |
Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
|
Torque in Newton-meters
Time Frame: Three consecutive days pre- and post-treatment
|
Rotational force exerted when contracting the target muscle group
|
Three consecutive days pre- and post-treatment
|
Other Outcome Measures
Outcome Measure |
Measure Description |
Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
|
Functional Independence Measure rating
Time Frame: Three consecutive days pre- and post-treatment
|
The Functional Independence Measure (FIM) is a seven-point scale (i.e., 1=total assistance, 7=complete independence) for quantifying the support needed for a participant to perform a designated functional task.
|
Three consecutive days pre- and post-treatment
|
|
Borg category-ratio 10 Rating of Perceived Exertion scale
Time Frame: Three consecutive days pre- and post-treatment
|
The Borg category-ratio 10 Rating of Perceived Exertion scale (Borg) provides a means for participants to rate their perceived effort during functional task performance (0=no exertion; 10=highest effort possible).
|
Three consecutive days pre- and post-treatment
|
Collaborators and Investigators
Sponsor
Investigators
- Study Director: Karen Hux, Ph.D., Quality Living, Inc.
Study record dates
Study Major Dates
Study Start (Actual)
Primary Completion (Estimated)
Study Completion (Estimated)
Study Registration Dates
First Submitted
First Submitted That Met QC Criteria
First Posted (Actual)
Study Record Updates
Last Update Posted (Actual)
Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria
Last Verified
More Information
Terms related to this study
Keywords
Additional Relevant MeSH Terms
Other Study ID Numbers
- BFR exercise frequency
Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)
Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?
Drug and device information, study documents
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product
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