title: Screening and habituation of functional electrical stimulation-leg cycle ergometry for individuals with spinal cord injury: a pilot study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To document the screening process and develop the habituation procedures prior to commencing a functional electrical stimulation leg cycle ergometry (FES-LCE) exercise program for individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI).
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a prospective descriptive study of screening and habituation for FES-LCE exercise for people with chronic SCI (injury duration longer than one year).
  
  
  METHODS
  : Tertiary rehabilitation center.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirteen subjects with SCI (mean years since injury, 7; mean age, 34.8 years; injury range, C4-T10; 7 males).
  
  
  METHODS
  Time to attain target cycle speed for 30 continuous minutes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Six of the 13 subjects were not eligible to start the FES-LCE habituation program because of previous fragility fracture, excessive spasticity, pain, autonomic dysreflexia, or lack of electrical stimulation response because of lower motor neuron damage in individuals with low thoracic injuries (T11-12). Time to attain target cycle speed for 30 continuous minutes ranged from 30 to 779 minutes (1-31 training sessions).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Almost half of the individuals interested in participating in the FES-LCE exercise program did not pass the screening phase. Although the habituation phase was time-consuming for most of the participants who were able to use the FES-LCE, all reported few adverse effects to using the device once they completed this phase of training.
authors.affiliation: Rehabilitation Research Lab, GF Strong Rehabilitation Centre, Vancouver, BC.
authors.forename: Amira E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Tawashy
authors.forename: Janice J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Eng
authors.forename: Andrei V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Krassioukov
authors.forename: Darren E R
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Warburton
authors.forename: Maureen C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Ashe
authors.forename: Chihya
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hung
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001642:Bicycling / Q000502:physiology*; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004599:Electric Stimulation Therapy; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D006185:Habituation, Psychophysiologic / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018579:Patient Selection; D010865:Pilot Projects; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult