title: Passive cycling in neurorehabilitation after spinal cord injury: A review.
abstract: Passive cycling (PC) may represent a potential alternative neurorehabilitation program for patients who are too weak or medically unstable to repeatedly practice active movements. We review here the most important animal and human studies addressing PC after spinal cord injury (SCI).
  
  
  
  A MEDLINE search was performed using following terms: "passive", "cycling", "pedaling", "pedalling","spinal cord injury".
  
  
  
  Experimental studies revealed that PC modulated spinal reflex and reduced spasticity. PC also reduced autonomic dysreflexia and elicited cardio-protective effects. Increased levels of mRNA for brain-derived neurotrophic factor, glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor and neurotrophin-4 were found. In contrast, human studies failed to show an effect of PC on spasticity reduction and did not support its application for prevention of cardiovascular disease-related secondary complications.
  
  
  
  Available evidence to support the use of PC as standard treatment in patients with SCI is still rather limited. Since it is conceivable that PC motion could elicit sensory inputs to activate cortical structures and induce cortical plasticity changes leading to improved lower limb motor performance, further carefully designed prospective studies in subjects with SCI are needed.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Neurology , Christian Doppler Klinik, Paracelsus Medical University , Salzburg , Austria.|b Department of Neurology , Franz Tappeiner Hospital , Merano , Italy.|c Spinal Cord Injury and Tissue Regeneration Center, Paracelsus Medical University , Salzburg , Austria.
authors.forename: Raffaele
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nardone
authors.affiliation: b Department of Neurology , Franz Tappeiner Hospital , Merano , Italy.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Orioli
authors.affiliation: a Department of Neurology , Christian Doppler Klinik, Paracelsus Medical University , Salzburg , Austria.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Golaszewski
authors.affiliation: b Department of Neurology , Franz Tappeiner Hospital , Merano , Italy.|d Department of Neurological and Movement Sciences . Section of Clinical Neurology, University of Verona , Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Brigo
authors.affiliation: e Department of Neurorehabilitation , Hospital of Vipiteno , Italy.
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sebastianelli
authors.affiliation: a Department of Neurology , Christian Doppler Klinik, Paracelsus Medical University , Salzburg , Austria.
authors.forename: Yvonne
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Höller
authors.affiliation: a Department of Neurology , Christian Doppler Klinik, Paracelsus Medical University , Salzburg , Austria.|c Spinal Cord Injury and Tissue Regeneration Center, Paracelsus Medical University , Salzburg , Austria.
authors.forename: Vanessa
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Frey
authors.affiliation: a Department of Neurology , Christian Doppler Klinik, Paracelsus Medical University , Salzburg , Austria.|c Spinal Cord Injury and Tissue Regeneration Center, Paracelsus Medical University , Salzburg , Austria.
authors.forename: Eugen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Trinka
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000066530:Neurological Rehabilitation / Q000379:methods*; D012018:Reflex; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000378:metabolism / Q000534:rehabilitation*
chemical_list: D009414:Nerve Growth Factors
keywords: Cycling; Exercise; Passive; Spinal cord injury