Functional activity of upper extremities to improve trunk function after spinal cord injury

This project aims to study efficacy of combined arm cycling and standard exercise in improving trunk function in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI). This innovative approach will take a major incremental step forward by applying the knowledge of neurophysiology acquired from our prior work to clinical practice (Chiou et al., 2020; 2019). We hypothesise that the arm cycling exercise will enhance the efficacy of standard exercise training in improving trunk function in individuals with SCI. All participants will undertake exercise training for 8 weeks, with half of them undertaking an additional home-based arm cycling exercise. Neurophysiological and functional assessments will be performed during the course of the intervention to monitor improvements in trunk control. Since individuals with SCI ranked restoration of trunk function as one of the highest priorities to enhance quality of life, this work will significantly benefit this population by offering a novel and affordable approach for trunk rehabilitation.