Setting the pace: insights and advancements gained while preparing for an FES bike race

Abstract

The reduction in physical activity following a spinal cord injury often leads to a decline in mental and physical health. Developing an exercise program that is effective and enjoyable is paramount for this population. Although functional electrical stimulation (FES) stationary cycling has been utilized in rehabilitation settings, implementing an overground cycling program for those with spinal cord injuries has greater technical challenges. Recently our laboratory team focused on training five individuals with compete spinal cord injuries utilizing an implanted pulse generator for an overground FES bike race in CYBATHLON 2016 held in Zurich, Switzerland. The advancements in muscle strength and endurance and ultimately cycling power our pilots made during this training period not only helped propel our competing pilot to win gold at the CYBATHLON 2016, but allowed our pilots to ride their bikes outside within their communities. Such a positive outcome has encouraged us to put effort into developing more widespread use of FES overground cycling as a rehabilitative tool for those with spinal cord injuries. This commentary will describe our approach to the CYBATHLON 2016 including technological advancements, bike design and the training program.

User-Centered Design and Spatially-Distributed Sequential Electrical Stimulation in Cycling for Individuals with Paraplegia

“…3 Graduate Program in Rehabilitation Sciences -PPGBCR, University of Brasilia, Brasilia, Brazil. 4 School of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.…”

“…Functional electrical stimulation is the only technique able to restore movement in paralyzed muscles which enable paraplegics to perform a pedaling movement in a recumbent bike [3], [4]. In the Global Edition bike race, pilots were required to cover a distance of 1200 meters in under 8 minutes, an increase from the previous 750 meters in the 2016 edition.…”

“…The key element in FES cycling is the stimulation of paralyzed muscles [3]. In most applications of FES in cycling, stimulation is applied conveying electrical waveform signals through a single pair of surface electrodes, or single electrode stimulation (SES), although implanted FES system is also an option, including team participation at both CYBATHLON editions [4].…”

User-centered design and spatially-distributed sequential electrical stimulation in cycling for individuals with paraplegia

“…Functional electrical stimulation is the only technique able to restore movement in paralyzed muscles which enable individuals with paraplegia to perform a pedaling movement in a recumbent bike [ 3 , 4 ]. In the 2020 Global Edition Bike Race, pilots were required to cover a distance of 1200 meters in under 8 min, an increase from the previous 750 meters in the 2016 edition.…”

“…The key element in FES cycling is the stimulation of paralyzed muscles [ 3 ]. In most applications of FES cycling, stimulation is applied conveying electrical waveform signals through a single pair of surface electrodes, or single electrode stimulation (SES), although implanted FES system is also an option, including team participation at both CYBATHLON editions [ 4 ].…”