Cardiorespiratory Fitness Training in Patients with Incomplete Spinal Cord Injury

NCT ID: NCT06259227

Last Updated: 2024-12-20

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

Get a concise snapshot of the trial, including recruitment status, study phase, enrollment targets, and key timeline milestones.

Recruitment Status

RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

32 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2024-01-11

Study Completion Date

2026-02-28

Brief Summary

Review the sponsor-provided synopsis that highlights what the study is about and why it is being conducted.

The goal of this exploratory randomized controlled trial is to assess the effect of a personalized training intervention during primary rehabilitation of 6 weeks on cardiorespiratory fitness in individuals with subacute (\<6 months) spinal cord injury during primary rehabilitation and during follow-up. Secondary outcomes include the effect on gait assessments, pulmonary function, neurological status, muscle force, cardiometabolic risk factors, quality of life, functional independence and self-efficacy.

Participants in the intervention group will receive 2-3 personalized cardiorespiratory fitness-focused training sessions per week, for a period of 6 weeks. Participants in the control group will receive usual care.

Detailed Description

Dive into the extended narrative that explains the scientific background, objectives, and procedures in greater depth.

Rationale:

Despite advances in medical care, spinal cord injury (SCI) patients have significantly lower survival rates compared to the general population. The 'Koepelproject', an unique world-leading multi-center research project, discovered that SCI patients have a decreased pulmonary function, which is linked to poor cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF). This leads to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, which are important predictors of death in SCI patients. However, there are limitations of the 'Koepelproject' which highlight the need for the proposed project 'FIT@HOME'. Rehabilitation knowledge in SCI patients is primarily focused on those with a complete lesion, while there has been changes in the characteristics of the SCI population over the last few decades. The diagnosis of an incomplete SCI (iSCI) is more common and requires different insights and skills compared to patients with complete lesions. Therefore, insight in the effect of personalized rehabilitation strategies focussed on CRF during primary rehabilitation will provide important information to support healthy ageing in iSCI patients.

Objective:

The primary aim of this study is to assess the effect of a personalized training intervention on CRF during primary rehabilitation and at follow-up. Secondary aims of this study are to determine the effect of this training intervention on gait capacity, pulmonary function, neurological status, muscle force, cardiometabolic risk factors, quality of life (QoL), functional independence and exercise self-efficacy.

Study design:

The proposed study design is an explorative randomized controlled trial.

Study population:

This study will include 32 iSCI patients classified with an American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) C or D in the subacute phase (\< 6 months post injury), who are referred for a primary, inpatient rehabilitation program at the Sint Maartenskliniek.

Intervention:

The intervention includes 2-3 personalized CRF-focused training sessions per week. The control group receives usual care.

Main study parameters/endpoints:

The primary endpoint is the change in CRF (expressed as VO2peak) after the 6-weeks intervention period and at follow-up.

Secondary outcomes are gait assessments, pulmonary function, neurological status, muscle force, cardiometabolic risk factors, secondary complications, quality of life, functional independence and exercise self-efficacy.

Measurements will be performed at:

T0 - Baseline

T1 - Following the 6-weeks intervention period during the primary rehabilitation program at the Sint Maartenskliniek

T2\* - At discharge from the primary rehabilitation program at the Sint Maartenskliniek (only if the period following T1 is more than 2 weeks)

T3 - After 2 weeks in the outpatient rehabilitation program at the Sint Maartenskliniek

T4 - At discharge from the outpatient rehabilitation program at the Sint Maartenskliniek

T5 - 2 weeks following discharge from the outpatient rehabilitation program at the Sint Maartenskliniek (2 weeks after T4)

T6 - 3 months following discharge from the outpatient rehabilitation program at the Sint Maartenskliniek (3 months after T4, 2.5 months after T5)

Conditions

See the medical conditions and disease areas that this research is targeting or investigating.

Incomplete Spinal Cord Injury Exercise Training

Study Design

Understand how the trial is structured, including allocation methods, masking strategies, primary purpose, and other design elements.

Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Study Groups

Review each arm or cohort in the study, along with the interventions and objectives associated with them.

Intervention group

During the primary rehabilitation program, the intervention group will receive 2-3 individualized cardiorespiratory fitness training sessions per week.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) training

Intervention Type OTHER

The CRF training will take place on an arm cycle ergometer, or on an recumbent cross trainer. The duration and intensity of these 2 CRF gait training sessions will be determined by scientific exercise guidelines. A practical way of increasing vigorous-intensity exercise is high-intensity interval training (HIIT). The HIIT intervention consist of 2-3 trainings per week, with each exercise session including a 5-minute warm-up, 30-second interval periods (with a power output up to 90% of the peak power output (PPO)), and 30-second recovery periods. There are 5 minutes of 50% of PPO between interval periods. The number of interval periods increases during the intervention period, resulting in a maximum total training time of 35 minutes.

Control group

The control group will receive usual care.

Group Type NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Interventions

Learn about the drugs, procedures, or behavioral strategies being tested and how they are applied within this trial.

Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) training

The CRF training will take place on an arm cycle ergometer, or on an recumbent cross trainer. The duration and intensity of these 2 CRF gait training sessions will be determined by scientific exercise guidelines. A practical way of increasing vigorous-intensity exercise is high-intensity interval training (HIIT). The HIIT intervention consist of 2-3 trainings per week, with each exercise session including a 5-minute warm-up, 30-second interval periods (with a power output up to 90% of the peak power output (PPO)), and 30-second recovery periods. There are 5 minutes of 50% of PPO between interval periods. The number of interval periods increases during the intervention period, resulting in a maximum total training time of 35 minutes.

Intervention Type OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

Check the participation requirements, including inclusion and exclusion rules, age limits, and whether healthy volunteers are accepted.

Inclusion Criteria

* Diagnosis of incomplete spinal cord injury based on a stable cause (e.g. traumatic)
* Spinal cord injury classification C or D on the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) impairment scale
* During this study in the subacute phase (\< 6 months post injury)
* Hospitalized in the Sint Maartenskliniek for a primary, inpatient rehabilitation program
* Older than 18 years of age
* Able to understand and perform study related procedures
* Capable to sit at least 3 times a day for 2 hours (prerequisites to start the active rehabilitation program)
* The ability to use an arm ergometer

Exclusion Criteria

* Unable to give informed consent
* Language barrier
* Participating in another interventional study targeting cardiorespiratory fitness
* Have contraindications to perform exercise during the rehabilitation program
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

Meet the organizations funding or collaborating on the study and learn about their roles.

Radboud University Medical Center

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

Sint Maartenskliniek

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

Identify the individual or organization who holds primary responsibility for the study information submitted to regulators.

Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

Learn about the lead researchers overseeing the trial and their institutional affiliations.

Ilse van Nes, Dr.

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Sint Maartenskliniek

Locations

Explore where the study is taking place and check the recruitment status at each participating site.

Sint Maartenskliniek

Ubbergen, , Netherlands

Site Status RECRUITING

Countries

Review the countries where the study has at least one active or historical site.

Netherlands

Central Contacts

Reach out to these primary contacts for questions about participation or study logistics.

Maxime van Oort

Role: CONTACT

Phone: +31651943045

Email: [email protected]

Nelleke Langerak, Dr.

Role: CONTACT

Email: [email protected]

Facility Contacts

Find local site contact details for specific facilities participating in the trial.

Maxime van Oort

Role: primary

Other Identifiers

Review additional registry numbers or institutional identifiers associated with this trial.

NL81465.091.22

Identifier Type: OTHER

Identifier Source: secondary_id

1045

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id