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Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference: GR/R93520/01
Title: The Development of Systems for Paraplegic Cycling: improving health after spinal cord injury
Principal Investigator: Donaldson, Professor N. de N.
Other Investigators:
Swain, Professor ID Newham, Professor DJ
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
Finetech Medical Ltd Inspired Cycle Engineering Ltd Kings Healthcare
Salisbury Health Care N H S Trust Southern General Hospital Spinal Injuries Association
Swiss Paraplegic Centre
Department: Medical Physics and Biomedical Eng
Organisation: UCL
Scheme: Standard Research (Pre-FEC)
Starts: 01 January 2003 Ends: 30 June 2006 Value (£): 242,358
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:
Instrumentation Eng. & Dev.
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:
Healthcare
Related Grants:
GR/R92462/01
Panel History:  
Summary on Grant Application Form
Spinal cord injury (SCI) prevents normal leg exercise which leads to secondary complications, including cardiopulmonary deconditioning, a high incidence of pressure sores, and bone demineralisation. Wheelchair sports do not raise fitness to the level of sedentary non-injured people but it has been shown that cycling via functional electrical stimulation, FES-cycling , can. Previous studies have been clinic-based; this limits the exercise time and is inappropriate for widespread use. We propose to show that home-based FES-tricycling can be a recreation. -.We will train subjects at home more intensively than in previous studies, to see whether they can cycle useful distances. The effects of this training will be systematically assessed in a Health Study, which will: (i) regularly monitor cardiopulmonary fitness; (ii) make regular tissue measurements related to pressure sore susceptibility, and (iii) measure the effect on bone density. These health measurements will be made at the collaborating clinical centres. We will also document the mobile recumbent tricycle system as a design specification, in preparation for commercialisation.The project will be based around three centres, in London, Glasgow and Nottwil, and brings together an interdisciplinary team of engineers, exercise scientists, therapists and clinicians.
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