Walking improvement in chronic incomplete spinal cord injury with exoskeleton robotic training (WISE): a randomized controlled trial.

Study Design: Clinical trial.

Objective: To demonstrate that a 12-week exoskeleton-based robotic gait training regimen can lead to a clinically meaningful improvement in independent gait speed, in community-dwelling participants with chronic incomplete spinal cord injury (iSCI).

Setting: Outpatient rehabilitation or research institute.

Comparison of peak oxygen consumption response to aquatic and robotic therapy in individuals with chronic motor incomplete spinal cord injury: a randomized controlled trial.

Study Design: Randomized dual center controlled clinical trial.

Objective: To determine and compare the cardiorespiratory impact of 3 months of aquatic and robotic therapy for individuals with chronic motor incomplete spinal cord injury (CMISCI).

Settings: Two rehabilitation specialty hospitals.

Are the 10 meter and 6 minute walk tests redundant in patients with spinal cord injury?

Objective: To evaluate the relationship and redundancy between gait speeds measured by the 10 Meter Walk Test (10MWT) and 6 Minute Walk Test (6MWT) after motor incomplete spinal cord injury (iSCI). To identify gait speed thresholds supporting functional ambulation as measured with the Spinal Cord Injury Functional Ambulation Inventory (SCI-FAI).

Design: Prospective observational cohort.

Treatment and enablement in rehabilitation research.

This commentary discusses the distinction between treatment theory and enablement theory as it pertains to rehabilitation research and treatment. The theories are also applied to an example of presented research. I conclude that collaboration between researchers focused on the treatment theory and those focused on enablement theory should be closer than the handoff suggested by Whyte in this supplement.

NeuroRecovery Network provides standardization of locomotor training for persons with incomplete spinal cord injury.

Objective: To illustrate the continuity of care afforded by a standardized locomotor training program across a multisite network setting within the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation NeuroRecovery Network (NRN).

Design: Single patient case study.

Setting: Two geographically different hospital-based outpatient facilities.

Ambulation and balance outcomes measure different aspects of recovery in individuals with chronic, incomplete spinal cord injury.

Objective: To evaluate relationships among ambulation and balance outcome measures over time for incomplete spinal cord injury (SCI) after locomotor training, in order to facilitate the selection of effective and sensitive rehabilitation outcomes.

Design: Prospective observational cohort.

Setting: Outpatient rehabilitation centers (N=7) from the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation NeuroRecovery Network.

Assessment of functional improvement without compensation reduces variability of outcome measures after human spinal cord injury.

Objective: To develop a scale (Neuromuscular Recovery Scale [NRS]) for classification of functional motor recovery after spinal cord injury (SCI) based on preinjury movement patterns that would reduce variability of the populations' level of function within each class, because assessment of functional improvement after SCI is problematic as a result of high variability of the populations' level of function and the insensitivity to change within the available outcome measures.

Design: Prospective observational cohort with longitudinal follow-up.

Setting: Seven outpatient rehabilitation centers from the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation NeuroRecovery Network (NRN).

Variable-frequency-train stimulation of skeletal muscle after spinal cord injury.

Skeletal muscle, after spinal cord injury (SCI), becomes highly susceptible to fatigue. Variable-frequency trains (VFTs) enhance force in fatigued human skeletal muscle of able-bodied (AB) individuals. VFTs do this by taking advantage of the "catch-like" property of skeletal muscle.