A research protocol to study the critical time window for rehabilitation after incomplete spinal cord injury: early vs. late locomotor training.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) often results in severe motor and sensory deficits, leading to significant disability. Preclinical studies and retrospective studies suggest that a critical window of enhanced neuroplasticity may exist immediately after SCI, during which therapeutic interventions could yield greater functional improvements. The impact of time interval since SCI on efficacy of rehabilitation has not been directly assessed and is the focus of this clinical trial.

Intermittent adaptation to pelvis perturbation during walking enhances retention and generalization of motor learning in people with incomplete spinal cord injury.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the intermittent adaptation to pelvis perturbation load enhances retention of improved weight transfer and generalization of motor skills from treadmill to overground walking, compared with effects of the continuous adaptation. Fifteen individuals with incomplete SCI participated in two experimental sessions. Each session consisted of (1) perturbed treadmill walking with either intermittent (i.

Enhanced phasic calf muscle activation with swing resistance enhances propulsion of the paretic leg in people poststroke.

Reduced propulsion of the paretic leg contributes to impaired walking in people poststroke. The goal of this study was to determine whether phasic electrical stimulation to the paretic gastrocnemius muscle combined with resistance applied to the nonparetic leg during swing phase while walking would enhance muscle activation of the paretic gastrocnemius and propulsive force of the paretic leg. Fifteen individuals who had a stroke visited the lab once to complete two experimental sessions (i.

Motor interference on lateral pelvis shifting towards the paretic leg during walking and its cortical mechanisms in persons with stroke.

Motor interference, where new skill acquisition disrupts the performance of a previously learned skill, is a critical yet underexplored factor in gait rehabilitation post-stroke. This study investigates the interference effects of two different practice schedules, applying interleaved (ABA condition) and intermittent (A-A condition) pulling force to the pelvis during treadmill walking, on lateral pelvis shifting towards the paretic leg in individuals with stroke. Task A involved applying resistive pelvis force (pulling towards the non-paretic side), and Task B applied assistive force (pulling towards the paretic side) at the stance phase of the paretic leg during walking.