A novel therapy for improving balance and reducing falls

许多经历过中风或脊髓损伤/疾病（SCI/D）的加拿大人都有终身的身体损伤，如瘫痪。这使得站立和保持平衡变得困难。平衡能力差与跌倒有关。大约70%的中风或脊髓损伤/脊髓损伤患者每年至少跌倒一次。跌倒会导致受伤、住院和生活质量下降。我们的目标是创造一种使用功能性电刺激（FES）结合视频游戏的治疗方法，可以有效地改善高跌倒风险人群的站立平衡。FES是将电流施加到虚弱或瘫痪的肌肉上。我们已经证明，在少数SCI/D患者中，FES结合电子游戏可以改善站立平衡。在目前的项目中，我们将开发一种易于在医院和诊所使用的无线FES系统。中风或SCI/D患者、临床医生、研究人员和行业代表将共同努力开发无线系统。然后，我们将对20名中风或脊髓损伤/残疾患者进行测试，以研究该系统在提高平衡能力方面的有效性。参与者将在6周内参加18个培训课程。将在训练前后收集平衡能力的临床和实验室测量结果。我们还将邀请来自三家康复医院的十位理疗师学习如何使用无线FES系统，并在他们的三位客户身上试用。我们将与中风或SCI/D参与者和物理治疗师进行访谈，以收集他们对无线FES系统可用性的反馈。我们的行业合作伙伴将参与无线FES系统的开发和商业化，确保瘫痪患者和临床医生能够使用该系统。其结果将使脊髓损伤患者减少跌倒和受伤，从而更多地参与日常活动，提高生活质量。

Many Canadians who have experienced a stroke or spinal cord injury/disease (SCI/D) havelifelong physical impairments, such as paralysis. This makes standing and maintaining onesbalance difficult. Poor balance is associated with falls. About 70% of people living with strokeor SCI/D fall at least once/year. Falls result in injuries, hospital admissions and reducedquality of life. Our objective is to create a therapy using functional electrical stimulation (FES)combined with video games that can effectively improve standing balance for people with ahigh fall risk. FES involves applying electrical currents to weak or paralyzed muscles. Wehave shown, in a small number of people with SCI/D, that FES combined with video gamescan improve standing balance. In the current project, we will develop a wireless FES systemthat can be easily used in hospitals and clinics. People with stroke or SCI/D, clinicians,researchers and representatives from industry will work together to develop the wirelesssystem. Then we will test the system with twenty people living with stroke or SCI/D to studythe systems effectiveness at improving balance ability. Participants will attend 18 trainingsessions over 6 weeks. Clinical and lab-based measures of balance ability will be collectedbefore and after training. We will also ask ten physical therapists from three rehabilitationhospitals to learn how to use the wireless FES system and to try it with three of their clients.We will conduct interviews with the participants with stroke or SCI/D and physical therapists tocollect their feedback on the usability of the wireless FES system. Our industry partner will beinvolved with the development and commercialization of the wireless FES system, ensuringthe system becomes accessible to people with paralysis and clinicians. The outcomes willlead to fewer falls and injuries for those with SCI, resulting in greater participation in dailyactivities and increased quality of life.