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）的加拿大人有长期的身体损伤，如瘫痪。这使得站立和保持平衡变得困难。平衡不良与福尔斯有关。大约70%的中风或SCI/D患者每年至少跌倒一次。福尔斯会导致受伤、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涉及向虚弱或瘫痪的肌肉施加电流。我们已经证明，在少数SCI/D患者中，FES结合视频游戏可以改善站立平衡。在目前的项目中，我们将开发一个无线FES系统，可以很容易地在医院和诊所使用。中风或SCI/D患者、临床医生、研究人员和行业代表将共同开发无线系统。然后，我们将对20名中风或SCI/D患者进行测试，以研究系统在改善平衡能力方面的有效性。参加者将在6周内参加18个培训课程。在训练前后将收集临床和实验室平衡能力的测量结果。我们亦会邀请三间复康医院的十位物理治疗师学习如何使用无线功能性电刺激系统，并与他们的三位病人试用，并会与中风或脊髓损伤/障碍的参与者及物理治疗师进行访谈，以收集他们对无线功能性电刺激系统可用性的意见。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可以使用该系统。这些结果将导致SCI患者更少的福尔斯和受伤，从而更多地参与日常活动并提高生活质量。

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.