Peripheral vascular changes after electrically stimulated cycle training in people with spinal cord injury

Objective: To test whether a short period of training leads to adaptations in the cross-sectional area of large conduit arteries and improved blood fl ow to the paralyzed legs of individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI). Design: Before-after trial. Setting: Rehabilitation center, academic medical center. Participants: Nine men with spinal cord lesions. Intervention: Six weeks of cycling using a functional electrically stimulat ed leg cycle ergometer (FES-LCE). Main Outcome Measures: Longitudinal images and simultaneous velocity spectr a were measured in the common carotid (CA) and femoral (FA) arteries using quantitative duplex Doppler ultrasound examination. Arterial diameters, pea k systolic inflow volumes (PSIVs), mean inflow volumes (MIVs), and a veloci ty index (VI), representing the peripheral resistance, were obtained at res t. PSIVs and VI were obtained during 3 minutes of hyperemia following 20 mi nutes of FA occlusion. Results: Training resulted in significant increases in diameter (p < .01), PSIVs (p < .01), and MIVs (p < .05), and reduced VI (p < .01) of the FA, wh ereas values in the CA remained unchanged. Postocclusive hyperemic response s were augmented, indicated by significantly higher PSIVs (p < .01) and a t rend toward lower VI. Conclusion: Six weeks of FES-LCE training increased the cross-sectional are a of large conduit arteries and improved blood flow to the paralyzed legs o f individuals with SCI.