EVALUATION OF A TRAINING-PROGRAM FOR PERSONS WITH SCI PARAPLEGIA USING THE PARASTEP(R)1 AMBULATION SYSTEM .4. EFFECT ON PHYSICAL SELF-CONCEPT AND DEPRESSION

Objective: To determine whether persons with spinal cord injury (SCI) paraplegia who participated in an electrical stimulation walking progr am experienced changes in measures of physical self-concept and depres sion. Design: Before-after trial. Setting: Human SCI applied research laboratory. Participants: Volunteer sample of 12 men and 3 women with SCI paraplegia, mean age 28.75 +/- 6.6yrs and mean duration of injury 3.8 +/- 3.2yrs. Intervention: Thirty-two FNS ambulation training sessi ons using a commercially available system (Parastep(R)). The hybrid sy stem consists of a microprocessor-controlled stimulator and a modified walking frame with finger-operated switches that permit the user to c ontrol the stimulation parameters and activate the stepping. Outcome M easures: The Tennessee Self-Concept Scale (TSCS) and the Beck Depressi on Inventory (BDI) were administered before and after training. Only t he Physical Self subscale of the TSCS was analyzed. After training, in dividual interviews were performed to assess participants' subjective reactions to the training program. Results: A repeated measures analys is of variance indicated that desired directional and statistically si gnificant changes occurred on the Physical Self subscale of the TSCS ( F(1,14) = 8.54, p <.011) and on the BDI (F(1,14) = 5.42, p <.035). Con clusions: Subsequent to the ambulation training program there were sta tistically significant increases in physical self-concept scores and d ecreases in depression scores. (C) 1997 by the American Congress of Re habilitation Medicine and the American Academy of Physical Medicine an d Rehabilitation.