Evidence map›Paper›PMID 21903010›Full record

Trial reportThe journal of spinal cord medicine2011

Comparison of training methods to improve walking in persons with chronic spinal cord injury: a randomized clinical trial.

Natalia Alexeeva, Carol Sames, Patrick L Jacobs, Lori Hobday, Marcello M Distasio, Sarah A Mitchell, Blair Calancie

Open access · greenAbstract readComparative StudyMulticenter StudyRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in The journal of spinal cord medicine, 2011. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 54 papers, 11 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
54citing papers in PubMed, 11 pooled it
4.7field-weighted citation impact, top 5% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

54 citing papers in PubMed, 11 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 122 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Exercise therapy can effectively improve trunk performance and sitting balance in spinal cord injury: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology · 2025
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  11. Locomotor training for walking after spinal cord injury.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2012
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.

Natalia AlexeevaSUNY's Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, USA.
Carol Sames
Patrick L Jacobs
Lori Hobday
Marcello M Distasio
Sarah A Mitchell
Blair Calancie
SUNY Upstate Medical University · USFlorida Atlantic University · USNew York University · USSUNY Downstate Health Sciences University · US

Funding

BODY WEIGHT SUPPORTED AMBULATION TRAINING AFTER SCIU01HD037460 · NICHD · UPSTATE MEDICAL UNIVERSITY · PI CALANCIE, BLAIR · 1999 to 2004
$2.0M
NICHD NIH HHS U01 HD037460NICHD NIH HHS U01 HD37460
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo compare two forms of device-specific training - body-weight-supported (BWS) ambulation on a fixed track (TRK) and BWS ambulation on a treadmill (TM) - to comprehensive physical therapy (PT) for improving walking speed in persons with chronic, motor-incomplete spinal cord injury (SCI).

methodsThirty-five adult subjects with a history of chronic SCI (>1 year; AIS 'C' or 'D') participated in a 13-week (1 hour/day; 3 days per week) training program. Subjects were randomized into one of the three training groups. Subjects in the two BWS groups trained without the benefit of additional input from a physical therapist or gait expert. For each training session, performance values and heart rate were monitored. Pre- and post-training maximal 10-m walking speed, balance, muscle strength, fitness, and quality of life were assessed in each subject.

resultsAll three training groups showed significant improvement in maximal walking speed, muscle strength, and psychological well-being. A significant improvement in balance was seen for PT and TRK groups but not for subjects in the TM group. In all groups, post-training measures of fitness, functional independence, and perceived health and vitality were unchanged.

conclusionsOur results demonstrate that persons with chronic, motor-incomplete SCI can improve walking ability and psychological well-being following a concentrated period of ambulation therapy, regardless of training method. Improvement in walking speed was associated with improved balance and muscle strength. In spite of the fact that we withheld any formal input of a physical therapist or gait expert from subjects in the device-specific training groups, these subjects did just as well as subjects receiving comprehensive PT for improving walking speed and strength. It is likely that further modest benefits would accrue to those subjects receiving a combination of device-specific training with input from a physical therapist or gait expert to guide that training.

Indexed as

AdolescentAdultAgedChronic DiseaseDouble-Blind MethodExercise TestExercise TherapyFemaleGait Disorders, NeurologicHumansMaleMiddle AgedOrthotic DevicesPhysical Therapy SpecialtyPostural BalancePsychomotor Performance

Identifiers

PMID21903010
PMCPMC3152808
OpenAlexW2062592471

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.