Trial reportJournal of neuroengineering and rehabilitation2025
Evaluating the health and fitness benefits of a 6-month FES-cycling program on a recumbent trike for individuals with motor complete SCI: a pilot study.
Trial report in Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitation, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT06321172 (Preliminary Evaluation of the Effectiveness of FES Cycling in Terms of Training Performance, Morpho-functional Characteristics of the Leg Muscles and Bone Trophism After 6 Months of Training in Spinal Cord Injury Subjects), which is not on this map. Cited by 5 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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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.
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.
Preliminary Evaluation of the Effectiveness of FES Cycling in Terms of Training Performance, Morpho-functional Characteristics of the Leg Muscles and Bone Trophism After 6 Months of Training in Spinal Cord Injury Subjects
Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- The effect of device-based neuromodulation on the motor recovery of patients with spinal cord injury.Spinal cord · 2025Pooled it
- On the road to Cybathlon 2024: lessons learned from the Polimi FES-bike team.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitation · 2026Article
- Assessment of User Experience, Acceptability, Usability, Human-Device Interaction, and Ergonomics in Two Mobile FES-Cycling Systems for Individuals With Spinal Cord Injury.Artificial organs · 2025Article
- Acute cardiorespiratory physiological responses to functional electrically stimulated cycling in individuals with subacute phase traumatic cervical spinal cord injury.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Multiparametric MRI Assessment of Morpho-Functional Muscle Changes Following a 6-Month FES-Cycling Training Program: Pilot Study in People With a Complete Spinal Cord Injury.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologies · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
14 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundSpinal cord injury (SCI) severely affects physical function, leading to muscle atrophy and reduced bone density. Sport-therapy, incorporating recreational and competitive activities, has shown promise in enhancing recovery for individuals with SCI. Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES)-cycling combines exercise benefits with stimulation advantages, and recent integration with mobile recumbent trikes adds further potential. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a 6-month FES-cycling sport therapy using a recumbent trike on individuals with motor complete SCI.
methodsFive participants engaged in bi-weekly FES-cycling sessions using an instrumented recumbent trike. A comprehensive assessment was conducted before training, at 3 and 6 months of training, and at 1-month follow-up. Outcome measures included maximal muscle Cross-Sectional Area (maxCSA) from Magnetic Resonance Images, bone mineral density, clinical scales, and questionnaires on spasticity, pain, bowel dysfunction, psychological well-being, and sport motivation. Additionally, maximal power output and cycling endurance were assessed.
resultsThe FES-cycling program led to a significant increase in muscle mass of 34% after 6 months of training, correlated to an improved cycling performance (maxCSA versus peak power). A slight decrease of muscle mass was observed as expected at follow-up. Participants reported high well-being and strong motivation throughout the training program. Bone health, spasticity, bowel dysfunction, and pain levels did not significantly change overall.
conclusionsFES-cycling on a recumbent trike shows potential as a therapeutic and recreational activity for individuals with SCI. It significantly improved muscle mass and physical performance while positively impacting psychological well-being and motivation. Further research with larger cohorts is necessary to confirm these benefits and optimize protocols, establishing FES-cycling as a valuable sport-therapy model for SCI.
trial registrationThe study protocol was retrospectively registered on clinicaltrials.gov (NCT06321172).
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