Daily intermittent hypoxia enhances walking after chronic spinal cord injury: A randomized trial

This study investigates whether daily acute intermittent hypoxia (dAIH), alone or combined with walking, can improve walking ability in people with chronic incomplete spinal cord injury (iSCI). dAIH involves short, repeated exposures to low oxygen levels. The study found that dAIH alone improved walking speed, while dAIH combined with overground walking improved both walking speed and endurance compared to a control group receiving normal oxygen levels (dSHAM). The findings suggest that combining dAIH with walking may be a more effective strategy for improving walking ability in individuals with chronic iSCI, potentially promoting greater functional benefits.

• 1
  dAIH alone improved walking speed, as measured by the 10-Meter Walk Test (10MWT), compared to the control group (dSHAM) after both 1 day and 2 weeks of treatment.
• 2
  dAIH combined with overground walking improved walking endurance, as measured by the 6-Minute Walk Test (6MWT), compared to dSHAM combined with walking after 5 days and 1-week follow-up.
• 3
  The combination of dAIH and walking resulted in greater improvements in walking distance compared to dAIH alone, suggesting a synergistic effect.