Effect of a virtual walking and exercise-based intervention on muscle strength and activation in people with incomplete spinal cord injury

This study investigates whether combining virtual walking (VW) with physical exercise (PE) improves lower limb strength and muscle activation in individuals with incomplete spinal cord injury (iSCI), compared to PE alone. Participants were divided into two groups: one receiving VW and PE, and the other receiving a placebo VW and PE. Muscle strength and activation were assessed before, immediately after, and at follow-up periods after the intervention. The results showed that the group receiving VW and PE experienced greater improvements in muscle strength and activation compared to the group receiving PE alone, suggesting that VW could enhance the effects of PE in people with iSCI.

• 1
  The Experimental Intervention (EI) group exhibited a general strength increase after the intervention, ranging from 16.31 to 34.72 N, and maintained this improvement for hip abduction and extension movements up to a 1-month follow-up.
• 2
  The EI group showed an increase in muscle activation in all agonistic muscles except gastrocnemius immediately post-intervention, while also experiencing a decrease in antagonistic muscle activation for gastrocnemius and rectus femoris during specific movements.
• 3
  The Control Intervention (CI) group only showed improvements in hip abduction and extension movements and an activation increase of agonistic muscles of hip abduction and extension, without changes in antagonistic activation.