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Habitual physical activity, exercise and cardiovascular function in spinal cord injury

Project Overview

The major objectives of this research program are to measure the function of the heart and blood vessels following SCI and to investigate the mechanisms that are responsible for any changes that occur. A second objective is to examine the effect that both physical activity, which describes any bodily movement, and structured exercise have on the health of the heart and blood vessels. In people without SCI we know that maintaining an active lifestyle can improve the health of the heart and blood vessels. For people with SCI the type and amount of physical activity and exercise that they can perform is severely limited, and is usually restricted to exercising the arms only. In the present research program we will investigate whether a new form of exercise that exercises both the arms and the legs of people with SCI is able to improve the health of the heart and blood vessels. For this research program we will study both humans with SCI and animal models. In the animal models we will make measurements that are unable to be made in humans with SCI, but that are vitally important to improve our understanding of the mechanisms responsible for changes in the function of the heart and blood vessels. Understanding these mechanisms is very important to allow researchers and doctors to develop new ways to help people with SCI live healthier and happier lives. In humans with SCI, we will fit a device to their wrist which measures how much physical activity they get during a one week period and the locations at which they get the most activity. We will then measure the health of the heart and blood vessels directly in the laboratory. Finally, we will ask 20 people with SCI to complete 8 weeks of exercise training for either the arms alone or the arms and legs combined. We will measure the function of the heart and blood vessels before and after training to see which exercise works best.

Principal Investigator

Christopher West , University of British Columbia

Partners and Donors

Heart and Stroke Foundation

Project Complete

Habitual physical activity, exercise and cardiovascular function in spinal cord injury

  • Program Type

    Capacity building grants

  • Area of research

    Injury

  • Disease Area

    Brain Injury

  • Competition

    Heart and Stroke Foundation Emerging Research Leaders Initiative

  • Province

    British Columbia

  • Start Date

    2015

  • Total Grant Amount

    $149,282

  • Health Canada Contribution

    $74,640