ROBERT® as an Intervention to Enhance Muscle Strength After Spinal Cord Injury

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a devastating life event with long term consequences both physically and mentally. SCI is defined as either complete or incomplete according to the International Standards of the Neurological Classification of SCI. The primary consequence of a SCI is paralysis/partial paralysis affecting the person's ability to independently functioning in everyday life e.g. in and out of bed, sit to stand and walking. To regain the ability to transfer and walk the most important prerequisite is to rebuild as much strength as possible in the lower extremities. The optimal training paradigm to increase strength in partial paralysed muscles is unclear. Rehabilitation robots are upcoming methods to treat sensorimotor deficits after SCI. The rehabilitation robot ROBERT might contribute to enhance muscle strength for people with very weak strength following an incomplete SCI. The overall objective of this Ph.D project is to investigate the feasibility and effect size of a muscle strength training intervention assisted by ROBERT® for patients with SCI and severe paresis (muscle strength 1-3 in hip flexion).