Biomedical Sciences
Jimena Quinzaños, MD, PhD (she/her/hers)
Head of Neurologic Rehabilitation Department
instituto nacional de rehabilitación
mexico city, Distrito Federal, Mexico
Virginia Bueyes, Eng, Master
Researcher at Motion Analysis Laboratory
instituto nacional de rehabilitación
mexico city, Distrito Federal, Mexico
Ivett Quiñones, Eng, PhD
Head of Motion Analysis Laboratory
instituto nacional de rehabilitación
mexico city, Distrito Federal, Mexico
Impaired trunk control after Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) is of critical importance due to its association with independence and prevention of complications. Kayak ergometer training has proven effective for improving trunk control. Virtual reality (VR) represents an innovative approach, yet its utility in individuals with SCI is not widely documented. This study aims to compare the effects of a VR-based kayaking intervention with conventional kayak ergometer training in SCI.
Design: A randomized clinical trial was conducted. Individuals with sub-acute SCI were randomized into two groups: kayak ergometer training and VR-based kayaking. Both groups underwent six weeks of training at the same dose. Repeated measures ANOVA was applied to evaluate changes within and between groups over time. Statistical significance was set at p< 0.05.
Results:
Sixteen participants were included (8 in each group). We found no significant differences in baseline characteristics. After training, for SCIM-III, we observed an overall improvement over time, p< 0.001, η²p=0.794, with average scores rising from 41.06 (SD=13.24) to 61.06 (SD=9.64). However, there were no differences between groups, p=0.611, nor did the improvement patterns differ significantly, p=0.822. For the trunk control, we observed significant progress over time, p=0.004, η²p=0.460, with scores increasing from 17.06 (SD=6.35) to 22.50 (SD=1.16) overall. There were no group differences, p=0.143. We found similar results for kinematic variables (speed, acceleration, angular velocity).
Conclusion:
VR-based kayaking and kayak ergometer training significantly improved independence and trunk control in SCI individuals. No significant differences were observed between interventions, indicating comparable efficacy. These findings support the use of VR as a viable alternative to conventional training, though further studies with larger samples are needed to confirm these results and explore long-term effects.
