Dawes Helen, Bateman A, Culpan J, Scott Oona, Wade Derick T, Roach Neil, Greenwood R
School of Biological and Molecular Sciences, Oxford Brookes University and Rivermead Rehabilitation Centre (RRC), Oxford, UK.
Clin Rehabil. 2003 Aug;17(5):528-34. doi: 10.1191/0269215503cr646oa.
To investigate the effect of increasing effort on energy cost as measured by oxygen consumption (VO2) during cycling exercise in individuals early after acquired brain injury (ABI).
An experimental correlation design.
Specialist neurorehabilitation centre.
Thirty-eight individuals were recruited early after acquired brain injury. Nine individuals had spasticity; Ashworth Scale >1 in either upper or lower limbs.
The VO2 was measured in relation to workload during a graded exercise test.
The VO2 increased in a linear fashion with increases in workload in 34 individuals. Only one individual with spasticity demonstrated a nonlinear relationship.
Increasing the workload during cycling exercise does not disproportionately increase energy cost in most individuals with spasticity early after ABI.
