Hybrid Functional Electrical Stimulation Exercise to Prevent Cardiopulmonary Declines in High-level Spinal Cord Injury

Regular aerobic exercise with sufficient intensity can improve overall health, however daily energy expenditure is low in those with SCI, especially in those with high level lesions. The investigators have developed Functional Electrical Stimulation Row Training (FESRT) that couples volitional arm and electrically controlled leg exercise, increasing the active muscle and resulting in benefits of large muscle mass exercise. Despite the potential for enhancing aerobic capacity, those with high level lesions (T3 and above) have a remaining obstacle to attaining higher work capacities: a level of pulmonary muscle denervation. The investigators preliminary work suggests this limits the aerobic capacity that can be achieved with FESRT.

External ventilatory support could improve the ability to exercise train and hence enhance the adaptations to chronic exercise in high level SCI. Non invasive ventilation (NIV) during exercise training has been shown to improve gains in exercise capacity in those with similarly restrictive breathing. Therefore, the investigators hypothesize that the use of NIV during FESRT will reduce ventilatory limits to exercise, leading to increased aerobic capacity in high level SCI. In addition, pharmacologic treatments may augment respiratory control and improve exercise ventilatory responses. Buspirone can reverse respiratory abnormalities consequent to SCI in rats, and humans case reports suggest successful Buspirone treatment of respiratory dysfunction

Therefore, the investigators propose a double-blind 2x2 trial of 6 months of FESRT with NIV or Sham and Buspirone or Placebo in individuals with acute, high-level SCI. The investigators hypothesize that both NIV and Buspirone will improve ventilatory exercise responses and that combined treatment will have the greatest effect. This will result in greater improvements in aerobic capacity and concomitant increases in pulmonary function and reductions in cardiometabolic risk. This work proposes two approaches to overcome ventilatory limitations to exercise in high level SCI and allow for greater improvements in cardiopulmonary capacity - one that overcomes mechanical limitations of paralyzed pulmonary musculature and one that treats loss of serotonergic respiratory control, both of which may contribute to blunted ventilatory responses. The ultimate purpose of this research is to optimize exercise for a population that both needs and seeks the broad range of benefits that exercise can confer.