Expressions of Interest for the Spinal Injury Project (SIP) Intensive Rehabilitation Trial are now open!

This Feasibility Trial will examine whether long-term intensive activity-based rehabilitation therapy can be safely and effectively delivered to people living with chronic spinal cord injury in Australia and whether it improves overall health, social outcomes and functional recovery. This is an important trial that seeks to improve the quality of life for people living with a chronic spinal cord injury.

Who is eligible?

This study seeks 5 participants based in South-East Queensland/Northern New South Wales, who are at least 18 years of age and who have had a traumatic spinal cord injury at least 12 months ago and are ASIA A or B (as per the International Standards for Neurological Classification of spinal cord injury).

Participants will have completed their primary rehabilitation, with stable neurological level and functional ability of more than six months in duration.

Exclusion criteria are those that limit people’s ability to participate or pose health risks, including, but not limited to, significant concomitant central nervous system or other disorders that limit ability to exercise; recent major trauma or surgery within the last 6 months, other serious medical conditions, uncontrolled neuropathic pain, autonomic dysreflexia without a management plan, symptomatic or radiologically demonstrated ischaemic heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, contraindications for functional electrical stimulation (FES), currently participating in other trials (medical or therapeutic interventions).

How does the Trial work?

The participants will undertake a 26-week rehabilitation program consisting of an on-site program with 2 hours of activity-based therapy plus 30 min of FES sessions per day, 5 days per week for 16 weeks. These sessions will be run at Making Strides, a specialised rehabilitation centre, located on the Gold Coast, Queensland.

After this period, the participants will then return home and continue a prescribed personalised program of activities for a minimum of 1 hour per day, 5 days per week for 10 weeks. Participants will be supported by online consultations with the service provider, health professionals, and peer groups.

Throughout the trial, functional, medical and psychosocial assessments will be conducted to determine participants’ outcomes.

This Trial, which is funded by The Perry Cross Spinal Research Foundation and sponsored by Griffith University, is part of the broader Spinal Injury Project conducted at the Menzies Health Institute Queensland and the Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery (Griffith University).

If you are interested in participating in this Trial, please complete your expression of interest. The recruitment period will close when we have 5 suitable candidates. Please note the recruitment process will be run by an independent third party.