Ergogenic effects of an epidural neuroprosthesis in one individual with spinal cord injury

Individuals with a spinal cord injury (SCI) ≥T6 level exhibit impaired cardiovascular responses to exercise that can limit exercise capacity.1 The burgeoning field of neuromodulation has recently demonstrated that epidural spinal cord stimulation (ESCS), configured to facilitate motor function in humans with SCI, can also modulate cardiovascular function (i.e., increasing or maintaining arterial blood pressure at rest or in response to an orthostatic challenge, respectively).2–4 Here we present a unique application of ESCS to improve upper body exercise capacity in an individual with SCI, via the modulation of cardiovascular and respiratory function.