AFTE combines specific autogenic exercises with biofeedback of multiple physiological responses. Originally developed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), AFTE is used to improve post-flight orthostatic intolerance and motion sickness in astronauts. Individuals with cervical or upper thoracic spinal cord injury (SCI) often present symptoms of autonomic dysfunction similar to astronauts. We hypothesize that AFTE challenges nervous system baroreflex, gastric and vascular responses often impaired after SCI.
Using a modified AFTE protocol, we trained a hypotensive female participant with cervical motor complete (C5/6-AIS A) SCI, and a male non-injured control participant (NI) and measured blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR), gastric electrical activity, and microvascular blood volume before, during and after AFTE. The participants were instructed to complete breathing and imagery exercises to help facilitate relaxation. Subsequently, they were instructed to use stressful imagery and breathing exercises during arousal trials.
Both participants completed 8 sessions of approximately 45 min each. Microvascular blood volume decreased 23% (SCI) and 54% (NI) from the beginning to the end of the stimulation cycles. The participant with SCI became progressively more normotensive and improved levels of gastric electrical activity, while the NI participant\'s changes in HR, gastric electrical activity, and BP were negligible.
AFTE may offer a novel non-pharmacologic intervention to minimize symptoms of dysautonomia in people with SCI.
AUTE将特定的自体运动与多种生理反应的生物反馈相结合。最初由美国国家航空航天局(NASA)开发,AFTE用于改善宇航员的飞行后体位不耐受和晕动病。患有颈椎或上胸椎脊髓损伤(SCI)的人通常会出现类似于宇航员的自主神经功能障碍症状。我们假设AFTE挑战神经系统压力反射,SCI后胃和血管反应经常受损。
使用修改后的AFTE协议,我们对一名低血压女性参与者进行了宫颈完全运动(C5/6-AISA)SCI训练,一名男性非损伤对照参与者(NI)并测量了血压(BP),心率(HR),胃电活动,和微血管血容量之前,在AFTE期间和之后。参与者被指示完成呼吸和图像练习,以帮助放松。随后,他们被指示在唤醒试验期间使用压力图像和呼吸练习.
两位参与者完成了8个疗程,每个疗程约45分钟。从刺激周期的开始到结束,微血管血容量减少23%(SCI)和54%(NI)。SCI参与者逐渐变得血压更正常,胃电活动水平提高,而NI参与者的HR变化,胃电活动,和BP是微不足道的。
AUTE可能提供一种新的非药物干预措施,以减少SCI患者自主神经失调的症状。