Research
2023-24 Research Review
In 2024/2025 our researchers have continued to undertake world leading research across a range of areas of SCI. The last year saw people with a SCI take part in eight different clinical studies, with more research studies funded for 2025/2026. Furthermore, our researchers published 9 articles on SCI in 2024/2025 and were involved in a number of student projects
Current projects:
- An online rehabilitation programme to support physical activity adherence and functional capacity in people with spinal cord injury following discharge into the community: a feasibility study (led by Dr Elaine Coulter)
- Electroencephalograph predictors of central neuropathic pain in subacute spinal cord injury (led by Dr Alexsandra Vuckovic)
- European Multicentre Study about Spinal Cord Injury - EMSCI (led by Dr Mariel Purcell)
- Functional electrical stimulation cycling in acute spinal cord injury; a feasibility study (led by Dr Mariel Purcell)
- Mechanisms of Neuropathic Pain after Spinal Cord Injury (led by Dr Alexsandra Vuckovic)
- Motor Conditioning to Enhance the Effect of Physical Therapy (led by Dr Alexsandra Vuckovic)
- Neurofeedback to improve spasticity after incomplete spinal cord injury (led by Dr Alexsandra Vuckovic)
- Virtual Reality Upper Limb Therapy (led by Prof Lorna Paul)
Recently completed projects:
- Abdominal Functional Electrical Stimulation to reduce respiratory complications in spinal cord in acute tetraplegia (led by Dr Henrik Gollee)
- Clinical assessment of upper extremity performance in individuals with spinal cord injury using the LIFT System to deliver non-invasive electrical spinal stimulation (led by Dr Mariel Purcell)
- Early diagnosis and intervention of osteoporosis using nanovibrational stimulation (led by Professor Stuart Reid)
- Early and intensive motor training (versus usual care) to enhance neurological recovery and function in people with spinal cord injury (SCI) (led by Dr Mariel Purcell)
- eWALK Trial (led by Dr Mariel Purcell)
Undergraduate Student Projects:
Four third year medical students undertook their student selected components within the QENSIU. During these five week projects, which were undertaken in collaboration with the microbiology team in Glasgow North, the students investigated the prevalence of respiratory and urinary tract infections in the Unit over a 10 year period. It is hoped that this project will lead to national presentations and a journal article, and pave the way for the Unit hosting further student projects in the future.
One Doctorate of Physiotherapy student from Glasgow Caledonian University is working on a remote rehabilitation intervention with a further student due to start an upper limb functional electrical stimulation cycling project later in the year. An MSc physiotherapy student from Queen Margaret University is investigating the use of online physical activity resources by people with SCI.