Spinal Cord InjuryKREHA3NCT06905470
The Effects of Eccentric Compared to Standard Strength Training in Primary Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation
A study testing Eccentric (KREHA) training and Standard clinical routine strength (STAN) training in people with Spinal Cord Injury, run by Swiss Paraplegic Research, Nottwil at 1 site in Switzerland.
Trial summary
The goal of this clinical trial is to assess the effects of eccentric arm-crank (KREHA) training compared to standard clinical routine strength (STAN) training in individuals undergoing primary spinal cord injury (SCI) rehabilitation. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Spinal Cord Injury
- What is being tested?
- Eccentric (KREHA) training and Standard clinical routine strength (STAN) training
- Type of treatment
- Surgery or procedure
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 20 participants
- Where
- 1 siteSwitzerland
- Study dates
- Dec 2026to Dec 2028
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- 18 years or older.
- informed consent as confirmed per signature.
- traumatic or disease-related SCI.
- participating in the routine strength training program during primary SCI rehabilitation at the study center (generally this is initiated around one month after SCI onset).
- wheelchair dependency during activities of daily living, defined by a score of 0-2 in the SCIM subsection regarding "Mobility in the house".
- passed sports medical assessment and having sufficient biceps/triceps function to perform arm-crank training, as determined by an experienced sports medicine physician
Who cannot join
- inflammatory or neurodegenerative diseases (including multiple sclerosis or Guillain-Barré syndrome).
- comorbidities or other health issues that may interfere with study participation, inability or contraindications to undergo the investigated intervention.
- MRI contraindications (magnetic metal parts or electronic implants such as pacemakers in the body).
- pregnancy (anamnestic).
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
Switzerland1 site
Swiss Paraplegic Centre
Nottwil, Canton of Lucerne, 6207
About this study
Official title: The Effects of Eccentric Compared to Standard Strength Training in Primary Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation - a Matched-Pair Randomized Controlled Trial
The goal of this clinical trial is to assess the effects of eccentric arm-crank (KREHA) training compared to standard clinical routine strength (STAN) training in individuals undergoing primary spinal cord injury (SCI) rehabilitation.
The main questions this trail aims to answer are:
Read more
- what are the effects of the training on upper body strength, aerobic performance, muscle volume, functional independence, and health-related quality of life?
- is the KREHA training feasible to implement into the rehabilitation routine?
Participants will:
- perform either 20 KREHA sessions or 20 STAN sessions within 12 weeks
- perform a test battery to collect data on training effects before (pretest) and after (posttest) the study intervention
- Conditions
- Spinal Cord Injury
- Being tested
- Eccentric (KREHA) training, Standard clinical routine strength (STAN) training
- Keywords
- eccentric training, strength training, upper body, aerobic performance, muscle volume
- Medical subject headings
- Spinal Cord Injuries
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Eccentric (KREHA) trainingProcedure or surgery
20 eccentric resistance training sessions will be performed on a symmetric arm-crank ergometer in a supine position.
Standard clinical routine strength (STAN) trainingProcedure or surgery
The regular strength training intervention consists of a total of 20 training sessions at the gym of the study center, performed following clinical routine procedures.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Eccentric arm-crank (KREHA) training | Experimental | The eccentric training intervention consists of 20 training sessions performed on a symmetric arm-crank (Krafttraining mittels exzentrischer Handkurbel, KREHA) device. The training sessions have a duration of approximately 30 min and will be completed within twelve weeks, with a maximum of three sessions per week. Receives: Procedure: Eccentric (KREHA) training |
| Standard clinical routine strength (STAN) training | Active comparator | The standard strength training intervention consists of a total of 20 training sessions at the gym of the study center, performed following clinical routine procedures. The training sessions have a duration of approximately 60 min and will be completed within twelve weeks, with around three sessions per week. Receives: Procedure: Standard clinical routine strength (STAN) training |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Upper body strength
Change in upper body strength will be measured by a one-repetition maximum (1RM) bench press (in kg). The maximum amount of weight that can be pushed upwards for one repetition, while lying in a supine position on a weight training bench.
Measured: < 1 week pre and 12 weeks post intervention start.
Secondary outcomes (7)
Upper body strength
Change in upper body strength measured by a 1RM bench pull (in kg). The maximum amount of weight that can be pulled upwards for one repetition, while lying in a prone position on a weight training bench.
Measured: < 1 week pre and 12 weeks post intervention start.
Handgrip strength
Change in maximum strength of three handgrip measurements (in kg) of both hands using a Jamar Handgrip Dynamometer.
Measured: < 1 week pre and 12 weeks post intervention start.
Aerobic performance
Change in cardiopulmonary adaptations, measured by aerobic performance in an exercise test on a regular arm-crank ergometer. A ramp protocol starting at 20 Watt followed by 1 Watt / 6 sec increments to failure will be used. The following parameters will be evaluated during this aerobic endurance test: power at failure at the end of the test (in Watt), peak oxygen uptake during the test (in ml/kg/min), maximal heart rate (bpm)
Measured: < 1 week pre and 12 weeks post intervention start.
Muscle volume
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of relevant upper body muscles of the dominant upper arm and shoulder will be used to measure change in muscle volume.
Measured: < 1 week pre and 12 weeks post intervention start.
Arm circumference
Change in arm circumference of the right and left lower and upper arm (in cm), will be used to estimate muscle volume.
Measured: < 1 week pre and 12 weeks post intervention start.
Functioning during activities of daily living
Change in functioning during activities of daily living will be assessed by the Spinal Cord Independence Measure (SCIM) as extracted from clinical records. The SCIM total score ranges from 0-100, with higher scores indicating higher levels of functional independence.
Measured: < 1 week pre and 12 weeks post intervention start.
Health-related quality of life
Change in health-related quality of life will be assessed using the Short Form Health Survey (SF-12). Weighted physical and mental component scores range from 0-100, with higher scores indicating better physical or mental health.
Measured: < 1 week pre and 12 weeks post intervention start.
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted1 Apr 2025
- Study startDec 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completionDec 2028 (estimated)
- Study completionDec 2028 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Spinal Cord InjuryStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Supportive care
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Model description
- Matched-pair randomized controlled trial
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 20 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Swiss Paraplegic Research, Nottwil
- Sponsor type
- Research network
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06905470
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 2023-21
- Other IDs
- SNCTP000006132
- Acronym
- KREHA3
- Status last verified
- Sep 2026
- First submitted
- 5 Mar 2025
- Last updated
- 28 Sep 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 28 Sep 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- The Effects of Eccentric Compared to Standard Strength Training in Primary Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation - a Matched-Pair Randomized Controlled Trial
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06905470
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- KREHA3 / 2023-21
- Conditions
- Spinal Cord Injury
- Keywords
- eccentric training, strength training, upper body, aerobic performance, muscle volume
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Not yet recruiting
- Enrolment
- 20 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Swiss Paraplegic Research, NottwilResearch network
- Study start
- Dec 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completion
- Dec 2028 (estimated)
- Study completion
- Dec 2028 (estimated)
- First posted
- 1 Apr 2025 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The goal of this clinical trial is to assess the effects of eccentric arm-crank (KREHA) training compared to standard clinical routine strength (STAN) training in individuals undergoing primary spinal cord injury (SCI) rehabilitation.
The main questions this trail aims to answer are:
- what are the effects of the training on upper body strength, aerobic performance, muscle volume, functional independence, and health-related quality of life?
- is the KREHA training feasible to implement into the rehabilitation routine?
Participants will:
- perform either 20 KREHA sessions or 20 STAN sessions within 12 weeks
- perform a test battery to collect data on training effects before (pretest) and after (posttest) the study intervention
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Supportive care
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
- Model description
- Matched-pair randomized controlled trial
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Eccentric arm-crank (KREHA) training | Experimental | Procedure: Eccentric (KREHA) trainingThe eccentric training intervention consists of 20 training sessions performed on a symmetric arm-crank (Krafttraining mittels exzentrischer Handkurbel, KREHA) device. The training sessions have a duration of approximately 30 min and will be completed within twelve weeks, with a maximum of three sessions per week. |
| Standard clinical routine strength (STAN) training | Active comparator | Procedure: Standard clinical routine strength (STAN) trainingThe standard strength training intervention consists of a total of 20 training sessions at the gym of the study center, performed following clinical routine procedures. The training sessions have a duration of approximately 60 min and will be completed within twelve weeks, with around three sessions per week. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (6 listed)
- 18 years or older.
- informed consent as confirmed per signature.
- traumatic or disease-related SCI.
- participating in the routine strength training program during primary SCI rehabilitation at the study center (generally this is initiated around one month after SCI onset).
- wheelchair dependency during activities of daily living, defined by a score of 0-2 in the SCIM subsection regarding "Mobility in the house".
Key exclusion criteria (4 listed)
- inflammatory or neurodegenerative diseases (including multiple sclerosis or Guillain-Barré syndrome).
- comorbidities or other health issues that may interfere with study participation, inability or contraindications to undergo the investigated intervention.
- MRI contraindications (magnetic metal parts or electronic implants such as pacemakers in the body).
- pregnancy (anamnestic).
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Eccentric (KREHA) training20 eccentric resistance training sessions will be performed on a symmetric arm-crank ergometer in a supine position. | Procedure or surgery | Eccentric arm-crank (KREHA) training |
| Standard clinical routine strength (STAN) trainingThe regular strength training intervention consists of a total of 20 training sessions at the gym of the study center, performed following clinical routine procedures. | Procedure or surgery | Standard clinical routine strength (STAN) training |
Primary outcome
Upper body strength
Time frame: < 1 week pre and 12 weeks post intervention start.
Change in upper body strength will be measured by a one-repetition maximum (1RM) bench press (in kg). The maximum amount of weight that can be pushed upwards for one repetition, while lying in a supine position on a weight training bench.
7 secondary outcomes
Upper body strength
Time frame: < 1 week pre and 12 weeks post intervention start.
Handgrip strength
Time frame: < 1 week pre and 12 weeks post intervention start.
Aerobic performance
Time frame: < 1 week pre and 12 weeks post intervention start.
Muscle volume
Time frame: < 1 week pre and 12 weeks post intervention start.
Arm circumference
Time frame: < 1 week pre and 12 weeks post intervention start.
Functioning during activities of daily living
Time frame: < 1 week pre and 12 weeks post intervention start.
Health-related quality of life
Time frame: < 1 week pre and 12 weeks post intervention start.
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 28 Sep 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Eccentric (KREHA) training and Standard clinical routine strength (STAN) training in people with Spinal Cord Injury, run by Swiss Paraplegic Research, Nottwil at 1 site in Switzerland.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 6 inclusion and 4 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: opening soon, as of the sponsor's last update on 28 Sep 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Switzerland. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Anneke Hertig-Godeschalk, PhD (+414 9396603, anneke.hertig@paraplegie.ch), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Upper body strength (time frame: < 1 week pre and 12 weeks post intervention start.). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 28 Sep 2026.