Searching for the best physical training after spinal cord injury

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About the research

Imagine diving into a cool lake on a hot summer day —only to realize too late that the water is too shallow. A split second later, your head hits the bottom, and a spinal cord injury forever alters your world.

Every year, up to 500,000 people suffer spinal cord injuries, leading to partial or complete paralysis. While rehabilitation offers some recovery, its success is limited. How can we make it better?

This is where Imke Hrycyk (Uhasselt) research comes in. She investigates how physical training influences neuroplasticity, the brain and spinal cord’s ability to rewire and partly recover. She aims to uncover the best ways to restore movement and muscle control after a spinal cord injury by measuring how electrical signals travel through the spinal cord.

 

Imke Hrycyk
UHasselt

Imke Hrycyk was always fascinated by the brain, but during her studies in Neuroscience, she quickly realized that we need to understand the brain in connection with the body. Entering the field of neuro-rehabilitation as a PhD researcher, Imke is currently investigating what happens in the brain and the body after a spinal cord injury and how motor training can best be used for rehabilitation.