Effects of neurobic exercises and a self-designed program on psychological well-being and neuromuscular function in individuals with paraplegia

Background and Study Aim. Paraplegia is associated with substantial limitations in neuromuscular performance and psychological well-being, which may reduce independence and overall quality of life following spinal cord injury. Various exercise-based rehabilitation approaches are applied to improve functional capacity and psychological adaptation in individuals with paraplegia. Despite the application of different exercise interventions, their relative effectiveness in enhancing neuromuscular function and psychological well-being remains a matter of practical interest. Therefore, the present study aimed to examine the effects of neurobic exercises and a self-designed training program on psychological well-being (achievement motivation) and neuromuscular function in individuals with paraplegia. Materials and Methods. Forty-five individuals with paraplegia were randomly assigned to a Neurobic Exercise Group (n = 15), a Self-Designed Program Group (n = 15), and a Control Group (n = 15). The experimental groups participated in a structured 12-week intervention, while the control group maintained routine activities. Outcome measures included achievement motivation, EMG activity of the rectus abdominis and quadratus lumborum, and audio-visual reaction time. Paired t-tests, ANCOVA, and Scheffé's post hoc tests were employed to analyze the data at a 0.05 level of significance. Results. Both experimental groups showed significant improvements in all measured variables. The self-designed program demonstrated greater increases in rectus abdominis EMG activity (29.14%) and quadratus lumborum EMG activity (25.87%) compared to the neurobic group (13.46% and 14.12%, respectively). Reaction time improved substantially, with reductions in audio reaction time (23.08% in the self-designed group and 17.22% in the neurobic group) and visual reaction time (21.36% and 14.05%, respectively). Achievement motivation increased markedly in the self-designed group (26.41%) and the neurobic group (15.28%), while the control group showed negligible changes. ANCOVA revealed significant group differences across all variables (p < 0.05). Post hoc analysis confirmed the superiority of both interventions over the control condition and the greater effectiveness of the self-designed program. Conclusions. Both neurobic exercises and self-designed training programs significantly enhanced neuromuscular function, as evidenced by increased EMG activity and improved reaction time, as well as psychological well-being (achievement motivation) in individuals with paraplegia. The self-designed program was comparatively more effective, likely due to higher engagement and individualized exercise selection. These findings support the integration of personalized and cognitively engaging exercise interventions into rehabilitation programs to optimize functional and psychological outcomes.