Noninvasive determination of inspiratory pressure in patients with spinal cord injury: what is the best method?

The aim of the study was to evaluate the performance of sniff nasal inspiratory pressure (SNIP) and MIP in individuals with spinal cord injury. We evaluated 26 patients with spinal cord injury. Mean FVC in those with tetraplegia was 52 ± 19% of predicted, compared with 78 ± 23% of predicted in those with paraplegia (p < 0.05). In contrast, the percentage of predicted SNIP was lower in those with tetraplegia than in those with paraplegia (p < 0.05). In all participants, SNIP correlated significantly with the level of the injury (r = 0.489; 95% CI: 0.125-0.737). The impact that the greater discriminatory power of SNIP has on the diagnosis of impaired pulmonary function in spinal cord-injured patients should be investigated further.

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Psychiatric aspects of spinal cord injury

South African Journal of Physiotherapy ◽

10.4102/sajp.v42i4.1384 ◽

1986 ◽

Vol 42 (4) ◽

pp. 113-114

Author(s):

A. J. Lasich

Keyword(s):

Spinal Cord ◽

Spinal Cord Injury ◽

Emotional Reactions ◽

Cord Injury ◽

Injured Patients ◽

Spinal Cord Injured

The nature of behavioural and emotional reactions displayed by persons with spinal cord injury are described and the value of psychiatric involvement in the routine management is discussed. The importance of emotional care of spinal cord injured patients is emphasized with reference to certain general principles. The psychiatrist should be accessible to both staff and patients for ventilation of feelings.

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Epidemiolgy of spinal cord injury after acute odontoid fractures

Neurosurgical FOCUS ◽

10.3171/foc.2000.8.6.5 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 8 (6) ◽

pp. 1-4 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

James S. Harrop ◽

Ashwini D. Sharan ◽

Gregory J. Przybylski

Keyword(s):

Spinal Cord ◽

Spinal Cord Injury ◽

Cervical Spinal Cord ◽

Consecutive Series ◽

Cervical Canal ◽

Associated Injuries ◽

Odontoid Fractures ◽

Cord Injury ◽

Injured Patients ◽

Spinal Cord Injured

Object Cervical spinal cord injury (SCI) after odontoid fracture is unusual. To identify predisposing factors, the authors evaluated a consecutive series of patients who sustained SCI from odontoid fractures. Methods A consecutive series of 5096 admissions to the Delaware Valley Regional Spinal Cord Injury Center were reviewed, and 126 patients with neurological impairment at the C1–3 levels were identified. Seventeen patients had acute closed odontoid fractures with neurological deficit. Various parameters including demographics, mechanisms of injury, associated injuries, fracture types/displacements, and radiographic cervical canal dimensions were compared between “complete” and “incomplete” spinal cord injured–patients as well as with neurologically intact patients who had suffered odontoid fractures. There were similar demographics, mechanisms of injury, associated injuries, fracture type/displacement, and canal dimensions in patients with complete and incomplete SCIs. However, only patients with complete injury were ventilator dependent. In comparison with patients with intact spinal cords, spinal cord–injured patients were more commonly males (p = 0.011) who had sustained higher velocity injuries (p = 0.027). The computerized tomography scans of 11 of 17 neurologically impaired patients were compared with those of a random sample of 11 patients with intact spinal cords. Although the anteroposterior diameter (p = 0.028) and cross-sectional area (p = 0.0004) of the cervical spinal canal at the C–2 level were smaller in impaired patients, the displacement of the fragment was not different. Conclusions Odontoid fractures are an infrequent cause of SCI. Patients with these injuries typically are males who have smaller spinal canals and have sustained high velocity injuries.

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The Influence of Social Support on the Lived Experiences of Spinal Cord Injured Sportsmen

The Sport Psychologist ◽

10.1123/tsp.17.2.135 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 17 (2) ◽

pp. 135-156 ◽

Cited By ~ 33

Author(s):

Tim Rees ◽

Brett Smith ◽

Andrew C. Sparkes

Keyword(s):

Social Support ◽

Spinal Cord ◽

Spinal Cord Injury ◽

Lived Experiences ◽

Positive Influence ◽

Life History Data ◽

Cord Injury ◽

Tangible Support ◽

The Impact ◽

Spinal Cord Injured

This study draws upon life history data to investigate the influence of social support on the lives of 6 men who had acquired a spinal cord injury and become disabled through playing sport. Interviews were analyzed utilizing categorical-content analysis (Lieblich, Tuval-Mashiach, & Zilber, 1998). The participants experienced emotional, esteem, informational, and tangible support (Rees & Hardy, 2000) from various sources. Alongside the positive influence of social support, examples are shown of inappropriate or negatively-experienced support and where participants considered sport to be lacking. The spinal cord injured person is encouraged to be proactive in resourcing social support, but providers might also be taught to recognize the impact, either positively or negatively, that their giving support can have.

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Lower Extremity Functional Neuromuscular Stimulation in Cases of Spinal Cord Injury

Neurosurgery ◽

10.1227/00006123-198407000-00027 ◽

1984 ◽

Vol 15 (1) ◽

pp. 132-146 ◽

Cited By ~ 54

Author(s):

George R. Cybulski ◽

Richard D. Penn ◽

Robert J. Jaeger

Keyword(s):

Spinal Cord ◽

Spinal Cord Injury ◽

Lower Extremity ◽

Current Status ◽

Functional Neuromuscular Stimulation ◽

Neuromuscular Stimulation ◽

Cord Injury ◽

Practical Tool ◽

Injured Patients ◽

Spinal Cord Injured

Abstract Functional neuromuscular stimulation (FNS) provides a mechanism for the activation of muscles paralyzed by injury to the spinal cord. Although this technique was first used to treat patients with spinal cord injury over 20 years ago, only recent advances in electronics and biomechanics have made it a promising aid for the rehabilitation of these patients. Thus far, restoration of palmar prehension and lateral prehension in quadriplegics and of standing and biped gait in paraplegics has been achieved under carefully controlled laboratory conditions. This article reviews the current status of FNS and its potential as a practical tool to aid spinal cord-injured patients. Neurosurgeons who care for these patients might be expected to be involved in the future use of FNS if implantable systems are developed and tested.

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Differential expression of metabolic genes essential for glucose and lipid metabolism in skeletal muscle from spinal cord injured subjects

Journal of Applied Physiology ◽

10.1152/japplphysiol.00686.2010 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 110 (5) ◽

pp. 1204-1210 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

Yun Chau Long ◽

Emil Kostovski ◽

Hanneke Boon ◽

Nils Hjeltnes ◽

Anna Krook ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gene Expression ◽

Skeletal Muscle ◽

Spinal Cord ◽

Spinal Cord Injury ◽

Mrna Levels ◽

Metabolic Gene ◽

Metabolic Gene Expression ◽

Cord Injury ◽

The Impact ◽

Spinal Cord Injured

Skeletal muscle plays an important role in the regulation of energy homeostasis; therefore, the ability of skeletal muscle to adapt and alter metabolic gene expression in response to changes in physiological demands is critical for energy balance. Individuals with cervical spinal cord lesions are characterized by tetraplegia, impaired thermoregulation, and altered skeletal muscle morphology. We characterized skeletal muscle metabolic gene expression patterns, as well as protein content, in these individuals to assess the impact of spinal cord injury on critical determinants of skeletal muscle metabolism. Our results demonstrate that mRNA levels and protein expression of skeletal muscle genes essential for glucose storage are reduced, whereas expression of glycolytic genes is reciprocally increased in individuals with spinal cord injury. Furthermore, expression of genes essential for lipid oxidation is coordinately reduced in spinal cord injured subjects, consistent with a marked reduction of mitochondrial proteins. Thus spinal cord injury resulted in a profound and tightly coordinated change in skeletal muscle metabolic gene expression program that is associated with the aberrant metabolic features of the tissue.

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