Assessing Nociception by Fmri of the Human Spinal Cord: A Systematic Review

Objective To assess the use of fMRI of the spinal cord in measuring noxious stimulation. Methods The Scopus, Medline, EMBASE, and Web of Science databases were searched, along with the reference lists of included articles. Two independent reviewers screened abstracts, full-text articles, and extracted data. Original research was included if fMRI of the human spinal cord was used to measure responses to noxious stimulation. Results Of the 192 abstracts screened, 19 met the search criteria and were divided according to their focus: investigating pain responses ( n = 6), methodology ( n = 6), spinal cord injury ( n = 2), or cognition–pain interactions ( n = 5). All but one study appear to have observed activity in ipsilateral and dorsal gray matter regions in response to noxious stimuli, although contralateral or ventral activity was also widely observed. Conclusions Although nociception can be investigated using spinal fMRI, establishing reliability, standardizing methodology, and reporting of results will greatly advance this field.

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Views and Experiences of Sex, Sexuality and Relationships Following Spinal Cord Injury: A Systematic Review and Narrative Synthesis of the Qualitative Literature

Sexuality and Disability ◽

10.1007/s11195-020-09653-0 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 38 (4) ◽

pp. 567-595

Author(s):

Sarah Earle ◽

Lindsay O’Dell ◽

Alison Davies ◽

Andy Rixon

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Spinal Cord ◽

Spinal Cord Injury ◽

Qualitative Data ◽

Web Of Science ◽

Research Question ◽

Quality Appraisal ◽

Sexual Rehabilitation ◽

Cord Injury ◽

Qualitative Literature

Abstract Research examining the effects of spinal cord injury on sexuality has largely focused on physiological functioning and quantification of dysfunction following injury. This paper reports a systematic review of qualitative research that focused on the views and experiences of people with spinal cord injury on sex and relationships. The review addressed the following research question: What are the views and experiences of people with spinal cord injury of sex, sexuality and relationships following injury? Five databases were relevant and employed in the review: CINAHL (1989–2016 only), PsychInfo, PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science, for research published between 1 January 1980 and 30 November 2019. After removing duplicates, 257 records remained and were screened using a two-stage approach to inclusion and quality appraisal. Following screening, 27 met the criteria for inclusion and are reported in the paper. The review includes studies from fifteen countries across five continents. Two main approaches to data analysis summary and thematic synthesis were undertaken to analyze the qualitative data reported in the papers. The analysis revealed four main themes: sexual identity; significant and generalized others, sexual embodiment; and; sexual rehabilitation and education.

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A systematic review of spinal fMRI research: outlining the elements of experimental design

Journal of Neurosurgery Spine ◽

10.3171/2012.5.aospine1278 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 17 (Suppl1) ◽

pp. 102-118 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

David W. Cadotte ◽

Patrick W. Stroman ◽

David Mikulis ◽

Michael G. Fehlings

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Spinal Cord ◽

Sensory Stimulation ◽

Healthy Individuals ◽

Human Spinal Cord ◽

Published Report ◽

Cord Injury ◽

Spinal Fmri ◽

Injury Research ◽

Stimulation Paradigm

Object Since the first published report of spinal functional MRI (fMRI) in humans in 1996, this body of literature has grown substantially. In the present article, the authors systematically review all spinal fMRI studies conducted in healthy individuals with a focus on the different motor and sensory paradigms used and the results acquired. Methods The authors conducted a systematic search of MEDLINE for literature published from 1990 through November 2011 reporting on stimulation paradigms used to assess spinal fMRI scans in healthy individuals. Results They identified 19 peer-reviewed studies from 1996 to the present in which a combination of different spinal fMRI methods were used to investigate the spinal cord in healthy individuals. Eight of the studies used a motor stimulation paradigm, 10 used a sensory stimulation paradigm, and 1 compared motor and sensory stimulation paradigms. Conclusions Despite differences in the results of various studies, even when similar stimulation paradigms were used, this body of literature underscores that spinal fMRI signals can be obtained from the human spinal cord. The authors intend this review to serve as an introduction to spinal fMRI research and what it may offer the field of spinal cord injury research.

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Faculty Opinions recommendation of A systematic review of directly applied biologic therapies for acute spinal cord injury.

Faculty Opinions – Post-Publication Peer Review of the Biomedical Literature ◽

10.3410/f.718537054.793498900 ◽

2014 ◽

Author(s):

Hans Werner Müller

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Spinal Cord ◽

Spinal Cord Injury ◽

Acute Spinal Cord Injury ◽

Biologic Therapies ◽

Cord Injury

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Faculty Opinions recommendation of Effects of transplantation of olfactory ensheathing cells in chronic spinal cord injury: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Faculty Opinions – Post-Publication Peer Review of the Biomedical Literature ◽

10.3410/f.718484796.793518258 ◽

2016 ◽

Author(s):

Michael Fehlings ◽

Christopher Ahuja ◽

Allan Martin

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Spinal Cord ◽

Spinal Cord Injury ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Olfactory Ensheathing Cells ◽

Chronic Spinal Cord Injury ◽

Cord Injury ◽

Ensheathing Cells

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Physiotherapy interventions for the treatment of spasticity in people with spinal cord injury: a systematic review

Spinal Cord ◽

10.1038/s41393-020-00610-4 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Paulo Henrique Ferreira de Araujo Barbosa ◽

Joanne V. Glinsky ◽

Emerson Fachin-Martins ◽

Lisa A. Harvey

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Spinal Cord ◽

Spinal Cord Injury ◽

Cord Injury

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A Systematic Review of the Efficacy of Gait Rehabilitation Strategies for Spinal Cord Injury

Topics in Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation ◽

10.1310/sci1301-32 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 13 (1) ◽

pp. 32-57 ◽

Cited By ~ 29

Author(s):

Tania Lam ◽

Janice Eng ◽

Dalton Wolfe ◽

Jane Hsieh ◽

Maura Whittaker

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Spinal Cord ◽

Spinal Cord Injury ◽

Gait Rehabilitation ◽

Cord Injury ◽

Rehabilitation Strategies

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Biomaterial-based interventions for neuronal regeneration and functional recovery in rodent model of spinal cord injury: A systematic review

Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine ◽

10.1179/2045772313y.0000000095 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 36 (3) ◽

pp. 174-190 ◽

Cited By ~ 24

Author(s):

Vibhor Krishna ◽

Sanjay Konakondla ◽

Joyce Nicholas ◽

Abhay Varma ◽

Mark Kindy ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Spinal Cord ◽

Spinal Cord Injury ◽

Functional Recovery ◽

Rodent Model ◽

Neuronal Regeneration ◽

Cord Injury

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Drastic Decrease in Isoflurane Minimum Alveolar Concentration and Limb Movement Forces after Thoracic Spinal Cooling and Chronic Spinal Transection in Rats

Anesthesiology ◽

10.1097/00000542-200503000-00022 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 102 (3) ◽

pp. 624-632 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Steven L. Jinks ◽

Carmen L. Dominguez ◽

Joseph F. Antognini

Keyword(s):

Spinal Cord ◽

Spinal Cord Injury ◽

Minimum Alveolar Concentration ◽

Tail Flick ◽

Noxious Stimulation ◽

Partial Recovery ◽

Spinal Transection ◽

Thoracic Spinal ◽

Cord Injury ◽

Stimulation Of

Background Individuals with spinal cord injury may undergo multiple surgical procedures; however, it is not clear how spinal cord injury affects anesthetic requirements and movement force under anesthesia during both acute and chronic stages of the injury. Methods The authors determined the isoflurane minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) necessary to block movement in response to supramaximal noxious stimulation, as well as tail-flick and hind paw withdrawal latencies, before and up to 28 days after thoracic spinal transection. Tail-flick and hind paw withdrawal latencies were measured in the awake state to test for the presence of spinal shock or hyperreflexia. The authors measured limb forces elicited by noxious mechanical stimulation of a paw or the tail at 28 days after transection. Limb force experiments were also conducted in other animals that received a reversible spinal conduction block by cooling the spinal cord at the level of the eighth thoracic vertebra. Results A large decrease in MAC (to </= 40% of pretransection values) occurred after spinal transection, with partial recovery (to approximately 60% of control) at 14-28 days after transection. Awake tail-flick and hind paw withdrawal latencies were facilitated or unchanged, whereas reflex latencies under isoflurane were depressed or absent. However, at 80-90% of MAC, noxious stimulation of the hind paw elicited ipsilateral limb withdrawals in all animals. Hind limb forces were reduced (by >/= 90%) in both chronic and acute cold-block spinal animals. Conclusions The immobilizing potency of isoflurane increases substantially after spinal transection, despite the absence of a baseline motor depression, or "spinal shock." Therefore, isoflurane MAC is determined by a spinal depressant action, possibly counteracted by a supraspinal facilitatory action. The partial recovery in MAC at later time points suggests that neuronal plasticity after spinal cord injury influences anesthetic requirements.

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