Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of early mobilization within 48 h of injury on motor function and walking ability in patients with incomplete cervical spinal cord injury (SCI). DESIGN: A retrospective observational study. SETTING: Intensive care unit or high care unit of a university hospital emergency center. PARTICIPANTS: Of 224 patients with SCI having American Spinal Injury Association impairment scale grades C and D, 158 consecutive patients hospitalized for at least 3 weeks after injury were included...

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether attending an SCI-specialized rehabilitation facility (SSRF) is independently associated with having fewer secondary health conditions (SHCs) in middle-income country contexts. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional observational study. SETTING: Four rehabilitation facilities in Thailand (one SSRF and three non-SSRF). METHODS: Data from a Thai arm of the International Spinal Cord Injury Community Survey (InSCI) were analyzed...

INTRODUCTION: Cervical radiculopathy is one of those disabling conditions which results in central and peripheral pain and thus affects the quality of life. Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) and exercises produce analgesic effect but their long-term effect has not been available to date. Transcranial Direct Current stimulation (tDCS) is known to produce promising effects on central pain by targeting cortical activity. PURPOSE: To determine the combined effect of tDCS and TENS with exercises on pain and quality of life in patients with cervical radiculopathy...

CONTEXT: There is limited research on return to education (RTE) after spinal cord injury (SCI). As a result, few programs exist to help people achieve this goal. OBJECTIVE: The primary objective was to investigate the barriers and facilitators to RTE, and the relationship between RTE and quality of life (QOL). The secondary objective was to examine the role of a Vocational Resource Facilitation (VRF) program on RTE. METHODS: A mixed methods approach with a semi-structured interview and online survey was used...

OBJECTIVES: (1) Examine the feasibility of a community-based exercise intervention for persons with spinal cord injury and (2) compare the cardiorespiratory fitness, skeletal muscle strength, and psychosocial well-being of participants in the intervention group versus control group. DESIGN: Community-based pilot randomized controlled trial. Setting : Accessible community-based health and wellness center. Participants : Thirty-two sedentary community-dwelling adults with any level of spinal cord injury...

CONTEXT: Patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) can develop urinary tract stones (UTSs) up to years after the injury, which is especially common in the first few months. However, relevant epidemiological studies and up-to-date epidemiological data for SCI in Taiwan are lacking. PURPOSE: To estimate SCI and SCI-induced UTS incidence and trauma severity, neurological deficits, and injury site in patients with SCI-induced UTSs in Taiwan. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study...

CONTEXT/OBJECTIVE: To assess short-term changes in health outcomes in people with cervical-level spinal cord injury (SCI) who underwent upper extremity (UE) reconstruction via either novel nerve transfer (NT) or traditional tendon transfer (TT) surgery with individuals who did not undergo UE surgical reconstruction. DESIGN: Prospective, comparative cohort pilot study. PARTICIPANTS: 34 participants with cervical SCI met the following inclusion criteria: age 18 or older, greater than 6 months post-injury, and mid-cervical level SCI American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale (AIS) A, B or C...

CONTEXT/OBJECTIVE: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are one of the most frequent secondary complications among people with spinal cord injury (SCI). The prevention and management of UTIs is prioritized by stakeholders across Canada. The purpose of this study was to gain an in-depth understanding of the urinary bladder (bladder) management experiences of people with SCI in Alberta communities, especially how UTIs are experienced and managed. DESIGN: Convergent mixed methods parallel databases variant...

OBJECTIVES: To illustrate and explore associations between the gut microbiome and spinal cord injury (SCI) characteristics, physical training, dietary intake, body composition, and blood biomarkers of elite Swiss athletes. DESIGN AND SETTING: Baseline data analysis of athletes with SCI who participated in a pilot trial (NCT04659408) in the Swiss Paraplegic Center, Nottwil, Switzerland. PARTICIPANTS: Elite athletes, five males, and six females, with SCI who competed internationally...

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No abstract text is available yet for this article.

CONTEXT: A spinal cord injury or disease (SCI/D) is a devastating condition that affects all areas of a person's life, including quality of life (QoL). Assessing this construct using clinical instruments with adequate measurement properties is fundamental for an effective multi-professional treatment. OBJECTIVE: To identify the clinical instruments for assessing the QoL that present the best recommendation for use in people with SCI based on their measurement properties...

CONTEXT: Robot-assisted gait training (RAGT) has been increasingly adopted in many rehabilitation facilities for walking function and activity in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI). However, the effectiveness of RAGT on lower extremity strength and cardiopulmonary function, especially static pulmonary function, have not been clearly outlined. OBJECTIVE: Determine the effect of RAGT on cardiopulmonary function and lower extremity strength in SCI survivors...

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of intravesical injection of botulinum toxin type A (BTX-A) for neurogenic detrusor overactivity (DO) in reducing the frequency and severity of autonomic dysreflexia (AD). DESIGN: A cross-sectional nonrandomized trial with before (baseline) and after (follow-up) assessments. SETTING: A single spinal cord injury (SCI) rehabilitation center in China. PARTICIPANTS: Twenty-five patients with SCI at or above T6 and a history of AD who underwent urodynamic studies (UDS) before and 3 months after BTX-A injection...

CONTEXT: Despite a high prevalence of neurogenic bladder (NGB) in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI), clinicians are unable to predict long-term bladder outcomes due to variable phenotypes of bladder dysfunction. This study investigates if early bladder events, infections, and spinal cord injury characteristics during rehabilitation admission affect bladder outcomes one year after SCI. METHODS: This retrospective study included patients with SCI admitted to a tertiary rehabilitation center between 1 January 2016 and 1 January 2020...

CONTEXT: During the evacuation of a residence during a fire event, individuals must often climb over objects or navigate stairs, which may be challenging or impossible for an individual who uses a wheelchair or scooter for mobility. Consequently, fire preparedness is critical to enhancing this population's safety and well-being. OBJECTIVE: This study examines best practices associated with fire preparedness among individuals who use a wheelchair or scooter to inform and facilitate fire preparedness education...

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effects of intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS) and high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on spinal cord injury-related neuropathic pain with sham controls, using neuropathic pain-specific evaluation tools. DESIGN: A randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled trial. SETTING: Rehabilitation medicine department of a university hospital. PARTICIPANTS: Thirty-three patients with spinal cord injury-related neuropathic pain...

OBJECTIVE: To examine change in pain interference and depression over a 10-year time period in individuals with long-term traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) and to identify the extent to which changes in pain interference over time predicts change in depressive symptoms. DESIGN: Longitudinal analyses of self-report assessment data. SETTING: Specialty and university hospitals in the Southeastern and Midwestern United States. PARTICIPANTS: Adults with a history of traumatic SCI ( n  = 504) who responded to the three most recent data collection periods of the SCI Longitudinal Aging Study (2008 [Time 1], 2013 [Time 2], and 2018 [Time 3])...

CONTEXT: Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs (ASPs) are crucial to optimizing antibiotic use. ASPs are implemented in the Veterans Health Administration (VAs), but they do not target the needs of populations at high risk for resistant infections, such as spinal cord injury and disorder (SCI/D). OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to assess key ASP leader and SCI/D clinicians' perceived level of implementation and impact of 33 Antimicrobial Stewardship (AS) strategies...

CONTEXT: Intrathecal baclofen (ITB) therapy is administered for severe, persistent spasticity that cannot be addressed by oral medication or other treatments. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to evaluate the target dose of ITB for severe, persistent spasticity based on disease etiology. METHODS: Data at baseline (discharge), 1, and 10 years from 102 patients who received ITB therapy between 1985 and 2011 were retrospectively collected. Patients were divided based on disease etiology (cerebral, spinal, or multiple sclerosis [MS]) to evaluate differences in dose requirements...