1/82. The changes in human spinal sympathetic preganglionic neurons after spinal cord injury.We have applied conventional histochemical, immunocytochemical and morphometric techniques to study the changes within the human spinal sympathetic preganglionic neurons (SPNs) after spinal cord injury. SPNs are localized within the intermediolateral nucleus (IML) of the lateral horn at the thoraco-lumbar level of the spinal cord and are the major contributors to central cardiovascular control. SPNs in different thoracic segments in the normal spinal cord were similar in soma size. SPNs in the IML were also identified using immunoreactivity to choline acetyltransferase. Soma area of SPNs was 400.7 15 microm2 and 409.9 /-22 microm2 at the upper thoracic (T3) and middle thoracic (T7) segments, respectively. In the spinal cord obtained from a person who survived for 2 weeks following a spinal cord injury at T5, we found a significant decrease in soma area of the SPNs in the segments below the site of injury: soma area of SPNs at T8 was 272.9 /-11 microm2. At T1 the soma area was 418 /-19 microm2. In the spinal cord obtained from a person who survived 23 years after cord injury at T3, the soma area of SPNs above (T1) and below (T7) the site of injury was similar (416.2 /-19 and 425.0 /-20 microm2 respectively). The findings demonstrate that the SPNs in spinal segments caudal to the level of the lesion undergo a significant decrease of their size 2 weeks after spinal cord injury resulting in complete transection of the spinal cord. The impaired cardiovascular control after spinal cord injury may be accounted for, in part, by the described changes of the SPNs. The SPNs in spinal segments caudal to the injury were of normal size in the case studied 23 years after the injury, suggesting that the atrophy observed at 2 weeks is transient. More studies are necessary to establish the precise time course of these morphological changes in the spinal preganglionic neurons.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = person (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/82. electrodiagnosis in spinal cord injured persons with new weakness or sensory loss: central and peripheral etiologies.OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence and causes of late neurologic decline of persons with spinal cord injury (SCI). DESIGN: Retrospective review of persons with SCI over a 9-year period. Those with complaints of new weakness or sensory loss were grouped into three categories based on clinical examination, electrodiagnosis, and imaging: (1) central pathology (ie, brain, spinal cord, or nerve root); (2) peripheral pathology (plexus or peripheral nerve); or (3) no identifiable etiology. The specific diagnoses of late neurologic decline were identified. SETTING: Regional veterans Affairs spinal cord Injury Service. patients: Five hundred two inpatient and outpatient adults with SCI. RESULTS: Nineteen percent of the study population complained of new weakness and/or sensory loss. Neurologic abnormalities were noted in 13.5%, 7.2% with central and 6.4% with peripheral causes. The most common pathologies were posttraumatic syringomyelia (2.4%) and cervical (1.6%) and lumbosacral (1.2%) myelopathy/radiculopathy. A specific etiology was not determined in 6 cases (1.6%). Peripheral involvement was mostly from ulnar nerve entrapment (3.4%) and carpal tunnel syndrome (3.0%). CONCLUSIONS: Late-onset neurologic decline is common after SCI and can result from central or peripheral pathology. Regular neurologic monitoring of SCI patients is recommended, since many with neurologic decline respond favorably if diagnosed and treated early.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 3keywords = person (Clic here for more details about this article) |
3/82. The older patient with a spinal cord injury.The most common cause of spinal cord injury (SCI) in older persons is falls, followed by motor vehicle crashes and pedestrian/motor vehicle crashes. Upper cervical injuries, particularly central cord syndrome, are prominent in the geriatric patient population. In addition, the mortality is higher, the complications are life threatening, the hospital stay is longer, and the cost of care is significantly increased for the older trauma victim.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.5keywords = person (Clic here for more details about this article) |
4/82. The development of a nurse-directed computerized functional electrical stimulation program.Today's spinal-cord-injured (SCI) person is discharged from the inpatient clinical setting very early in his or her recovery process. Faced with the tremendous challenges of relearning the skills of daily living and psychologically adjusting to a catastrophic injury, the newly injured person is thrust into an overwhelming environment. As early as 1994, when inpatient stays were longer, concern was expressed about the impact of early discharge on the health and well-being of persons with SCI (Ditunno & Formal, 1994). For over 10 years, the Medical Illness counseling Center (MICC) has offered a community-based, nurse-directed program of Computerized Functional Electrical Stimulation (CFES) for persons with SCI. The program is founded on the belief that when multi-system deterioration associated with paralysis is avoided and a behavioral approach is used, the person with SCI will have a renewed sense of well-being that enables him or her to overcome the challenges of daily living. Over time, the need for expansion of the program became apparent; it evolved into a comprehensive package of medical, nursing, and psychological care. This article describes the essential elements that comprised a successful program design, the benefits of participation in CFES, and the significance of this technology in a nurse-managed setting.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 2.5keywords = person (Clic here for more details about this article) |
5/82. Single kidney outcome and management in persons with spinal cord injury.This case study examined the outcomes of persons with spinal cord injury (SCI) who had a single kidney. A Urologic database, including 1655 persons with SCI between 1969 and 1997, was examined and 22 persons were identified with single kidneys. Twenty persons had adequate follow-up. Renal function was measured by total and individual kidney effective renal plasma flow (ERPF). Of 11 persons who had a single kidney prior to injury or as a result of an associated injury, all maintained a normal ERPF for an average of 8.6 years. Of 9 persons who had removal of a kidney following their injury for other diseases or urinary complications, 3 were deceased, but 2 had a normal ERPF in the remaining kidney prior to death. One with vesicoureteral reflux had decreased renal function in the remaining kidney. Recurrent renal calculi in a single kidney carries risks for decreasing renal function, urosepsis, and death.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 5keywords = person (Clic here for more details about this article) |
6/82. Antegrade continence enema for the treatment of neurogenic constipation and fecal incontinence after spinal cord injury.OBJECTIVE: To describe the effects of an antegrade continence enema stoma formed in a paraplegic man with intractable constipation and fecal incontinence. DESIGN: Case report. SETTING: spinal cord injury unit, veterans Affairs hospital. PARTICIPANTS: spinal cord injury (SCI) patient with T12 paraplegia. INTERVENTION: Surgical formation of antegrade continence enema stoma. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: time of bowel program care, ease of fecal elimination, safety of procedure. RESULTS: Bowel care time was decreased from 2 hours to 50 minutes daily; 6 bowel medications were discontinued; fecal incontinence was eliminated; and no surgical or medical side effects noted after the procedure. CONCLUSION: The antegrade continence enema procedure is a safe and effective means of treating intractable constipation and fecal incontinence in the adult SCI patient. This option should be considered for those persons in whom medical management of bowel care has been unsuccessful.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.5keywords = person (Clic here for more details about this article) |
7/82. Neuropraxia of the cervical spinal cord following cervical spinal cord trauma: a report of five patients.Neuropraxia of the cervical spinal cord is a rare condition which is almost exclusively reported in American football players following cervical hyperextension or hyperflexion trauma. In this entity-neurological symptoms of both arms and legs for a period of up to 15 minutes are observed with complete recovery. We report the characteristics of five patients not involved in contact sport activities with a neuropraxia of the spinal cord following cervical trauma. In four of the five patients, this syndrome was associated with a cervical canal stenosis. Surgical decompression was performed in two patients with progressive neurological symptoms after an initial period of recovery. The cases illustrates that although neuropraxia of the spinal cord is usually seen in athletes, also other persons may be at risk for developing this condition, especially when a preexisting spinal stenosis is present. patients who experienced neuropraxia of the spinal cord should thus be evaluated carefully for the presence of cervical spinal cord abnormalities.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.5keywords = person (Clic here for more details about this article) |
8/82. catecholamines response of high performance wheelchair athletes at rest and during exercise with autonomic dysreflexia.autonomic dysreflexia presents a special situation in high-lesion spinal cord injury, however, intentionally or self-induced autonomic dysreflexia directly before or during competition to increase performance, so called 'boosting', is also being reported. In order to examine the influence of autonomic dysreflexia on plasma catecholamines, cardiocirculatory and metabolic parameters, 6 spinal cord injured wheelchair athletes with high-level lesions underwent wheelchair ergometry without (ST1) and with (ST2) autonomic dysreflexia. At the point of exhaustion significantly higher values for norepinephrine and epinephrine were observed in ST2 than in ST1. During autonomic dysreflexia a significantly higher peak performance (77.5 vs. 72.5 watt), higher peak heart rate (161 vs. 149 x min(-1)), and peak oxygen consumption (1.96 vs. 1.85 l x min(-1)), with comparable peak lactate (7.11 vs. 7.00 mmol x l(-1)) were reached on average. The blood pressure values in ST2 were partially hypertensive and higher than in ST1. In conclusion, autonomic dysreflexia, as a sympathetic spinal reflex, leads to a higher release of catecholamines during exercise. This results in higher peak performance, peak heart rate, peak oxygen consumption, and higher blood pressure values. The peak lactate, as an indicator of the anaerobic lactate metabolism, was unchanged. However, autonomic dysreflexia presents an unpredictable risk, caused predominantly by hypertensive blood pressure values, for high-lesion spinal cord injured persons at rest and more so during exercise; it is seen as a prohibited manipulation by the doping guidelines of the International Paralympic Committee.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.5keywords = person (Clic here for more details about this article) |
9/82. Metabolic and cardiopulmonary responses to acute progressive resistive exercise in a person with C4 spinal cord injury.STUDY DESIGN: Single-subject (female, 38 years of age) case. OBJECTIVES: To describe metabolic and cardiopulmonary responses to progressive resistive exercise in an individual with C4 asia A tetraplegia, and to review the relationship between level of spinal cord injury (SCI) and exercise responses. SETTING: Large, urban mid-western city rehabilitation hospital in united states of America. methods: Bilateral shoulder elevation/depression (shoulder shrug) exercise with two different resistances (0.7 kg/shoulder, 1.4 kg/shoulder) at two different frequencies (20 min., 40 min.), for 2 min per bout, deployed in a discontinuous protocol. RESULTS: Compared to rest heart rate (HR), exercise HR increased the greatest (13 bpm) for the 1.4 kg resistance at 40 min. and the least (6 bpm) during the 0.7 kg at 20 min. blood pressure (BP) response was lower than resting BP for all four exercise conditions with the lowest (74/56 mmHg) at 1.4 kg at 40 min. Oxygen uptake was highest (4.6 ml.kg(-1) min(-1)) during 1.4 kg at 20 min and V(E) was greatest (18.2 L/min) during 1.4 kg at 40 min. Rate of perceived exertion (RPE) was the highest (17) during the 1.4 kg at 40 min. CONCLUSIONS: Progressive resistance exercise provoked intense perceived physical effort, but only small metabolic and cardiopulmonary increases in a person with C4 SCI. exercise recommended at a 'somewhat hard' intensity should avoid significant hypotension and still impressively increase oxygen uptake and ventilation compared to rest. An inverse relation between level of injury and aerobic responses may extend rostrally to the C4 level.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 2.5keywords = person (Clic here for more details about this article) |
10/82. A method to minimize indwelling catheter calcification and bladder stones in individuals with spinal cord injury.Indwelling catheters are a common tool of bladder management in persons with high-level spinal cord injury who are unable to intermittently catheterize their bladders. Indwelling catheters are used to prevent bladder overdistension, which can trigger autonomic dysreflexia in those with injuries at or above T6. Unfortunately, indwelling catheters are prone to encrustation and can lead to the formation of bladder stones that can block the catheter and cause autonomic dysreflexia. We found that weekly catheter changes dramatically reduced catheter encrustation and stones in 2 individuals who had a history of recurrent stones despite various accepted interventions. We describe the clinical course and impact of this method in each case.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.5keywords = person (Clic here for more details about this article) |
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