SCI Publications

Study used musculoskeletal modeling and forward dynamics simulations of manual wheelchair propulsion to identify compensatory strategies to overcome weakness in individual muscle groups and identify specific strategies that may increase injury risk. Identifying these strategies can provide the rationale for the design of targeted rehabilitation programs aimed at preventing ...

Study assessed patient perspectives or preferences on when and how professionals should deliver news to patients regarding poor prognosis for neurological recovery after severe (neurologically complete) traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI). Sixty subjects with a motor-complete SCI for at least 3 months were recruited from three geographically different acute ...

This systematic review of the literature was conducted to identify evidence to support the use of measures of depression for adults with burn injuries. The goal was to determine the most reliable, valid, and efficient means of identifying adults with symptoms of depression including major depressive disorder. Established guidelines for ...

Study assessed the relationship between measures of activity with dyspnea and satisfaction with life in chronic spinal cord injury (SCI). Between July 2012 and March 2015, 347subjects with traumatic SCI ≥1 year after injury who used a manual wheelchair or walked with or without an assistive device reported hours ...

Study investigated how transfer technique and subject characteristics relate to ultrasound measures of shoulder soft tissue pathology and self-reported shoulder pain during transfers in a sample of 76 wheelchair users with spinal cord injury (SCI). Outcome measures included: transfer pain items from the Wheelchair User’s Shoulder Pain Index; transfer ...

Study described the characteristics of individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) who self-reported use of cannabis for therapeutic purposes (CTP) and examined correlations with health behaviors and health indicators. This was a secondary analysis of data from a cross-sectional study involving community-dwelling individuals with chronic SCI and neurogenic bladder ...

Study documented trends in the demographic and injury profile of new spinal cord injury (SCI) cases over time. Data were collected from the National SCI Database for 30,881 patients with traumatic SCI who received care from 1 of 28 SCI Model Systems centers throughout the United States. To evaluate ...

Study determined the deficit rates for transfer component skills among veterans who use wheelchairs and explored the relationship between deficit rates and subject characteristics. Seventy-four men and 18 women performed up to four transfers independently from their wheelchair to a mat table while a therapist evaluated their transfer techniques ...

Study evaluated the associations of biomarkers of inflammation (C-reactive protein [CRP], interleukin-6 [IL-6]) and novel markers of global oxidative stress with spirometric and lung volume measures in individuals with chronic spinal cord injury (SCI). Systemic inflammation, and to a lesser extent oxidative stress, have been associated with reduced pulmonary ...

Study evaluated the effectiveness of telephone counseling (TC) in reducing medical complications and health care utilization and improving psychosocial outcomes during the first year after spinal cord injury (SCI) rehabilitation. A total of 168 patients participated in a single-site, single-blind, randomized controlled trial comparing usual care plus TC with ...

Study identified factors that contribute to variable placebo responses in clinical trials involving individuals with central neuropathic pain. Defined as a reduction in pain in the placebo arm of a clinical trial, the “placebo response” includes the placebo effect (the true psychobiological effects causing a reduction in pain) in addition ...

Study assessed the effects of gene expression or intracellular signaling in paralyzed muscles of men with long-standing spinal cord injury (SCI). Specifically, it examined the expression of genes (TNFαR, TNFα, IL-6R, IL-6, TWEAK, TWEAK R, atrogin-1, and MuRF1) and abundance of intracellular signaling proteins (TWEAK, TWEAK R, NF-κB, and ...

Study investigated the frequency and types of wheelchair repairs and associated adverse consequences among people with spinal cord injury (SCI). Individuals who received care at 9 SCI Model Systems Centers and who use a wheelchair more than 40 hours each week were surveyed. Survey questions addressed the number of repairs ...

Study investigated the contribution of residential neighborhood characteristics to race disparities in participation among community-living adults with chronic spinal cord injury (SCI). Survey data from the SCI Model Systems (SCIMS) database were linked with residential characteristics derived from national survey and spatial data to assess the contribution of social, ...

Study evaluated the immediate effects of transfer training based on the Transfer Assessment Instrument (TAI) on upper-limb biomechanics during transfers. The TAI consist of 2 parts. Part 1 of the TAI divides a transfer into 15 items, each representing a component transfer skill. Part 2 evaluates the consistency of ...

Study determined the number and type of depression trajectories during the first year after spinal cord injury (SCI) and identified baseline predictors of these trajectories. Of 168 patients admitted to inpatient rehabilitation for acute SCI and enrolled in a randomized controlled trial telephone follow-up intervention, which showed no outcome ...

Study investigated the association of multiple sets of risk and protective factors (biographic and injury, socioeconomic, health) with cause-specific mortality after spinal cord injury (SCI). Participants were 8,157 adults with traumatic SCI who were enrolled in a SCI Model Systems facility after 1973. All-cause mortality was determined using the Social ...

Study assessed the patterns of sacral sparing and recovery in newly injured individuals with traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) admitted to rehabilitation centers within 30 days after injury with follow-up at discharge, at 1 year, or both. The International Standards for Neurological Classification of Spinal Cord Injury examination results ...

This pilot study examined the feasibility of administering an individual, in-person version of Health Mechanics, an innovative self-management program designed to teach individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) to maintain physical health and prevent secondary conditions. After baseline assessments, 27 participants were randomized to either the experimental intervention or ...

STUDY DESIGN: Prospective, randomized, controlled parallel group trial with single-blinded data analysis. OBJECTIVES: To determine the safety and efficacy of higher (20 ml kg(-1) ideal body weight (IBW)) vs standard (10 ml kg(-1) IBW) tidal volumes (Vt) for patients with sub-acute traumatic tetraplegia during ventilator weaning using a 14-day (minimum) ...