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The authors, an internist and a physiatrist, reflect on a year-long experience of cooperatively caring for patients with spinal cord injury in an interdisciplinary setting.

Study investigated the pharmacokinetics, safety, and effects of riluzole, a sodium-channel blocking medication, on neurological outcome in acute spinal cord injury (SCI). Thirty-six patients (28 cervical and 8 thoracic), enrolled at 6 North American Clinical Trials Network (NACTN) sites, received 50 milligrams of riluzole twice daily, within 12 hours ...

Article introduces the Rehabilomics framework, a translational model that provides an “-omics” overlay to the scientific study of rehabilitation processes and multidimensional outcomes. Despite many people having similar clinical presentation, demographic factors, and clinical care, outcome can differ for those sustaining significant injury such as spinal cord injury (SCI) ...

Study examined the mediating effects of depressive symptoms on the relationships among employment, grief, depression treatment, and participation enfranchisement after spinal cord injury (SCI). It also examined the moderating role of demographic and injury characteristics, including sex, race, marital status, education, and injury level, and completeness on these relationships. ...

Study determined the stability of vocational interests among people with spinal cord injury (SCI) over time using the 1994 Strong Interest Inventory, Form T317, a 317-item measure of vocational interests. Initial assessments were completed during inpatient rehabilitation an average of 50 days after SCI onset. Follow-up measures, collected by ...

Study examined the efficacy and tolerability of venlafaxine hydrochloride extended-release (XR) for major depressive disorder (MDD) or dysthymic disorder in people with chronic spinal cord injury (SCI). A total of 2,536 patients from outpatient clinics at 6 SCI treatment centers in the United States were screened and 133 were ...

Study assessed the direct and long-term effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) of the primary motor cortex (M1) on pain, quality of life (QOL), and life satisfaction following spinal cord injury (SCI). A two-phase randomized sham-controlled clinical trial was performed in which patients received 5 days of tDCS ...

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 evaluated the measurement properties of the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS), developed to quantify global quality of life and satisfaction. SWLS data were obtained from 17,897 individuals enrolled in the Model Systems funded by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR). They included 8,566 ...

Study determined the association among bone mineral density (BMD), walking status, and circulating adipokines (adiponectin and leptin) in men with chronic spinal cord injury (SCI). In the general population, greater body fat is associated with greater BMD and this is often attributed to mechanical loading of the skeleton by ...

Study investigated the relationship between circulating adiponectin levels and bone strength in 27 paralyzed men with spinal cord injury (SCI). Plasma adiponectin levels were quantified by ELISA assay. Axial stiffness and maximal load to fracture of the distal femur were quantified via finite element analysis using reconstructed three-dimensional models ...

Study documents the causes and usual circumstances surrounding the occurrence of spinal cord injury (SCI) among the elderly. Data on individuals injured in 2005 or later were retrieved from the National SCI Database. Demographics, injury profiles, and external causes of injury were compared between the study group (1,079 adults ...

Article examines issues that wheelchair users may face as they get older while living with a spinal cord injury (SCI). Many of the problems are in line with what research reports for their non-disabled peers. Tips for coping with the problems and informational websites are provided.

Article discusses results from an ongoing study of stand and step training in combination with epidural stimulation in individuals with chronic motor complete spinal cord injury (SCI). This study demonstrates the ability of four individuals with chronic complete motor paralysis to execute voluntary tasks with selectivity of appropriate motor ...

Study evaluated bilateral symmetry during manual wheelchair propulsion in a large group of subjects across different propulsion conditions. Three-dimensional kinematics and handrim kinetics along with spatiotemporal variables were collected and processed from 80 subjects with paraplegia. Participants propelled their wheelchairs on a stationary ergometer during three different conditions: level ...

Study examined the feasibility (study compliance, protocol acceptability, and reactivity) of intensive data collection methods in adults with chronic pain and spinal cord injury (SCI). A secondary analysis was conducted of data from a 7-day ecological momentary assessment and end-of-day diary study in a sample of 131 community dwelling ...

Article examines the nature of musculoskeletal injuries and pain syndromes affecting the upper extremities in people with spinal cord injury (SC) and discusses how these complaints are being evaluated using ultrasound. Upper-extremity pain is common in patients with SCI and can cause significant morbidity. Most structures involved are tendons, ...

Study investigated the relationship between the presence of pneumonia and pressure ulcers in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) during acute care and rehabilitation hospitalizations. Data were obtained from the SCI Model Systems program for patients enrolled from 1993 to 2006. A cohort of 3,098 individuals hospitalized in acute ...

Study examined the relationship between time to rehabilitation after spinal cord injury (SCI) and rehabilitation outcomes at discharge and 1-year postinjury. Participants were 3,937 patients who experienced traumatic SCI between 2000 and 2014, were 18 years or older, and were admitted to a Spinal Cord Injury Model Systems center ...

Study investigated the association of acute pancreatitis in acute spinal cord injury (SCI). A prospective observational study was conducted with 78 patients with an acute SCI diagnosis confirmed by clinical examination and image analysis, with partial, complete deficit or without deficit according to the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) ...