Publications by authors named "Andrei Krassioukov"

Autonomic dysfunctions are a major challenge to individuals following spinal cord injury. Despite this, these consequences receive far less attention compared with motor recovery. This review will highlight the major autonomic dysfunctions following SCI predominantly based on our present understanding of the anatomy and physiology of autonomic control and available clinical data.

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  • The study investigates the cardiovascular dysfunction caused by spinal cord injury (SCI) and assesses the efficacy of four neuroprotective agents in aiding cardiovascular recovery.
  • Male Wistar rats were given spinal contusions and treated with Fluoxetine, Glyburide, Valproic acid, and Indomethacin, with outcomes measured through blood pressure changes, locomotor function, and lesion area.
  • The results showed that Indomethacin and Valproic acid led to high mortality rates, while Fluoxetine and Glyburide were tolerated, but none of the treatments significantly improved blood pressure control or locomotor function compared to the control group.
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  • Cervical spinal cord injuries can cause low blood pressure and poor cardiovascular responses during exercise due to disrupted sympathetic function, impacting individuals' ability to perform physical activities.
  • This study compared the effects of two stimulation methods (epidural and transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation) versus sham stimulation on cardiovascular responses and upper-body exercise performance in men with chronic spinal cord injuries.
  • Results showed that the optimized stimulation improved blood pressure, cardiac contractility, and exercise endurance, suggesting both methods could help enhance exercise performance and reduce fatigue for those with spinal cord injuries.
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Study Design: Secondary analysis of a clinical trial.

Objective: To assess the impact of 6 months of arm cycle ergometry training (ACET), or body weight-supported treadmill training (BWSTT), on autonomic cardiovascular responses to a laboratory sit-up test (SUT) in individuals with chronic (≥1-year post-injury) spinal cord injury (SCI).

Setting: Tertiary Rehabilitation Centre, Vancouver, Canada.

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Background: The inclusion of people living with spinal cord injury (SCI) in research has allowed for an informed understanding of priorities of recovery of which bowel dysfunction and bladder dysfunction have been continuously identified. Research has also demonstrated the global disparities in SCI outcomes particularly when comparing high- and low-income countries. Currently, there is a lack of direct comparison between countries when assessing SCI outcomes.

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Background: Spinal cord injuries (SCI) often result in cardiovascular issues, increasing the risk of stroke and cognitive deficits.

Objectives: This study assessed cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR) using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during a hypercapnic challenge in SCI participants compared to noninjured controls.

Methods: Fourteen participants were analyzed ( = 8 with SCI [unless otherwise noted], median age = 44 years; = 6 controls, median age = 33 years).

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The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that infants be breastfed exclusively for the first 6 months of age. However, there are few resources available on the effects a spinal cord injury (SCI) can have for breastfeeding mothers. It is difficult to find information to address the unique challenges women with SCI experience when planning or trying to breastfeed.

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Article Synopsis
  • * Healthcare professionals (HCPs) often lack the necessary confidence and specific knowledge about SCI to effectively support these mothers.
  • * An international panel developed a resource based on research and surveys to provide evidence-based recommendations for various HCPs to better support breastfeeding for mothers with SCI.
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Background: Sexual dysfunction is highly prevalent in males with spinal cord injury (SCI) and has been recognized to be a key recovery priority.

Objectives: This cross-sectional, mixed-methods study aimed to investigate the major themes linked to sexual functioning in males with chronic (>1 year) SCI.

Methods: Twenty male participants with SCI, aged 25 to 59 years, completed validated questionnaires exploring sexual function/satisfaction and health-related quality of life and a semi-structured interview with an experienced sexual medicine physician.

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Cervical spinal cord injury (SCI) leads to permanent impairment of arm and hand functions. Here we conducted a prospective, single-arm, multicenter, open-label, non-significant risk trial that evaluated the safety and efficacy of ARC Therapy to improve arm and hand functions in people with chronic SCI. ARC Therapy involves the delivery of externally applied electrical stimulation over the cervical spinal cord during structured rehabilitation.

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Background: Despite the growing accessibility of web-based information related to spinal cord stimulation (SCS), the content and quality of commonly encountered websites remain unknown.

Objective: This study aimed to assess the content and quality of web-based information on SCS.

Methods: This qualitative study was prospectively registered in Open Science Framework.

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Purpose: Spinal cord injury (SCI) leads to sensorimotor impairments; however, it can also be complicated by significant autonomic dysfunction, including cardiovascular and lower urinary tract (LUT) dysfunctions. Autonomic dysreflexia (AD) is a dangerous cardiovascular complication of SCI often overlooked by healthcare professionals. AD is characterized by a sudden increase in blood pressure (BP) that can result in severe cardiovascular and cerebrovascular complications.

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Electrical spinal cord stimulation (SCS) has emerged as a promising therapy for recovery of motor and autonomic dysfunctions following spinal cord injury (SCI). Despite the rise in studies using SCS for SCI complications, there are no standard guidelines for reporting SCS parameters in research publications, making it challenging to compare, interpret or reproduce reported effects across experimental studies.To develop guidelines for minimum reporting standards for SCS parameters in pre-clinical and clinical SCI research, we gathered an international panel of expert clinicians and scientists.

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Article Synopsis
  • * There are currently no set practices for early detection of AD, but heart rate variability (HRV) can help monitor cardiovascular function in individuals with spinal cord injuries during these assessments.
  • * In a study of 24 participants with complete spinal cord injuries, key HRV metrics indicated changes correlated with the onset of AD, allowing predictions of AD episodes up to 240 seconds in advance, which could improve medical responses during such events.
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Heart rate variability biofeedback (HRV-F) is a neurocardiac self-regulation therapy that aims to regulate cardiac autonomic nervous system activity and improve cardiac balance. Despite benefits in various clinical populations, no study has reported the effects of HRV-F in adults with a spinal cord injury (SCI). This article provides an overview of a neuropsychophysiological laboratory framework and reports the impact of an HRV-F training program on two adults with chronic SCI (T1 AIS A and T3 AIS C) with different degrees of remaining cardiac autonomic function.

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Background: A low level of cardiorespiratory fitness [CRF; defined as peak oxygen uptake ([Formula: see text]O2peak) or peak power output (PPO)] is a widely reported consequence of spinal cord injury (SCI) and a major risk factor associated with chronic disease. However, CRF can be modified by exercise. This systematic review with meta-analysis and meta-regression aimed to assess whether certain SCI characteristics and/or specific exercise considerations are moderators of changes in CRF.

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Neurogenic bowel dysfunction (NBD) is a common condition in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) or multiple sclerosis (MS). It usually entails constipation, difficult evacuation of the rectum, and fecal incontinence (FI); often in combination. It is highly burdensome for affected patients and is correlated with poor quality of life.

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Background: Evidence shows that intermittent catheterisation (IC) for bladder emptying is linked to urinary tract infections (UTIs) and poor quality of life (QoL).

Aim: To investigate the association between UTI risk factors and QoL and patient-reported UTIs respectively.

Methods: A survey was distributed to IC users from 13 countries.

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Study Design: Observational study.

Objectives: To assess the construct validity of the International Standards to Document Remaining Autonomic Function after Spinal Cord Injury (ISAFSCI) (2012 1st Edition).

Setting: Two Canadian spinal cord injury (SCI) centers.

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Background: High blood pressure (BP) is the primary risk factor for recurrent strokes. Despite established clinical guidelines, some stroke survivors exhibit uncontrolled BP over the first 12 months post-stroke. Furthermore, research on BP trajectories in stroke survivors admitted to inpatient rehabilitation hospitals is limited.

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Background And Objectives: There are many potential etiologies of impaired cardiovascular control, from chronic stress to neurodegenerative conditions or central nervous system lesions. Since 1959, spinal cord stimulation (SCS) has been reported to modulate blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR), and HR variability (HRV), yet the specific stimulation sites and parameters to induce a targeted cardiovascular (CV) change for mitigating abnormal hemodynamics remain unclear. To investigate the ability and parameters of SCS to modulate the CV, we reviewed clinical studies using SCS with reported HR, BP, or HRV findings.

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Introduction: Cerebral palsy (CP) affects up to 4 children in 1,000 live births, making it the most common motor disorder in children. It impairs the child's ability to move voluntarily and maintain balance and posture, and results in a wide range of other functional disorders during early development impairments in various sensory modalities, e.g.

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