Relationship of spasticity to soft tissue body composition and the metabolic profile in persons with chronic motor complete spinal cord injury.

Background/objective: To determine the effects of spasticity on anthropometrics, body composition (fat mass [FM] and fat-free mass [FFM]), and metabolic profile (energy expenditure, plasma glucose, insulin concentration, and lipid panel) in individuals with motor complete spinal cord injury (SCI).

Methods: Ten individuals with chronic motor complete SCI (age, 33 +/- 7 years; BMI, 24 +/- 4 kg/m2; level of injury, C6-T11; American Spinal Injury Association A and B) underwent waist and abdominal circumferences to measure trunk adiposity. After the first visit, the participants were admitted to the general clinical research center for body composition (FFM and FM) assessment using dual energy x-ray absorptiometry.

Respiratory measurement utilizing a novel laser displacement technique: normal tidal breathing.

Unlabelled: A novel technique for achieving plethysmography measurements utilizing noncontact laser displacement sensors is described. This method may have utility in measuring respiratory and pulmonary function similar to that of respiratory inductive plethysmography. The authors describe the apparatus and method and provide results of a validation study comparing respiratory excursion data obtained by (1) the laser sensor technique, (2) standard respiratory inductive plethysmography (RIP), and (3) lung volume measurements determined by pressure variations in a control volume.

Track and field injuries.

Objective: A review of the existing literature on injuries to youth (< or =18 years old) in track and field or athletics.

Data Sources: Searches of the Medline and SPORT Discus databases for English language articles through the end of 2003, using the search terms (adolescent or youth) and (track or field or running) and injuries.

Main Results: Only nine prospective or retrospective studies were found dealing with track and field injuries in children and that stated injury rates or provided enough information to allow the estimation of injury rates.

Perceived barriers to exercise in people with spinal cord injury.

Objective: To identify barriers to physical fitness faced by individuals with spinal cord injury preventing them from participating in a physical fitness program.

Design: In this cross-sectional study, a survey of barriers to exercise was administered to 72 individuals with spinal cord injury.

Results: Although 73.

Assessment of a holistic wellness program for persons with spinal cord injury.

Objective: To test the effectiveness of a holistic (comprehensive and integrated) wellness program for adults with spinal cord injury.

Design: A total of 43 adults with spinal cord injury were randomly assigned to intervention or control groups. The intervention group attended six half-day wellness workshops during 3 mos, covering physical activity, nutrition, lifestyle management, and prevention of secondary conditions.

Two-year prospective study of relative risk of a second cerebral concussion.

Objective: To prospectively measure the relative risk of cerebral concussion among those with a history of concussion compared with those having no previous concussions by using a population of high school and college football players.

Design: A representative national sample of high school and college football players was followed for two football seasons over a 2-yr period (1997-1998) as part of a national football injury surveillance project. There were a total of 15,304 player-seasons and over 1 million athlete-exposures to the possibility of injury in practices and games; 975 of the player-seasons (6.