Training effectiveness when teaching the International Standards for Neurological Classification of Spinal Cord Injury (ISNCSCI) to medical students.

Study Design: Interventional training sessions.

Objectives: To examine the effectiveness of training medical students in the International Standards for Neurological Classification of Spinal Cord Injury (ISNCSCI).

Setting: A Peking University teaching hospital.

Cardiovascular disease and spinal cord injury: results from a national population health survey.

Objective: To evaluate the association between cardiovascular disease (CVD) and spinal cord injury (SCI) in a large representative sample.

Methods: Data were compiled from more than 60,000 individuals from the 2010 cycle of the cross-sectional Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS). Multivariable logistic regression analysis was conducted to examine this relationship, adjusting for confounders and using probability weighting to account for the CCHS sampling method.

Potential role of oxidative stress on the prescription of rehabilitation interventions in spinal cord injury.

Study Design: Review article.

Objectives: To provide an overview of free radical biology, particularly with respect to muscle physiology, as well as the potential effects of muscle morphological changes, physical capacity and nutritional status on oxidative stress in people with chronic spinal cord injury (SCI). The potential implications of these factors for determining the optimal dosage of rehabilitation training interventions in people with chronic SCI will also be presented.

Global incidence and prevalence of traumatic spinal cord injury.

This systematic review examines the incidence and prevalence of traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) in different countries worldwide and their trends over time. The literature search of the studies published between 1950 and 2012 captured 1,871 articles of which 64 articles on incidence and 13 articles on prevalence fulfilled the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The global incidence of SCI varied from 8.

Regulation of cerebral blood flow after spinal cord injury.

Significant cardiovascular and autonomic dysfunction occurs after era spinal cord injury (SCI). Two major conditions arising from autonomic dysfunction are orthostatic hypotension and autonomic dysreflexia (i.e.

Postpartum hypogalactia in a woman with Brown-Séquard-plus syndrome: a case report.

Study Design: A case report.

Objectives: To present a case of postpartum hypogalactia in a woman with Brown-Séquard-plus syndrome (BSPS).

Setting: Outpatient spinal cord injury (SCI) clinic.

Autonomic cardiovascular control in Paralympic athletes with spinal cord injury.

Introduction: Disruption of autonomic control after spinal cord injury (SCI) results in life-threatening cardiovascular dysfunctions and impaired endurance performance; hence, an improved ability to recognize those at risk of autonomic disturbances is of critical clinical and sporting importance.

Purpose: The objective of this study is to assess the effect of neurological level, along with motor, sensory, and autonomic completeness of injury, on cardiovascular control in Paralympic athletes with SCI.

Methods: Fifty-two highly trained male Paralympic athletes (age, 34.

Physical activity correlates with arterial stiffness in community-dwelling individuals with stroke.

Background: Physical inactivity contributes to atherosclerotic processes, which manifest as increased arterial stiffness. Arterial stiffness is associated with myocardial demand and coronary perfusion and is a risk factor for stroke and other adverse cardiac outcomes. Poststroke mobility limitations often lead to physical inactivity and sedentary behaviors.

www.elearnSCI.org: a global educational initiative of ISCoS.

Objective: To develop a web-based educational resource for health professionals responsible for the management of spinal cord injury (SCI). The resource:www.elearnSCI.

Neurovascular coupling of the posterior cerebral artery in spinal cord injury: a pilot study.

Purpose: To compare neurovascular coupling in the posterior cerebral artery (PCA) between those with spinal cord injury (SCI) and able bodied (AB) individuals.

Methods: A total of seven SCI and seven AB were matched for age and sex. Measures included PCA velocity (PCAv), beat-by-beat blood pressure and end-tidal carbon dioxide.

Effects of training status on arterial compliance in able-bodied persons and persons with spinal cord injury.

Study Design: An investigation on large and small artery compliance in 36 able-bodied persons and persons with spinal cord injury (SCI).

Objective: To evaluate the effect of various training states (endurance-trained vs untrained) on arterial compliance in individuals with chronic SCI of traumatic origin and in able-bodied individuals (matched for age, sex, height, and weight).

Setting: Tertiary rehabilitation center in Canada.

Peripheral vascular function in spinal cord injury: a systematic review.

Background: During the past 20 years, significant advances in patient care have resulted in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) living longer than before. As lifespan increases, cardiovascular complications are emerging as the leading cause of mortality in this population, and individuals with SCI develop cardiovascular disease at younger ages than their able-bodied counterparts. To address this increasing clinical challenge, several recent studies investigated the central cardiovascular adaptations that occur following SCI.

Cognition and motor impairment correlates with exercise test performance after stroke.

Introduction: Exercise not only benefits physical and cardiovascular function in older adults with multiple chronic conditions but may also improve cognitive function. Peak HR, a physiological indicator for maximal effort, is the most common and practical means of establishing and monitoring exercise intensity. In particular, in the absence of graded maximal exercise test (GXT) results, age-predicted maximal HR values are typically used.

Disordered cardiovascular control after spinal cord injury.

Damage to the spinal cord disrupts autonomic pathways, perturbing cardiovascular homeostasis. Cardiovascular dysfunction increases with higher levels of injury and greater severity. Disordered blood pressure control after spinal cord injury (SCI) has significant ramifications as cord-injured people have an increased risk of developing heart disease and stroke; cardiovascular dysfunction is currently a leading cause of death among those with SCI.

Plasticity of TRPV1-Expressing Sensory Neurons Mediating Autonomic Dysreflexia Following Spinal Cord Injury.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) triggers profound changes in visceral and somatic targets of sensory neurons below the level of injury. Despite this, little is known about the influence of injury to the spinal cord on sensory ganglia. One of the defining characteristics of sensory neurons is the size of their cell body: for example, nociceptors are smaller in size than mechanoreceptors or proprioceptors.

International standards to document remaining autonomic function after spinal cord injury.

This is the first guideline describing the International Standards to document remaining Autonomic Function after Spinal Cord Injury (ISAFSCI). This guideline should be used as an adjunct to the International Standards for Neurological Classification of Spinal Cord Injury (ISNCSCI) including the ASIA Impairment Scale (AIS), which documents the neurological examination of individuals with SCI. The Autonomic Standards Assessment Form is recommended to be completed during the evaluation of individuals with SCI, but is not a part of the ISNCSCI.

Cardiovascular status of individuals with incomplete spinal cord injury from 7 NeuroRecovery Network rehabilitation centers.

Objective: To examine cardiovascular (CV) health in a large cohort of individuals with incomplete spinal cord injury (SCI). The CV health parameters of patients were compared based on American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale (AIS), neurologic level, sex, central cord syndrome, age, time since injury, Neuromuscular Recovery Scale, and total AIS motor score.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Autonomic function and exercise performance in elite athletes with cervical spinal cord injury.

Introduction: "Complete" cervical spinal cord injury (SCI) is commonly believed to cause the decentralization of spinal sympathetic circuits and a consequent inability to meet the hemodynamic demands of exercise. Recently, however, we have noticed that athletes with motor complete cervical SCI exhibit an exercise-induced tachycardia that appears to be at odds with the known effects of sympathetic decentralization.

Purpose: This study aimed to determine the physiological basis of this response and, in doing so, to investigate associations between autonomic function, International Wheelchair Rugby Federation (IWRF) classification, and indices of exercise performance in highly trained athletes.

Baroreflex function after spinal cord injury.

Significant cardiovascular and autonomic dysfunction occurs after spinal cord injury (SCI). It is now recognized that cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in SCI. Patients with SCI may also suffer severe orthostatic hypotension and autonomic dysreflexia.

Management of cardiovascular disease risk factors in individuals with chronic spinal cord injury: an evidence-based review.

Clinical scenario: A 37-year-old man suffered a complete spinal cord injury (C8, American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale [ASIA] score A) 10 years ago in a car accident. Should primary prevention of cardiovascular disease be a priority in this patient? In order to answer this question, we performed a systematic review of the literature to inform an evidence-based clinical review. The objective was to provide a comprehensive and up-to-date review of the clinical management of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and risk factors for individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI).

Aortic stiffness increased in spinal cord injury when matched for physical activity.

Purpose: The objective of this study is to compare arterial stiffness between those with spinal cord injury (SCI) and able-bodied (AB) individuals when matched for habitual level of physical activity.

Methods: A total of 17 SCI and 17 AB individuals were matched for sex, age, weight, blood pressure, and levels of self-reported habitual physical activity (Godin-Shephard). Measures included central pulse wave velocity (PWV) (carotid-femoral PWV (cfPWV)) and lower limb PWV (femoral--toe PWV(ftPWV)) as well as large and small arterial compliance.

Electrocardiogram-based predictors for arrhythmia after spinal cord injury.

Purpose: Individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) have an increased risk of cardiac arrhythmias, particularly during autonomic dysreflexia (acute hypertensive episodes). This may be partly due to impaired autonomic control of the heart after SCI. The interval between the peak and end of the T-wave of the electrocardiograph (ECG) provides an index of transmural dispersion of repolarisation, a factor underlying the development of ventricular arrhythmias.