Reliability of the International Spinal Cord Injury Physical Therapy-Occupational Therapy Basic Data Set.

In interventional clinical trials for persons with spinal cord injury (SCI), the influence of experimental biological, pharmacological, or device-related interventions must be differentiated from that of physical and occupational therapy interventions, as rehabilitation influences motor-related outcomes. The International Spinal Cord Injury (ISCI) Physical TherapyOccupational Therapy Basic Data Set (PT-OT BDS) was developed with the intent to track the content and time of rehabilitation interventions that are delivered concurrently with experimental interventions. We assessed the reliability of the PT-OT BDS based on agreement between users.

Influence of patient isolation due to colonization with multidrug-resistant organisms on functional recovery after spinal cord injury.

Study Design: Chart reviews were combined with neurological and functional outcome data obtained from the prospective European Multicenter Study on Spinal Cord Injury (EMSCI, www.emsci.org).

Comparison of outcomes between people with and without central cord syndrome.

Study Design: Retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data.

Objective: Central cord syndrome (CCS) is reported to have better outcomes than other cervical lesions, especially for ambulation and bladder recovery. However, a formal comparison between patients with CCS and other incomplete cervical spinal cord injuries (iCSCI) is lacking.

Lower extremity outcome measures: considerations for clinical trials in spinal cord injury.

Study Design: This is a focused review article.

Objectives: To identify important concepts in lower extremity (LE) assessment with a focus on locomotor outcomes and provide guidance on how existing outcome measurement tools may be best used to assess experimental therapies in spinal cord injury (SCI). The emphasis lies on LE outcomes in individuals with complete and incomplete SCI in Phase II-III trials.

Muscle force and gait performance: relationships after spinal cord injury.

Objectives: To relate locomotor function improvement, within the first 6 months after spinal cord injury (SCI), to an increase in Lower Extremity Motor Score (LEMS) and to assess the extent to which the level of lesion influenced the outcome of ambulatory capacity.

Design: Longitudinal and cross-sectional analyses.

Setting: Seven SCI rehabilitation centers.

Effectiveness of automated locomotor training in patients with chronic incomplete spinal cord injury: a multicenter trial.

Objective: To determine whether automated locomotor training with a driven-gait orthosis (DGO) can increase functional mobility in people with chronic, motor incomplete spinal cord injury (SCI).

Design: Repeated assessment of the same patients or single-case experimental A-B design.

Setting: Research units of rehabilitation hospitals in Chicago; Heidelberg, Germany; and Basel and Zurich, Switzerland.