Sex dimorphism in the distribution of adipose tissue and its influence on proinflammatory adipokines and cardiometabolic profiles in motor complete spinal cord injury.

We aimed to examine the influence of sex on the distribution of adipose tissue, as well as proinflammatory adipokine and cardiometabolic profiles, in chronic motor complete spinal cord injury (SCI). Cross-sectional and correlational study. Academic rehabilitation hospital.

Alarming blood pressure changes during routine bladder emptying in a woman with cervical spinal cord injury.

Introduction: Many individuals with high-level spinal cord injury (SCI) experience secondary conditions such as autonomic dysreflexia (AD), which is a potentially life-threatening condition comprising transient episodes of hypertension up to 300 mmHg. AD may be accompanied by symptoms and signs such as headache, flushing, and sweating. Delay in AD recognition and management is associated with increased incidence of cardiovascular events and disease.

A Community Perspective on Bowel Management and Quality of Life after Spinal Cord Injury: The Influence of Autonomic Dysreflexia.

Autonomic dysfunction is common in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) and leads to numerous abnormalities, including profound cardiovascular and bowel dysfunction. In those with high-level lesions, bowel management is a common trigger for autonomic dysreflexia (AD; hypertension provoked by sensory stimuli below the injury level). Improving bowel care is integral for enhancing quality of life (QoL).

Hypertension, Acute Stent Thrombosis, and Paraplegia 6 Months after Thoracic Endovascular Aortic Repair for Blunt Thoracic Aortic Injury in a 22-Year-Old Patient.

Thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) is a less invasive option for managing traumatic injuries of the descending aorta in polytraumatized patients. Concerns arise when treating young patients with TEVAR. A 22-year-old male was admitted to the emergency department following a high-impact road traffic collision.

Protective Effect of Ozone against Hemiscorpius lepturus Envenomation in Mice.

Objective: Scorpion (Hemiscorpius lepturus) stings are a public health concern in Iran, particularly in south and southwestern regions of Iran. The gold standard for the treatment of a scorpion sting is anti-venom therapy. However, immunotherapy can have serious side effects, such as anaphylactic shock (which can sometimes even lead to death).

Implication of altered autonomic control for orthostatic tolerance in SCI.

Neural output from the sympathetic and parasympathetic branches of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) are integrated to appropriately control cardiovascular responses during routine activities of daily living including orthostatic positioning. Sympathetic control of the upper extremity vasculature and the heart arises from the thoracic cord between T1 and T5, whereas splanchnic bed and lower extremity vasculature receive sympathetic neural input from the lower cord between segments T5 and L2. Although the vasculature is not directly innervated by the parasympathetic nervous system, the SA node is innervated by post-ganglionic vagal nerve fibers via cranial nerve X.

Perforations and angulations of 324 cervical medial cortical pedicle screws: a possible guide to avoid lateral perforations with use of pedicle screws in lower cervical spine.

Background Context: More than half of the perforations reported with usage of cervical pedicle screws (CPS) are lateral perforations, endangering the vertebral artery. The medial cortical pedicle screw (MCPS) technique with partial drilling of the medial cortex shifts the trajectory of pedicle screws medially, decreasing the lateral perforations.

Purpose: To evaluate the decrease in lateral perforations of CPS with use of MCPS technique, in relation to medial angulation.

Evidence for the infiltration of gas bubbles into the arterial circulation and neuronal injury following "yo-yo" dives in pigs.

"Yo-yo" diving may place divers at a greater risk of neurologic decompression illness (DCI). Using a rat model, we previously demonstrated that "yo-yo" diving has a protective effect against DCI. In the current study, we evaluated the risk of neurologic DCI following "yo-yo" dives in a pig model.

The immediate effects of robot-assistance on energy consumption and cardiorespiratory load during walking compared to walking without robot-assistance: a systematic review.

Purpose: The integration of sufficient cardiovascular stress into robot-assisted gait (RAG) training could combine the benefits of both RAG and aerobic training. The aim was to summarize literature data on the immediate effects of RAG compared to walking without robot-assistance on metabolic-, cardiorespiratory- and fatigue-related parameters.

Methods: PubMed and Web of Science were searched for eligible articles till February 2016.

Techniques of Human Embryonic Stem Cell and Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Derivation.

Developing procedures for the derivation of human pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) gave rise to novel pathways into regenerative medicine research. For many years, stem cells have attracted attention as a potentially unlimited cell source for cellular therapy in neurodegenerative disorders, cardiovascular diseases, and spinal cord injuries, for example. In these studies, adult stem cells were insufficient; therefore, many attempts were made to obtain PSCs by other means.

Contemporary Cardiovascular Concerns after Spinal Cord Injury: Mechanisms, Maladaptations, and Management.

Cardiovascular (CV) issues after spinal cord injury (SCI) are of paramount importance considering they are the leading cause of death in this population. Disruption of autonomic pathways leads to a highly unstable CV system, with impaired blood pressure (BP) and heart rate regulation. In addition to low resting BP, on a daily basis the majority of those with SCI suffer from transient episodes of aberrantly low and high BP (termed orthostatic hypotension and autonomic dysreflexia, respectively).

Autonomic dysreflexia during urodynamics in children and adolescents with spinal cord injury or severe neurologic disease.

Introduction: Autonomic dysreflexia (AD) is a well-established association of high spinal cord injury (SCI), particularly in those occurring above T6. When a noxious stimulus is encountered, the body responds by stimulating an increase in blood pressure, which is then countered by vasodilation. In patients with autonomic dysreflexia, the patient is unable to vasodilate below the level of spinal injury due to interruption of the autonomic innervation below the injury.

Primary afferent and spinal cord expression of gastrin-releasing peptide: message, protein, and antibody concerns.

There is continuing controversy relating to the primary afferent neurotransmitter that conveys itch signals to the spinal cord. Here, we investigated the DRG and spinal cord expression of the putative primary afferent-derived "itch" neurotransmitter, gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP). Using ISH, qPCR, and immunohistochemistry, we conclude that GRP is expressed abundantly in spinal cord, but not in DRG neurons.

Cervical transforaminal epidural steroid injections: a proposal for optimizing the preprocedural evaluation with available imaging.

Cervical transforaminal epidural steroid injection (CTFESI) has been used to treat cervical radicular pain; however, rare but serious complications such as cerebellar or spinal cord infarction have been reported. The most probable causes of the serious complications include vertebral artery trauma, spasm, or accidental arterial injection of particulate steroid. Several recommendations have been made to improve the safety of CTFESI; however, evaluation and risk assessment of the patient's anatomy by the interventionist have not been sufficiently emphasized.

Is neuroinflammation in the injured spinal cord different than in the brain? Examining intrinsic differences between the brain and spinal cord.

The field of neuroimmunology is rapidly advancing. There is a growing appreciation for heterogeneity, both in inflammatory composition and region-specific inflammatory responses. This understanding underscores the importance of developing targeted immunomodulatory therapies for treating neurological disorders.

Effects of prandial challenge on triglyceridemia, glycemia, and pro-inflammatory activity in persons with chronic paraplegia.

Context/objective: Exaggerated postprandial lipemia has been reported after spinal cord injury (SCI). We examined metabolite and accompanying pro-inflammatory biomarker responses to repeat feeding of typical high-fat meals in individuals with chronic paraplegia.

Design: Descriptive trial.

Cardiovascular function after spinal cord injury: prevalence and progression of dysfunction during inpatient rehabilitation and 5 years following discharge.

Background: Autonomic dysfunction after spinal cord injury (SCI) is an under-researched area when compared with motor and sensory dysfunction. Cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction is a particular concern, leading to impaired control of blood pressure and heart rate.

Objectives: (1) To determine the prevalence of hypotension in individuals with SCI during and after rehabilitation; (2) To investigate changes in cardiovascular variables during and after rehabilitation; (3) To evaluate the influence of personal and lesion characteristics on cardiovascular variables.

An unusual pedestrian road trauma: from forensic pathology to forensic veterinary medicine.

Traffic accidents have increased in the last decade, pedestrians being the most affected group. At autopsy, it is evident that the most common cause of pedestrian death is central nervous system injury, followed by skull base fractures, internal bleeding, lower limb haemorrhage, skull vault fractures, cervical spinal cord injury and airway compromise. The attribution of accident responsibility can be realised through reconstruction of road accident dynamics, investigation of the scene, survey of the vehicle involved and examination of the victim(s).

Adverse events in cardiovascular-related training programs in people with spinal cord injury: a systematic review.

Context: There are anecdotal reports of adverse events (AEs) associated with exercise in people with spinal cord injury (SCI) and consequent concern by people with SCI and their providers about potential risks of exercise. Enumeration of specific events has never been performed and the extent of risk of exercise to people with SCI is not understood.

Objective: To systematically review published evidence to identify and enumerate reports of adverse events or AEs associated with training in persons with SCI.

The use of spinal angiography in the management of posterior mediastinal tumors: case series and review of the literature.

Introduction: Resection of inferiorly located posterior mediastinal tumors can be complicated by their proximity to the artery of Adamkiewicz (AKA). Although uncommon, intraoperative injury to the AKA may result in paraparesis or paralysis secondary to spinal cord ischemia. The use of preoperative spinal angiography may serve as a useful adjunct to the surgeon in guiding extent of resection of the tumor to avoid injury to this critical artery.

Steps toward safe cell therapy using induced pluripotent stem cells.

The enthusiasm for producing patient-specific human embryonic stem cells using somatic nuclear transfer has somewhat abated in recent years because of ethical, technical, and political concerns. However, the interest in generating induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), in which pluripotency can be obtained by transcription factor transduction of various somatic cells, has rapidly increased. Human iPSCs are anticipated to open enormous opportunities in the biomedical sciences in terms of cell therapies for regenerative medicine and stem cell modeling of human disease.

Resident glial cell activation in response to perispinal inflammation leads to acute changes in nociceptive sensitivity: implications for the generation of neuropathic pain.

Injury or disease affecting the spinal cord is often accompanied by abnormal, chronic pain. Recent estimates suggest that approximately 60% of patients with multiple sclerosis are affected by significant changes in pain sensitivity or experience ongoing neuropathic pain of unknown etiology. Chronic pain is also a significant concern after direct spinal cord trauma.

Elucidation of pathophysiology and treatment of neuropathic pain.

Neuropathic pain, pain arising as a direct consequence of a lesion or disease affecting the somatosensory system, is relatively common, occurring in about 1% of the population. Studies in animal models describe a number of peripheral and central pathophysiological processes after nerve injury that would be the basis of underlying neuropathic pain mechanism. Additionally, neuro-imaging (positron emission tomography and functional magnetic resonance imaging) provides insights in brain mechanisms corresponding with mechanistic processes including allodynia, hyperalgesia, altered sensation, and spontaneous pain.

Sexual function and autonomic dysreflexia in men with spinal cord injuries: how should we treat?

Study Design: Systematic review.

Objectives: Review the literature on the acute or prophylactic treatment of autonomic dysreflexia in the context of sexual activities.

Setting: International.

[Forensic medical characteristic of the neurovascular apparatus in the case of spinal cord injury].

This paper is devoted to the analysis of the results of the author's investigations concerning spinal cord injuries. The voluminous material obtained with the use of up-to-date research methods (histological, histochemical, and biochemical) includes basic data on the mechanisms of regulation of blood circulation under normal conditions and in the case of a mechanical injury. It is shown that pathological morphological changes in the affected areas of the spinal cord as well as activities of transport enzymes in the capillaries and the reactive processes in the monoaminoergic nervous apparatus of he arteries may be used as the objective criteria for the determination of the time of the injury.