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Pfyffer D, Smith AC, Weber KA, Grillhoesl A, Mach O, Draganich C, Berliner JC, Tefertiller C, Leister I, Maier D, Schwab JM, Thompson A, Curt A, Freund P. Prognostic value of tissue bridges in cervical spinal cord injury: a longitudinal, multicentre, retrospective cohort study. Lancet Neurol 2024; 23:816-825. [PMID: 38945142 DOI: 10.1016/s1474-4422(24)00173-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Revised: 02/21/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 07/02/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The accuracy of prognostication in patients with cervical spinal cord injury (SCI) needs to be improved. We aimed to explore the prognostic value of preserved spinal tissue bridges-injury-spared neural tissue adjacent to the lesion-for prediction of sensorimotor recovery in a large, multicentre cohort of people with SCI. METHODS For this longitudinal study, we included patients with acute cervical SCI (vertebrae C1-C7) admitted to one of three trauma or rehabilitation centres: Murnau, Germany (March 18, 2010-March 1, 2021); Zurich, Switzerland (May 12, 2002-March 2, 2019); and Denver, CO, USA (Jan 12, 2010-Feb 16, 2017). Patients were clinically assessed at admission (baseline), at discharge (3 months), and at 12 months post SCI. Midsagittal tissue bridges were quantified from T2-weighted images assessed at 3-4 weeks post SCI. Fractional regression and unbiased recursive partitioning models, adjusted for age, sex, centre, and neurological level of injury, were used to assess associations between tissue bridge width and baseline-adjusted total motor score, pinprick score, and light touch scores at 3 months and 12 months. Patients were stratified into subgroups according to whether they showed better or worse predicted recovery. FINDINGS The cohort included 227 patients: 93 patients from Murnau (22 [24%] female); 43 patients from Zurich (four [9%] female); and 91 patients from Denver (14 [15%] female). 136 of these participants (from Murnau and Zurich) were followed up for up to 12 months. At 3 months, per preserved 1 mm of tissue bridge at baseline, patients recovered a mean of 9·3% (SD 0·9) of maximal total motor score (95% CI 7·5-11.2), 8·6% (0·8) of maximal pinprick score (7·0-10·1), and 10·9% (0·8) of maximal light touch score (9·4-12·5). At 12 months post SCI, per preserved 1 mm of tissue bridge at baseline, patients recovered a mean of 10·9% (1·3) of maximal total motor score (8·4-13·4), 5·7% (1·3) of maximal pinprick score (3·3-8·2), and 6·9% (1·4) of maximal light touch score (4·1-9·7). Partitioning models identified a tissue bridge cutoff width of 2·0 mm to be indicative of higher or lower 3-month total motor, pinprick, and light touch scores, and a cutoff of 4·0 mm to be indicative of higher and lower 12-month scores. Compared with models that contained clinical predictors only, models additionally including tissue bridges had significantly improved prediction accuracy across all three centres. INTERPRETATION Tissue bridges, measured in the first few weeks after SCI, are associated with short-term and long-term clinical improvement. Thus, tissue bridges could potentially be used to guide rehabilitation decision making and to stratify patients into more homogeneous subgroups of recovery in regenerative and neuroprotective clinical trials. FUNDING Wings for Life, International Foundation for Research in Paraplegia, EU project Horizon 2020 (NISCI grant), and ERA-NET NEURON.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dario Pfyffer
- Spinal Cord Injury Center, Balgrist University Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Andrew C Smith
- Craig Hospital, Englewood, CO, USA; Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Physical Therapy Program, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Kenneth A Weber
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | | | - Orpheus Mach
- Spinal Cord Injury Center, BG Trauma Center Murnau, Murnau, Germany
| | | | | | | | - Iris Leister
- Spinal Cord Injury Center, BG Trauma Center Murnau, Murnau, Germany; Paramove, SCI Research Unit, BG Trauma Center Murnau, Murnau, Germany; Institute of Molecular Regenerative Medicine and Spinal Cord Injury and Tissue Regeneration Center Salzburg, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Doris Maier
- Spinal Cord Injury Center, BG Trauma Center Murnau, Murnau, Germany
| | - Jan M Schwab
- Department of Neurology, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, and Department of Neuroscience, Belford Center for Spinal Cord Injury, Wexner Medical School, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA; Department of Neurology and Experimental Neurology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Alan Thompson
- Department of Brain Repair and Rehabilitation, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Armin Curt
- Spinal Cord Injury Center, Balgrist University Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Patrick Freund
- Spinal Cord Injury Center, Balgrist University Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; Department of Brain Repair and Rehabilitation, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK; Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK; Department of Neurophysics, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany.
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Schading-Sassenhausen S, Pfyffer D, Farner L, Grillhösl A, Mach O, Maier D, Grassner L, Leister I, Curt A, Freund P. Extent of Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury Is Lesion Level Dependent and Predictive of Recovery: A Multicenter Neuroimaging Study. J Neurotrauma 2024. [PMID: 39001825 DOI: 10.1089/neu.2023.0555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Assessing the extent of the intramedullary lesion after spinal cord injury (SCI) might help to improve prognostication. However, because the neurological level of injury impacts the recovery potential of SCI patients, the question arises whether lesion size parameters and predictive models based on those parameters are affected as well. In this retrospective observational study, the extent of the intramedullary lesion between individuals who sustained cervical and thoracolumbar SCI was compared, and its relation to clinical recovery was assessed. In total, 154 patients with subacute SCI (89 individuals with cervical lesions and 65 individuals with thoracolumbar lesions) underwent conventional clinical magnetic resonance imaging 1 month after injury and clinical examination at 1 and 12 months. The morphology of the focal lesion within the spinal cord was manually assessed on the midsagittal slice of T2-weighted magnetic resonance images and compared between cervical and thoracolumbar SCI patients, as well as between patients who improved at least one American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale (AIS) grade (converters) and patients without AIS grade improvement (nonconverters). The predictive value of lesion parameters including lesion length, lesion width, and preserved tissue bridges for predicting AIS grade conversion was assessed using regression models (conditional inference tree analysis). Lesion length was two times longer in thoracolumbar compared with cervical SCI patients (F = 39.48, p < 0.0001), whereas lesion width and tissue bridges width did not differ. When comparing AIS grade converters and nonconverters, converters showed a smaller lesion length (F = 5.46, p = 0.021), a smaller lesion width (F = 13.75, p = 0.0003), and greater tissue bridges (F = 12.87, p = 0.0005). Using regression models, tissue bridges allowed more refined subgrouping of patients in AIS groups B, C, and D according to individual recovery profiles between 1 month and 12 months after SCI, whereas lesion length added no additional information for further subgrouping. This study characterizes differences in the anteroposterior and craniocaudal lesion extents after SCI. The two times greater lesion length in thoracolumbar compared with cervical SCI might be related to differences in the anatomy, biomechanics, and perfusion between the cervical and thoracic spines. Preserved tissue bridges were less influenced by the lesion level while closely related to the clinical impairment. These results highlight the robustness and utility of tissue bridges as a neuroimaging biomarker for predicting the clinical outcome after SCI in heterogeneous patient populations and for patient stratification in clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Dario Pfyffer
- Spinal Cord Injury Center, Balgrist University Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, California, USA
| | - Lynn Farner
- Spinal Cord Injury Center, Balgrist University Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Orpheus Mach
- Spinal Cord Injury Center, BG Trauma Center Murnau, Murnau, Germany
| | - Doris Maier
- Spinal Cord Injury Center, BG Trauma Center Murnau, Murnau, Germany
| | - Lukas Grassner
- Spinal Cord Injury Center, BG Trauma Center Murnau, Murnau, Germany
- Department of Neurosurgery, Christian Doppler Clinic, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Iris Leister
- Spinal Cord Injury Center, BG Trauma Center Murnau, Murnau, Germany
| | - Armin Curt
- Spinal Cord Injury Center, Balgrist University Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Patrick Freund
- Spinal Cord Injury Center, Balgrist University Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Neurophysics, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
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Thornton WA, Smulligan K, Weber KA, Tefertiller C, Mañago M, Sevigny M, Wiley L, Stevens-Lapsley J, Smith AC. Lesion characteristics are associated with bowel, bladder, and overall independence following cervical spinal cord injury. J Spinal Cord Med 2024:1-9. [PMID: 38958637 DOI: 10.1080/10790268.2024.2363005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/04/2024] Open
Abstract
CONTEXT/OBJECTIVE There is a growing global interest in quantifying spinal cord lesions and spared neural tissue using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI). The primary objective of this study was to assess the relationships between spinal cord lesion characteristics assessed on MRI and bowel, bladder, and overall independence following SCI. DESIGN Retrospective, exploratory study. PARTICIPANTS 93 individuals with cervical SCI who were enrolled in a local United States Model Systems SCI database from 2010 to 2017. METHODS Clinical and MRI data were obtained for potential participants, and MRIs of eligible participants were analyzed. Explanatory variables, captured on MRIs, included intramedullary lesion length (IMLL), midsagittal ventral tissue bridge width (VTBW), midsagittal dorsal tissue bridge width (DTBW), and axial damage ratio (ADR). OUTCOME MEASURES Bowel and bladder management scale of the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) and FIM total motor score. RESULTS When accounting for all four variables, only ADR was significantly associated with bowel independence (OR = 0.970, 95% CI: 0.942-0.997, P = 0.030), and both ADR and IMLL were strongly associated with bladder independence (OR = 0.967, 95% CI: 0.936-0.999, P = 0.046 and OR = 0.948, 95% CI: 0.919-0.978, P = 0.0007, respectively). 32% of the variation in overall independence scores were explained by all four predictive variables, but only ADR was significantly associated with overall independence after accounting for all other predictive variables (β = -0.469, 95% CI: -0.719, -0.218, P = 0.0004). CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that the MRI-measured extent of spinal cord lesion may be predictive of bowel, bladder, and overall independence following cervical SCI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wesley A Thornton
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA
- Craig Hospital, Englewood, Colorado, USA
| | - Katherine Smulligan
- Department of Orthopedics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Kenneth A Weber
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, California, USA
| | | | - Mark Mañago
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | | | - Laura Wiley
- Department of Biostatistics & Informatics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Jennifer Stevens-Lapsley
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Andrew C Smith
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA
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Yoo HJ, Koo B, Yong CW, Lee KS. Prediction of gait recovery using machine learning algorithms in patients with spinal cord injury. Medicine (Baltimore) 2024; 103:e38286. [PMID: 38847729 PMCID: PMC11155515 DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000038286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 06/10/2024] Open
Abstract
With advances in artificial intelligence, machine learning (ML) has been widely applied to predict functional outcomes in clinical medicine. However, there has been no attempt to predict walking ability after spinal cord injury (SCI) based on ML. In this situation, the main purpose of this study was to predict gait recovery after SCI at discharge from an acute rehabilitation facility using various ML algorithms. In addition, we explored important variables that were related to the prognosis. Finally, we attempted to suggest an ML-based decision support system (DSS) for predicting gait recovery after SCI. Data were collected retrospectively from patients with SCI admitted to an acute rehabilitation facility between June 2008 to December 2021. Linear regression analysis and ML algorithms (random forest [RF], decision tree [DT], and support vector machine) were used to predict the functional ambulation category at the time of discharge (FAC_DC) in patients with traumatic or non-traumatic SCI (n = 353). The independent variables were age, sex, duration of acute care and rehabilitation, comorbidities, neurological information entered into the International Standards for Neurological Classification of SCI worksheet, and somatosensory-evoked potentials at the time of admission to the acute rehabilitation facility. In addition, the importance of variables and DT-based DSS for FAC_DC was analyzed. As a result, RF and DT accurately predicted the FAC_DC measured by the root mean squared error. The root mean squared error of RF and the DT were 1.09 and 1.24 for all participants, 1.20 and 1.06 for those with trauma, and 1.12 and 1.03 for those with non-trauma, respectively. In the analysis of important variables, the initial FAC was found to be the most influential factor in all groups. In addition, we could provide a simple DSS based on strong predictors such as the initial FAC, American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale grades, and neurological level of injury. In conclusion, we provide that ML can accurately predict gait recovery after SCI for the first time. By focusing on important variables and DSS, we can guide early prognosis and establish personalized rehabilitation strategies in acute rehabilitation hospitals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyun-Joon Yoo
- Korea University Research Institute for Medical Bigdata Science, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Bummo Koo
- School of Health and Environmental Science, Korea University College of Health Science, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Chan-woo Yong
- School of Health and Environmental Science, Korea University College of Health Science, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Kwang-Sig Lee
- AI Center, Korea University Anam Hospital, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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Emmenegger TM, Pfyffer D, Curt A, Schading‐Sassenhausen S, Hupp M, Ashburner J, Friston K, Weiskopf N, Thompson A, Freund P. Longitudinal motor system changes from acute to chronic spinal cord injury. Eur J Neurol 2024; 31:e16196. [PMID: 38258488 PMCID: PMC11235629 DOI: 10.1111/ene.16196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Revised: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE In acute spinal cord injury (SCI), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) reveals tissue bridges and neurodegeneration for 2 years. This 5-year study aims to track initial lesion changes, subsequent neurodegeneration, and their impact on recovery. METHODS This prospective longitudinal study enrolled acute SCI patients and healthy controls who were assessed clinically-and by MRI-regularly from 3 days postinjury up to 60 months. We employed histologically cross-validated quantitative MRI sequences sensitive to volume, myelin, and iron changes, thereby reflecting indirectly processes of neurodegeneration and neuroinflammation. General linear models tracked lesion and remote changes in volume, myelin- and iron-sensitive magnetic resonance indices over 5 years. Associations between lesion, degeneration, and recovery (using the Spinal Cord Independence Measure [SCIM] questionnaire and the International Standards for Neurological Classification of Spinal Cord Injury total motor score) were assessed. RESULTS Patients' motor scores improved by an average of 12.86 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 6.70-19.00) points, and SCIM by 26.08 (95% CI = 17.00-35.20) points. Within 3-28 days post-SCI, lesion size decreased by more than two-thirds (3 days: 302.52 ± 185.80 mm2 , 28 days: 76.77 ± 88.62 mm2 ), revealing tissue bridges. Cervical cord and corticospinal tract volumes transiently increased in SCI patients by 5% and 3%, respectively, accompanied by cervical myelin decreases and iron increases. Over time, progressive atrophy was observed in both regions, which was linked to early lesion dynamics. Tissue bridges, reduced swelling, and myelin content decreases were predictive of long-term motor score recovery and improved SCIM score. CONCLUSIONS Studying acute changes and their impact on longer follow-up provides insights into SCI trajectory, highlighting the importance of acute intervention while indicating the potential to influence outcomes in the later stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim M. Emmenegger
- Spinal Cord Injury Centre, Balgrist University HospitalUniversity of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Dario Pfyffer
- Spinal Cord Injury Centre, Balgrist University HospitalUniversity of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
- Systems Neuroscience and Pain Lab, Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain MedicineStanford University School of MedicinePalo AltoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Armin Curt
- Spinal Cord Injury Centre, Balgrist University HospitalUniversity of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | | | - Markus Hupp
- Spinal Cord Injury Centre, Balgrist University HospitalUniversity of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - John Ashburner
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, Queen Square Institute of NeurologyUniversity College LondonLondonUK
| | - Karl Friston
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, Queen Square Institute of NeurologyUniversity College LondonLondonUK
| | - Nikolaus Weiskopf
- Department of NeurophysicsMax Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain SciencesLeipzigGermany
- Felix Bloch Institute for Solid State Physics, Faculty of Physics and Earth SciencesLeipzig UniversityLeipzigGermany
| | - Alan Thompson
- Queen Square Multiple Sclerosis Centre, Institute of NeurologyUniversity College LondonLondonUK
| | - Patrick Freund
- Spinal Cord Injury Centre, Balgrist University HospitalUniversity of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, Queen Square Institute of NeurologyUniversity College LondonLondonUK
- Department of NeurophysicsMax Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain SciencesLeipzigGermany
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Thornton WA, Marzloff G, Ryder S, Best A, Rasheed K, Coons D, Smith AC. The presence or absence of midsagittal tissue bridges and walking: a retrospective cohort study in spinal cord injury. Spinal Cord 2023; 61:436-440. [PMID: 37120699 PMCID: PMC10524884 DOI: 10.1038/s41393-023-00890-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Revised: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/01/2023]
Abstract
STUDY DESIGN Cohort study. Retrospective analysis of T2-weighted magnetic resonance images (MRIs) and clinical documentation. OBJECTIVES To evaluate the relationship between the presence/absence and widths of midsagittal tissue bridges and walking ability among veterans with cervical, predominantly chronic SCI. SETTING University research and hospital setting. METHODS T2-weighted midsagittal MRIs of 22 United States veterans with cervical spinal cord injuries were examined. The presence/absence of midsagittal tissue bridges were determined, and the widths of present ventral and dorsal tissue bridges were measured. Midsagittal tissue bridge characteristics were related to each participant's ability to walk based off examination of clinical documentation. RESULTS Fourteen of the analyzed participant images revealed the presence of midsagittal tissue bridges. Ten of those individuals (71%) possessed overground walking ability. The 8 individuals with no apparent tissue bridges were all unable to walk. There was a significant correlation between walking and widths of ventral midsagittal tissue bridges (r = 0.69, 95%CI: 0.52, 0.92, p < 0.001), as well as dorsal midsagittal tissue bridges (r = 0.44, 95%CI: 0.15, 0.73, p = 0.039). CONCLUSION The evaluation of midsagittal tissue bridges may be useful in various rehabilitation settings to help inform patients' plan of care, allocation of neuromodulatory resources, and appropriate stratification into research cohorts.
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Affiliation(s)
- W A Thornton
- University of Colorado School of Medicine, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Physical Therapy Program, Aurora, CO, USA.
| | - G Marzloff
- Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center Spinal Cord Injury & Disorders Center, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - S Ryder
- Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center Spinal Cord Injury & Disorders Center, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - A Best
- Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center Spinal Cord Injury & Disorders Center, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - K Rasheed
- University of Colorado School of Medicine, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Physical Therapy Program, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - D Coons
- Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center Spinal Cord Injury & Disorders Center, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - A C Smith
- University of Colorado School of Medicine, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Physical Therapy Program, Aurora, CO, USA
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Systematic Nursing Interventions Combined with Continuity of Care in Patients with a Spinal Fracture Complicated with a Spinal Cord Injury and Its Effect on Recovery and Satisfaction. EVIDENCE-BASED COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE 2022; 2022:3771144. [PMID: 35966749 PMCID: PMC9374555 DOI: 10.1155/2022/3771144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2022] [Revised: 05/25/2022] [Accepted: 06/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Objective. The aim of this study is to examine the application value of systematic nursing interventions combined with continuity of care in cases with a spinal fracture complicated with a spinal cord injury and its effect on recovery and satisfaction. Methods. We identified ninety cases with a spinal fracture complicated with a spinal cord injury who were admitted to local hospital from May 2019 to May 2021 as research subjects and assigned them into an experimental group (systematic nursing combined with continuity of care, n = 45) and a control group (conventional nursing, n = 45) according to their admission order. The level of life of all groups between intervention was evaluated with reference to the Generic Quality of Life Inventory-74 (GQOLI-74) Rating Scale. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression (HAD) scale was used to assess the emotional status of patients before and after intervention. The complication rates, nursing outcomes, nursing satisfaction, and rehabilitation outcomes of all cases were calculated. Results. The GQOLI-74 score of the experimental group was higher than that of another group (
). Lower HAD scores of experimental group were observed than that of another group (
). The experimental group obtained remarkably higher nursing effective rates and higher nursing satisfaction than another group (
). Rehabilitation outcome of the experimental group outperformed that another group (
). Conclusion. The use of systematic nursing intervention combined with continuity of care for cases with spinal fracture complicated with a spinal cord injury can enhance the nursing effect, effectively relieve cases’ psychological pressure, improve patients’ level of life and nursing satisfaction, and contribute to the maintenance of a good nurse-patient relationship, which merits clinical promotion.
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Advances in monitoring for acute spinal cord injury: a narrative review of current literature. Spine J 2022; 22:1372-1387. [PMID: 35351667 DOI: 10.1016/j.spinee.2022.03.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2021] [Revised: 02/04/2022] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a devastating condition that affects about 17,000 individuals every year in the United States, with approximately 294,000 people living with the ramifications of the initial injury. After the initial primary injury, SCI has a secondary phase during which the spinal cord sustains further injury due to ischemia, excitotoxicity, immune-mediated damage, mitochondrial dysfunction, apoptosis, and oxidative stress. The multifaceted injury progression process requires a sophisticated injury-monitoring technique for an accurate assessment of SCI patients. In this narrative review, we discuss SCI monitoring modalities, including pressure probes and catheters, micro dialysis, electrophysiologic measures, biomarkers, and imaging studies. The optimal next-generation injury monitoring setup should include multiple modalities and should integrate the data to produce a final simplified assessment of the injury and determine markers of intervention to improve patient outcomes.
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Pathophysiology, Classification and Comorbidities after Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury. J Pers Med 2022; 12:jpm12071126. [PMID: 35887623 PMCID: PMC9323191 DOI: 10.3390/jpm12071126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2022] [Revised: 06/26/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The spinal cord is a conduit within the central nervous system (CNS) that provides ongoing communication between the brain and the rest of the body, conveying complex sensory and motor information necessary for safety, movement, reflexes, and optimization of autonomic function. After a spinal cord injury (SCI), supraspinal influences on the spinal segmental control system and autonomic nervous system (ANS) are disrupted, leading to spastic paralysis, pain and dysesthesia, sympathetic blunting and parasympathetic dominance resulting in cardiac dysrhythmias, systemic hypotension, bronchoconstriction, copious respiratory secretions and uncontrolled bowel, bladder, and sexual dysfunction. This article outlines the pathophysiology of traumatic SCI, current and emerging methods of classification, and its influence on sensory/motor function, and introduces the probable comorbidities associated with SCI that will be discussed in more detail in the accompanying manuscripts of this special issue.
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Xing C, Jia Z, Qu H, Liu S, Jiang W, Zhong H, Zhou M, Zhu S, Ning G, Feng S. Correlation Analysis Between Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Based Anatomical Assessment and Behavioral Outcome in a Rat Contusion Model of Chronic Thoracic Spinal Cord Injury. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:838786. [PMID: 35527814 PMCID: PMC9069114 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.838786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2021] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Although plenty of evidences from preclinical studies have led to potential treatments for patients with spinal cord injury (SCI), the failure to translate promising preclinical findings into clinical advances has long puzzled researchers. Thus, a more reliable combination of anatomical assessment and behavioral testing is urgently needed to improve the translational worth of preclinical studies. To address this issue, the present study was designed to relate magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based anatomical assessment to behavioral outcome in a rat contusion model. Rats underwent contusion with three different heights to simulate various severities of SCI, and their locomotive functions were evaluated by the grid-walking test, Louisville swim scale (LSS), especially catwalk gait analysis system and basic testing, and Basso, Beattie, Bresnahan (BBB) score. The results showed that the lesion area (LA) is a better indicator for damage assessment compared with other parameters in sagittal T2-weighted MRI (T2WI). Although two samples are marked as outliers by the box plot analysis, LA correlated closely with all of the behavioral testing without ceiling effect and floor effect. Moreover, with a moderate severity of SCI in a contusion height of 25 mm, the smaller the LA of the spinal cord measured on sagittal T2WI the better the functional performance, the smaller the cavity region and glial scar, the more spared the myelin, the higher the volatility, and the thicker the bladder wall. We found that LA significantly related with behavior outcomes, which indicated that LA could be a proxy of damage assessment. The combination of sagittal T2WI and four types of behavioral testing can be used as a reliable scheme to evaluate the prognosis for preclinical studies of SCI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cong Xing
- Department of Orthopedics, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China.,International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Spinal Cord Injury, Tianjin, China.,Tianjin Key Laboratory of Spine and Spinal Cord Injury, Tianjin, China
| | - Zeyu Jia
- Department of Orthopedics, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China.,International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Spinal Cord Injury, Tianjin, China.,Tianjin Key Laboratory of Spine and Spinal Cord Injury, Tianjin, China
| | - Haodong Qu
- Department of Orthopedics, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China.,International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Spinal Cord Injury, Tianjin, China.,Tianjin Key Laboratory of Spine and Spinal Cord Injury, Tianjin, China
| | - Song Liu
- Department of Orthopedics, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China.,International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Spinal Cord Injury, Tianjin, China.,Tianjin Key Laboratory of Spine and Spinal Cord Injury, Tianjin, China
| | - Wang Jiang
- Department of Radiology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Hao Zhong
- Department of Orthopedics, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China.,International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Spinal Cord Injury, Tianjin, China.,Tianjin Key Laboratory of Spine and Spinal Cord Injury, Tianjin, China
| | - Mi Zhou
- Department of Orthopedics, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China.,International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Spinal Cord Injury, Tianjin, China.,Tianjin Key Laboratory of Spine and Spinal Cord Injury, Tianjin, China
| | - Shibo Zhu
- Department of Orthopedics, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China.,International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Spinal Cord Injury, Tianjin, China.,Tianjin Key Laboratory of Spine and Spinal Cord Injury, Tianjin, China
| | - Guangzhi Ning
- Department of Orthopedics, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China.,International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Spinal Cord Injury, Tianjin, China.,Tianjin Key Laboratory of Spine and Spinal Cord Injury, Tianjin, China
| | - Shiqing Feng
- Department of Orthopedics, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China.,International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Spinal Cord Injury, Tianjin, China.,Tianjin Key Laboratory of Spine and Spinal Cord Injury, Tianjin, China
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11
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Tefertiller C, Rozwod M, VandeGriend E, Bartelt P, Sevigny M, Smith AC. Transcutaneous Electrical Spinal Cord Stimulation to Promote Recovery in Chronic Spinal Cord Injury. FRONTIERS IN REHABILITATION SCIENCES 2022; 2. [PMID: 36004322 PMCID: PMC9396932 DOI: 10.3389/fresc.2021.740307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Objective: To evaluate the impact of using transcutaneous electrical spinal cord stimulation (TSCSTSCS) on upper and lower extremity function in individuals with chronic spinal cord injury (SCI). Design: Prospective case series. Setting: SCI specific rehabilitation hospital. Participants: A convenience sample (N = 7) of individuals with tetraplegia who had previously been discharged from outpatient therapy due to a plateau in progress. Interventions: Individuals participated in 60 min of upper extremity (UE) functional task-specific practice (FTP) in combination with TSCS and 60 min of locomotor training in combination with TSCS 5x/week. Main Outcome Measures: The primary outcome for this analysis was the Capabilities of Upper Extremity Test (CUE-T). Secondary outcomes include UE motor score (UEMS), LE motor score (LEMS), sensation (light touch and pin prick), Nine-Hole Peg Test, 10 meter walk test, 6 min walk test, and 5 min stand test. Results: Seven individuals (four motor complete; three motor incomplete) completed 20–80 sessions UE and LE training augmented with TSCS and without any serious adverse events. Improvements were reported on the CUE-T in all seven individuals. Two individuals improved their ASIA impairment scale (AIS) classification (B to C; C to D) and two individuals improved their neurologic level of injury by one level (C4–C5; C5–C6). Sensation improved in five individuals and all four who started out with motor complete SCIs were able to voluntarily activate their LEs on command in the presence of stimulation. Conclusion: Individuals with chronic SCI who had previously demonstrated a plateau in function after an intensive outpatient therapy program were able to improve in a variety of UE and LE outcomes in response to TSCS without any adverse events. This was a small pilot study and future fully powered studies with comparative interventions need to be completed to assess efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Candace Tefertiller
- Craig Hospital, Englewood, CO, United States
- *Correspondence: Candace Tefertiller
| | | | | | | | | | - Andrew C. Smith
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Colorado, Denver, CO, United States
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12
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Smith AC, O’Dell DR, Albin SR, Berliner JC, Dungan D, Robinson E, Elliott JM, Carballido-Gamio J, Stevens-Lapsley J, Weber KA. Lateral Corticospinal Tract and Dorsal Column Damage: Predictive Relationships With Motor and Sensory Scores at Discharge From Acute Rehabilitation After Spinal Cord Injury. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2022; 103:62-68. [PMID: 34371017 PMCID: PMC8712383 DOI: 10.1016/j.apmr.2021.07.792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2021] [Revised: 07/01/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To determine if lateral corticospinal tract (LCST) integrity demonstrates a significant predictive relationship with future ipsilateral lower extremity motor function (LEMS) and if dorsal column (DC) integrity demonstrates a significant predictive relationship with future light touch (LT) sensory function post spinal cord injury (SCI) at time of discharge from inpatient rehabilitation. DESIGN Retrospective analyses of imaging and clinical outcomes. SETTING University and academic hospital. PARTICIPANTS A total of 151 participants (N=151) with SCI. INTERVENTIONS Inpatient rehabilitation. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES LEMS and LT scores at discharge from inpatient rehabilitation. RESULTS In 151 participants, right LCST spared tissue demonstrated a significant predictive relationship with right LEMS percentage recovered (β=0.56; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.37-0.73; R=0.43; P<.001). Left LCST spared tissue demonstrated a significant predictive relationship with left LEMS percentage recovered (β=0.66; 95% CI, 0.50-0.82; R=0.51; P<.001). DC spared tissue demonstrated a significant predictive relationship with LT percentage recovered (β=0.69; 95% CI, 0.52-0.87; R=0.55; P<.001). When subgrouping the participants into motor complete vs incomplete SCI, motor relationships were no longer significant, but the sensory relationship remained significant. Those who had no voluntary motor function but recovered some also had significantly greater LCST spared tissue than those who did not recover motor function. CONCLUSIONS LCST demonstrated significant moderate predictive relationships with lower extremity motor function at the time of discharge from inpatient rehabilitation, in an ipsilesional manner. DC integrity demonstrated a significant moderate predictive relationship with recovered function of LT. With further development, these neuroimaging methods might be used to predict potential deficits after SCI and to provide corresponding targeted interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew C. Smith
- University of Colorado School of Medicine, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Physical Therapy Program, Aurora, CO USA,Regis University School of Physical Therapy, Denver, CO USA
| | - Denise R. O’Dell
- Regis University School of Physical Therapy, Denver, CO USA,Craig Hospital, Englewood, CO USA
| | | | | | - David Dungan
- Craig Hospital, Englewood, CO USA,Radiology Imaging Associates, Denver, CO USA
| | | | - James M. Elliott
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Northern Sydney Local Health District, The Kolling Research Institute, St Leonards, Sydney, Australia
| | | | - Jennifer Stevens-Lapsley
- University of Colorado School of Medicine, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Physical Therapy Program, Aurora, CO USA
| | - Kenneth A. Weber
- Stanford University School of Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Palo Alto, CA USA
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13
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW This review covers recent advances in identifying conventional and quantitative neuroimaging spinal cord biomarkers of lesion severity and remote spinal cord pathology following traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI). It discusses the potential of the most sensitive neuroimaging spinal cord biomarkers to complement clinical workup and improve prediction of recovery. RECENT FINDINGS At the injury site, preserved midsagittal tissue bridges - based on conventional sagittal T2-weighted scans - can be identified in the majority of SCI patients; its width being predictive of recovery. Remote from the injury, diffusion indices, and myelin/iron-sensitive neuroimaging-based changes are sensitive to secondary disease processes; its magnitude of change being associated with neurological outcome. SUMMARY Neuroimaging biomarkers reveal focal and remote cord pathology. These biomarkers show sensitivity to the underlying disease processes and are clinically eloquent. Thus, they improve injury characterization, enable spatiotemporal tracking of cord pathology, and predict recovery of function following traumatic SCI. Neuroimaging biomarkers, therefore, hold potential to complement the clinical diagnostic workup, improve patient stratification, and can serve as potential endpoints in clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dario Pfyffer
- Spinal Cord Injury Center, Balgrist University Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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14
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Rao JS, Zhao C, Bao SS, Feng T, Xu M. MRI metrics at the epicenter of spinal cord injury are correlated with the stepping process in rhesus monkeys. Exp Anim 2021; 71:139-149. [PMID: 34789621 PMCID: PMC9130044 DOI: 10.1538/expanim.21-0154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Clinical evaluations of long-term outcomes in the early-stage spinal cord injury (SCI) focus on macroscopic motor performance and are limited in their prognostic precision. This study was designed to investigate the sensitivity of the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) indexes to the data-driven gait process after SCI. Ten adult female rhesus monkeys were subjected to thoracic SCI. Kinematics-based gait examinations were performed at 1 (early stage) and 12 (chronic stage) months post-SCI. The proportion of stepping (PS) and gait stability (GS) were calculated as the outcome measures. MRI metrics, which were derived from structural imaging (spinal cord cross-sectional area, SCA) and diffusion tensor imaging (fractional anisotropy, FA; axial diffusivity, λ//), were acquired in the early stage and compared with functional outcomes by using correlation analysis and stepwise multivariable linear regression. Residual tissue SCA at the injury epicenter and residual tissue FA/remote normal-like tissue FA were correlated with the early-stage PS and GS. The extent of lesion site λ///residual tissue λ// in the early stage after SCI was correlated with the chronic-stage GS. The ratios of lesion site λ// to residual tissue λ// and early-stage GS were predictive of the improvement in the PS at follow-up. Similarly, the ratios of lesion site λ// to residual tissue λ// and early-stage PS best predicted chronic GS recovery. Our findings demonstrate the predictive power of MRI combined with the early data-driven gait indexes for long-term outcomes. Such an approach may help clinicians to predict functional recovery accurately.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia-Sheng Rao
- Beijing Key Laboratory for Biomaterials and Neural Regeneration, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University
| | - Can Zhao
- Institute of Rehabilitation Engineering, China Rehabilitation Science Institute.,School of Rehabilitation, Capital Medical University
| | - Shu-Sheng Bao
- Beijing Key Laboratory for Biomaterials and Neural Regeneration, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University
| | - Ting Feng
- Beijing Key Laboratory for Biomaterials and Neural Regeneration, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University
| | - Meng Xu
- Department of Orthopedics, The First Medical Center of PLA General Hospital
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15
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Schading S, Emmenegger TM, Freund P. Improving Diagnostic Workup Following Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury: Advances in Biomarkers. Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep 2021; 21:49. [PMID: 34268621 PMCID: PMC8282571 DOI: 10.1007/s11910-021-01134-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) is a life-changing event with drastic implications for patients due to sensorimotor impairment and autonomous dysfunction. Current clinical evaluations focus on the assessment of injury level and severity using standardized neurological examinations. However, they fail to predict individual trajectories of recovery, which highlights the need for the development of advanced diagnostics. This narrative review identifies recent advances in the search of clinically relevant biomarkers in the field of SCI. RECENT FINDINGS Advanced neuroimaging and molecular biomarkers sensitive to the disease processes initiated by the SCI have been identified. These biomarkers range from advanced neuroimaging techniques, neurophysiological readouts, and molecular biomarkers identifying the concentrations of several proteins in blood and CSF samples. Some of these biomarkers improve current prediction models based on clinical readouts. Validation with larger patient cohorts is warranted. Several biomarkers have been identified-ranging from imaging to molecular markers-that could serve as advanced diagnostic and hence supplement current clinical assessments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Schading
- Spinal Cord Injury Centre, Balgrist University Hospital, University of Zurich, Forchstrasse 340, 8008, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Tim M Emmenegger
- Spinal Cord Injury Centre, Balgrist University Hospital, University of Zurich, Forchstrasse 340, 8008, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Patrick Freund
- Spinal Cord Injury Centre, Balgrist University Hospital, University of Zurich, Forchstrasse 340, 8008, Zurich, Switzerland.
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16
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Berliner JC, O'Dell DR, Albin SR, Dungan D, Sevigny M, Elliott JM, Weber KA, Abdie DR, Anderson JS, Rich AA, Seib CA, Sagan HGS, Smith AC. The influence of conventional T 2 MRI indices in predicting who will walk outside one year after spinal cord injury. J Spinal Cord Med 2021; 46:501-507. [PMID: 33798025 PMCID: PMC10116921 DOI: 10.1080/10790268.2021.1907676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022] Open
Abstract
CONTEXT/OBJECTIVE Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) indices of spinal cord damage are predictive of future motor function after spinal cord injury (SCI): hyperintensity length, midsagittal tissue bridges, and Brain and Spinal Injury Center (BASIC) scores. Whether these indices are predictive of outdoor walking after SCI is unknown. The primary purpose was to see if these MRI indices predict the ability to walk outdoors one-year after SCI. The secondary purpose was to determine if MRI indices provide additional predictive value if initial lower extremity motor scores are available. DESIGN Retrospective. Clinical T2-weighted MRIs were used to quantify spinal cord damage. Three MRI indices were calculated: midsagittal ventral tissue bridges, hyperintensity length, BASIC scores. SETTING Academic hospital. PARTICIPANTS 129 participants with cervical SCI. INTERVENTIONS Inpatient rehabilitation. OUTCOMES MEASURES One year after SCI, participants self-reported their outdoor walking ability. RESULTS Midsagittal ventral tissue bridges, hyperintensity length, and BASIC scores significantly correlated with outdoor walking ability (R = 0.34, P < 0.001; R = -0.25, P < 0.01; Rs = -0.35, P < 001, respectively). Using midsagittal ventral tissue bridges and hyperintensity length, the final adjusted R2 for model 1 = 0.19. For model 2, the adjusted R2 using motor scores alone = 0.81 and MRI variables were non-significant. All five participants with observable intramedullary hemorrhage reported they were unable to walk one block outdoors. CONCLUSIONS The MRI indices were significant predictors of outdoor walking ability, but when motor scores were available, this was the strongest predictor and neither midsagittal tissue bridges nor hyperintensity length contributed additional value. MRI indices may be a quick and convenient supplement to physical examination when motor testing is unavailable.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Denise R O'Dell
- Craig Hospital, Englewood, Colorado, USA.,Regis University School of Physical Therapy, Denver, Colorado, USA
| | | | - David Dungan
- Craig Hospital, Englewood, Colorado, USA.,Radiology Imaging Associates, Denver, Colorado, USA
| | | | - James M Elliott
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Northern Sydney Local Health District, The Kolling Research Institute, St Leonards, Sydney, Australia
| | - Kenneth A Weber
- Stanford University School of Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Palo Alto, California, USA
| | - Daniel R Abdie
- Regis University School of Physical Therapy, Denver, Colorado, USA
| | - Jack S Anderson
- Regis University School of Physical Therapy, Denver, Colorado, USA
| | - Alison A Rich
- Regis University School of Physical Therapy, Denver, Colorado, USA
| | - Carly A Seib
- Regis University School of Physical Therapy, Denver, Colorado, USA
| | - Hannah G S Sagan
- Regis University School of Physical Therapy, Denver, Colorado, USA
| | - Andrew C Smith
- Regis University School of Physical Therapy, Denver, Colorado, USA.,Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Physical Therapy Program, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA
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17
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Tesio L, Scarano S. Ground Walking in Chronic Complete Spinal Cord Injury: Does Epidural Stimulation Allow "Awakening" of Corticospinal Circuits? A Wide-Ranging Epistemic Criticism. Am J Phys Med Rehabil 2021; 100:e43-e47. [PMID: 32618753 PMCID: PMC7969152 DOI: 10.1097/phm.0000000000001520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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18
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Pfyffer D, Vallotton K, Curt A, Freund P. Predictive Value of Midsagittal Tissue Bridges on Functional Recovery After Spinal Cord Injury. Neurorehabil Neural Repair 2020; 35:33-43. [PMID: 33190619 PMCID: PMC8350965 DOI: 10.1177/1545968320971787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Background The majority of patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) have anatomically incomplete lesions and present with preserved tissue bridges, yet their outcomes vary. Objective To assess the predictive value of the anatomical location (ventral/dorsal) and width of preserved midsagittal tissue bridges for American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) Impairment Scale (AIS) grade conversion and SCI patient stratification into recovery-specific subgroups. Methods This retrospective longitudinal study includes 70 patients (56 men, age: 52.36 ± 18.58 years) with subacute (ie, 1 month) SCI (45 tetraplegics, 25 paraplegics), 1-month neuroimaging data, and 1-month and 12-month clinical data. One-month midsagittal T2-weighted scans were used to determine the location and width of tissue bridges. Their associations with functional outcomes were assessed using partial correlation and unbiased recursive partitioning conditional inference tree (URP-CTREE). Results Fifty-seven (81.4%) of 70 patients had tissue bridges (2.53 ± 2.04 mm) at 1-month post-SCI. Larger ventral (P = .001, r = 0.511) and dorsal (P < .001, r = 0.546) tissue bridges were associated with higher AIS conversion rates 12 months post-SCI (n = 39). URP-CTREE analysis identified 1-month ventral tissue bridges as predictors of 12-month total motor scores (0.4 mm cutoff, P = .008), recovery of upper extremity motor scores at 12 months (1.82 mm cutoff, P = .002), 12-month pin-prick scores (1.4 mm cutoff, P = .018), and dorsal tissue bridges at 1 month as predictors of 12-month Spinal Cord Independence Measure scores (0.5 mm cutoff, P = .003). Conclusions Midsagittal tissue bridges add predictive value to baseline clinical measures for post-SCI recovery. Based on tissue bridges’ width, patients can be classified into subgroups of clinical recovery profiles. Midsagittal tissue bridges provide means to optimize patient stratification in clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dario Pfyffer
- Balgrist University Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Kevin Vallotton
- Balgrist University Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Armin Curt
- Balgrist University Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Patrick Freund
- Balgrist University Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Wellcome Trust Center for Neuroimaging, UCL Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK.,Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
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19
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Rejc E, Smith AC, Weber KA, Ugiliweneza B, Bert RJ, Negahdar M, Boakye M, Harkema SJ, Angeli CA. Spinal Cord Imaging Markers and Recovery of Volitional Leg Movement With Spinal Cord Epidural Stimulation in Individuals With Clinically Motor Complete Spinal Cord Injury. Front Syst Neurosci 2020; 14:559313. [PMID: 33192348 PMCID: PMC7654217 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2020.559313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2020] [Accepted: 09/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Previous studies have shown that epidural stimulation of the lumbosacral spinal cord (scES) can re-enable lower limb volitional motor control in individuals with chronic, clinically motor complete spinal cord injury (SCI). This observation entails that residual supraspinal connectivity to the lumbosacral spinal circuitry still persisted after SCI, although it was non-detectable when scES was not provided. In the present study, we aimed at exploring further the mechanisms underlying scES-promoted recovery of volitional lower limb motor control by investigating neuroimaging markers at the spinal cord lesion site via magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Spinal cord MRI was collected prior to epidural stimulator implantation in 13 individuals with chronic, clinically motor complete SCI, and the spared tissue of specific regions of the spinal cord (anterior, posterior, right, left, and total cord) was assessed. After epidural stimulator implantation, and prior to any training, volitional motor control was evaluated during left and right lower limb flexion and ankle dorsiflexion attempts. The ability to generate force exertion and movement was not correlated to any neuroimaging marker. On the other hand, spared tissue of specific cord regions significantly and importantly correlated with some aspects of motor control that include activation amplitude of antagonist (negative correlation) muscles during left ankle dorsiflexion, and electromyographic coordination patterns during right lower limb flexion. The fact that amount and location of spared spinal cord tissue at the lesion site were not related to the ability to generate volitional lower limb movements may suggest that supraspinal inputs through spared spinal cord regions that differ across individuals can result in the generation of lower limb volitional motor output prior to any training when epidural stimulation is provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrico Rejc
- Kentucky Spinal Cord Injury Research Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, United States.,Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, United States
| | - Andrew C Smith
- University of Colorado School of Medicine, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Physical Therapy Program, Aurora, CO, United States
| | - Kenneth A Weber
- Department of Anethesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, United States
| | - Beatrice Ugiliweneza
- Kentucky Spinal Cord Injury Research Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, United States.,Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, United States
| | - Robert J Bert
- Department of Radiology, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, United States
| | | | - Maxwell Boakye
- Kentucky Spinal Cord Injury Research Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, United States.,Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, United States
| | - Susan J Harkema
- Kentucky Spinal Cord Injury Research Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, United States.,Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, United States.,Frazier Rehabilitation Institute, University of Louisville Health, Louisville, KY, United States.,Department of Bioengineering, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, United States
| | - Claudia A Angeli
- Kentucky Spinal Cord Injury Research Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, United States.,Frazier Rehabilitation Institute, University of Louisville Health, Louisville, KY, United States.,Department of Bioengineering, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, United States
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20
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Pfyffer D, Vallotton K, Curt A, Freund P. Tissue bridges predict neuropathic pain emergence after spinal cord injury. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2020; 91:1111-1117. [PMID: 32788257 PMCID: PMC7509517 DOI: 10.1136/jnnp-2020-323150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2020] [Revised: 05/26/2020] [Accepted: 06/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To assess associations between preserved spinal cord tissue quantified by the width of ventral and dorsal tissue bridges and neuropathic pain development after spinal cord injury. METHODS This retrospective longitudinal study includes 44 patients (35 men; mean (SD) age, 50.05 (18.88) years) with subacute (ie, 1 month) spinal cord injury (25 patients with neuropathic pain, 19 pain-free patients) and neuroimaging data who had a follow-up clinical assessment at 12 months. Widths of tissue bridges were calculated from midsagittal T2-weighted images and compared across groups. Regression analyses were used to identify relationships between these neuroimaging measures and previously assessed pain intensity and pin-prick score. RESULTS Pin-prick score of the 25 patients with neuropathic pain increased from 1 to 12 months (Δmean=10.08, 95% CI 2.66 to 17.50, p=0.010), while it stayed similar in pain-free patients (Δmean=2.74, 95% CI -7.36 to 12.84, p=0.576). They also had larger ventral tissue bridges (Δmedian=0.80, 95% CI 0.20 to 1.71, p=0.008) at 1 month when compared with pain-free patients. Conditional inference tree analysis revealed that ventral tissue bridges' width (≤2.1 or >2.1 mm) at 1 month is the strongest predictor for 12 months neuropathic pain intensity (1.90±2.26 and 3.83±1.19, p=0.042) and 12 months pin-prick score (63.84±28.26 and 92.67±19.43, p=0.025). INTERPRETATION Larger width of ventral tissue bridges-a proxy for spinothalamic tract function-at 1 month post-spinal cord injury is associated with the emergence and maintenance of neuropathic pain and increased pin-prick sensation. Spared ventral tissue bridges could serve as neuroimaging biomarkers of neuropathic pain and might be used for prediction and monitoring of pain outcomes and stratification of patients in interventional trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dario Pfyffer
- Spinal Cord Injury Center, University Hospital Balgrist, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Kevin Vallotton
- Spinal Cord Injury Center, University Hospital Balgrist, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Armin Curt
- Spinal Cord Injury Center, University Hospital Balgrist, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Patrick Freund
- Spinal Cord Injury Center, University Hospital Balgrist, Zurich, Switzerland .,Department of Brain Repair and Rehabilitation, UCL Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom.,Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, UCL Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom.,Department of Neurophysics, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
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21
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Pfyffer D, Huber E, Sutter R, Curt A, Freund P. Tissue bridges predict recovery after traumatic and ischemic thoracic spinal cord injury. Neurology 2019; 93:e1550-e1560. [PMID: 31541012 PMCID: PMC6815206 DOI: 10.1212/wnl.0000000000008318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2019] [Accepted: 05/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective To investigate the spatiotemporal evolution and predictive properties of intramedullary damage and midsagittal tissue bridges at the epicenter of a thoracic spinal cord injury (SCI) using MRI. Methods We retrospectively assessed midsagittal T2-weighted scans from 25 patients with thoracic SCI (14 traumatic, 11 ischemic) at 1 month post-SCI. In 12 patients with SCI, linear mixed-effects models on serial MRI explored temporal trajectories of quantifiable lesion markers (area, length, and width) and tissue bridges. Using partial correlation analysis, we assessed associations between structural lesion characteristics at 1 month post-SCI and recovery at 1 year postinjury, adjusting for baseline clinical status, age, and sex. Results Lesion area decreased by 5.68 mm2 (p = 0.005), lesion length by 2.14 mm (p = 0.004), and lesion width by 0.13 mm (p = 0.004) per month. Width of tissue bridges increased by 0.06 mm (p = 0.019) per month, being similar in traumatic and ischemic SCI (p = 0.576). Smaller lesion area, length, width, and wider tissue bridges at 1 month post-SCI predicted better recovery at 1-year follow-up. Conclusions Over time, the immediate area of cord damage shrunk while the cystic cavity became demarcated. Adjacent to the cyst, midsagittal tissue bridges became visible. The width of tissue bridges at 1 month post-SCI predicted recovery at 1 year follow-up. Measures of lesion area and tissue bridges early after traumatic and ischemic thoracic SCI therefore allow characterizing the evolution of focal cord damage and are predictive of recovery in thoracic SCI. Thus, lesion extent and tissue bridges hold potential to improve diagnosis and patient stratification in interventional trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dario Pfyffer
- From the Spinal Cord Injury Center (D.P., E.H., A.C., P.F.) and Radiology (R.S.), Balgrist University Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland; Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging (P.F.), UCL Institute of Neurology, University College London, UK; Department of Neurophysics (P.F.), Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany; and Department of Neurology (P.F.), University Hospital Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Eveline Huber
- From the Spinal Cord Injury Center (D.P., E.H., A.C., P.F.) and Radiology (R.S.), Balgrist University Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland; Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging (P.F.), UCL Institute of Neurology, University College London, UK; Department of Neurophysics (P.F.), Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany; and Department of Neurology (P.F.), University Hospital Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Reto Sutter
- From the Spinal Cord Injury Center (D.P., E.H., A.C., P.F.) and Radiology (R.S.), Balgrist University Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland; Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging (P.F.), UCL Institute of Neurology, University College London, UK; Department of Neurophysics (P.F.), Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany; and Department of Neurology (P.F.), University Hospital Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Armin Curt
- From the Spinal Cord Injury Center (D.P., E.H., A.C., P.F.) and Radiology (R.S.), Balgrist University Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland; Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging (P.F.), UCL Institute of Neurology, University College London, UK; Department of Neurophysics (P.F.), Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany; and Department of Neurology (P.F.), University Hospital Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Patrick Freund
- From the Spinal Cord Injury Center (D.P., E.H., A.C., P.F.) and Radiology (R.S.), Balgrist University Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland; Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging (P.F.), UCL Institute of Neurology, University College London, UK; Department of Neurophysics (P.F.), Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany; and Department of Neurology (P.F.), University Hospital Zurich, Switzerland.
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22
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Seif M, Gandini Wheeler-Kingshott CA, Cohen-Adad J, Flanders AE, Freund P. Guidelines for the conduct of clinical trials in spinal cord injury: Neuroimaging biomarkers. Spinal Cord 2019; 57:717-728. [PMID: 31267015 PMCID: PMC6760553 DOI: 10.1038/s41393-019-0309-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2019] [Revised: 05/20/2019] [Accepted: 05/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) leads to immediate neuronal and axonal damage at the focal injury site and triggers secondary pathologic series of events resulting in sensorimotor and autonomic dysfunction below the level of injury. Although there is no cure for SCI, neuroprotective and regenerative therapies show promising results at the preclinical stage. There is a pressing need to develop non-invasive outcome measures that can indicate whether a candidate therapeutic agent or a cocktail of therapeutic agents are positively altering the underlying disease processes. Recent conventional MRI studies have quantified spinal cord lesion characteristics and elucidated their relationship between severity of injury to clinical impairment and recovery. Next to the quantification of the primary cord damage, quantitative MRI measures of spinal cord (rostrocaudally to the lesion site) and brain integrity have demonstrated progressive and specific neurodegeneration of afferent and efferent neuronal pathways. MRI could therefore play a key role to ultimately uncover the relationship between clinical impairment/recovery and injury-induced neurodegenerative changes in the spinal cord and brain. Moreover, neuroimaging biomarkers hold promises to improve clinical trial design and efficiency through better patient stratification. The purpose of this narrative review is therefore to propose a guideline of clinically available MRI sequences and their derived neuroimaging biomarkers that have the potential to assess tissue damage at the macro- and microstructural level after SCI. In this piece, we make a recommendation for the use of key MRI sequences-both conventional and advanced-for clinical work-up and clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryam Seif
- Spinal Cord Injury Center, University Hospital Balgrist, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Claudia Am Gandini Wheeler-Kingshott
- Faculty of Brain Sciences, Queen Square MS Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, United Kingdom.,Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.,Brain MRI 3T Mondino Research Center, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy
| | - Julien Cohen-Adad
- NeuroPoly Lab, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Polytechnique Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Adam E Flanders
- Regional Spinal Cord Injury Center of the Delaware Valley, Department of Radiology, Division of Neuroradiology, Thomas Jefferson University, 1087 Main Building, 132 South 10th Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19107, USA
| | - Patrick Freund
- Spinal Cord Injury Center, University Hospital Balgrist, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. .,Faculty of Brain Sciences, Queen Square MS Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, United Kingdom. .,Department of Neurophysics, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany. .,Department of Neurology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
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23
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Vallotton K, Huber E, Sutter R, Curt A, Hupp M, Freund P. Width and neurophysiologic properties of tissue bridges predict recovery after cervical injury. Neurology 2019; 92:e2793-e2802. [PMID: 31092621 PMCID: PMC6598793 DOI: 10.1212/wnl.0000000000007642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2018] [Accepted: 02/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To assess whether preserved dorsal and ventral midsagittal tissue bridges after traumatic cervical spinal cord injury (SCI) encode tract-specific electrophysiologic properties and are predictive of appropriate recovery. METHODS In this longitudinal study, we retrospectively assessed MRI scans at 1 month after SCI that provided data on width and location (dorsal vs ventral) of midsagittal tissue bridges in 28 tetraplegic patients. Regression analysis assessed associations between midsagittal tissue bridges and motor- and sensory-specific electrophysiologic recordings and appropriate outcome measures at 12 months after SCI. RESULTS Greater width of dorsal midsagittal tissue bridges at 1 month after SCI identified patients who were classified as being sensory incomplete at 12 months after SCI (p = 0.025), had shorter sensory evoked potential (SEP) latencies (r = -0.57, p = 0.016), and had greater SEP amplitudes (r = 0.61, p = 0.001). Greater width of dorsal tissue bridges predicted better light-touch score at 12 months (r = 0.40, p = 0.045) independently of baseline clinical score and ventral tissue bridges. Greater width of ventral midsagittal tissue bridges at 1 month identified patients who were classified as being motor incomplete at 12 months (p = 0.002), revealed shorter motor evoked potential (MEP) latencies (r = -0.54, p = 0.044), and had greater ratios of MEP amplitude to compound muscle action potential amplitude (r = 0.56, p = 0.005). Greater width of ventral tissue bridges predicted better lower extremity motor scores at 12 months (r = 0.41, p = 0.035) independently of baseline clinical score and dorsal tissue bridges. CONCLUSION Midsagittal tissue bridges, detectable early after SCI, underwrite tract-specific electrophysiologic communication and are predictors of appropriate sensorimotor recovery. Neuroimaging biomarkers of midsagittal tissue bridges may be integrated into the diagnostic workup, prediction of recovery, and patients' stratification in clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Vallotton
- From the Spinal Cord Injury Center (K.V., E.H., A.C., M.H., P.F.) and Department of Radiology (R.S.), Balgrist University Hospital; University of Zurich (K.V., E.H., A.C., M.H., P.F., R.S.), Switzerland; Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging (P.F.) and Department of Brain Repair and Rehabilitation (P.F.), UCL Institute of Neurology, University College London, UK; and Department of Neurophysics (P.F.), Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Eveline Huber
- From the Spinal Cord Injury Center (K.V., E.H., A.C., M.H., P.F.) and Department of Radiology (R.S.), Balgrist University Hospital; University of Zurich (K.V., E.H., A.C., M.H., P.F., R.S.), Switzerland; Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging (P.F.) and Department of Brain Repair and Rehabilitation (P.F.), UCL Institute of Neurology, University College London, UK; and Department of Neurophysics (P.F.), Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Reto Sutter
- From the Spinal Cord Injury Center (K.V., E.H., A.C., M.H., P.F.) and Department of Radiology (R.S.), Balgrist University Hospital; University of Zurich (K.V., E.H., A.C., M.H., P.F., R.S.), Switzerland; Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging (P.F.) and Department of Brain Repair and Rehabilitation (P.F.), UCL Institute of Neurology, University College London, UK; and Department of Neurophysics (P.F.), Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Armin Curt
- From the Spinal Cord Injury Center (K.V., E.H., A.C., M.H., P.F.) and Department of Radiology (R.S.), Balgrist University Hospital; University of Zurich (K.V., E.H., A.C., M.H., P.F., R.S.), Switzerland; Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging (P.F.) and Department of Brain Repair and Rehabilitation (P.F.), UCL Institute of Neurology, University College London, UK; and Department of Neurophysics (P.F.), Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Markus Hupp
- From the Spinal Cord Injury Center (K.V., E.H., A.C., M.H., P.F.) and Department of Radiology (R.S.), Balgrist University Hospital; University of Zurich (K.V., E.H., A.C., M.H., P.F., R.S.), Switzerland; Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging (P.F.) and Department of Brain Repair and Rehabilitation (P.F.), UCL Institute of Neurology, University College London, UK; and Department of Neurophysics (P.F.), Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Patrick Freund
- From the Spinal Cord Injury Center (K.V., E.H., A.C., M.H., P.F.) and Department of Radiology (R.S.), Balgrist University Hospital; University of Zurich (K.V., E.H., A.C., M.H., P.F., R.S.), Switzerland; Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging (P.F.) and Department of Brain Repair and Rehabilitation (P.F.), UCL Institute of Neurology, University College London, UK; and Department of Neurophysics (P.F.), Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany.
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24
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Cummins DP, Connor JR, Heller KA, Hubert JS, Kates MJ, Wisniewski KR, Berliner JC, O’Dell DR, Elliott JM, Weber KA, Smith AC. Establishing the inter-rater reliability of spinal cord damage manual measurement using magnetic resonance imaging. Spinal Cord Ser Cases 2019; 5:20. [PMID: 31240117 PMCID: PMC6461921 DOI: 10.1038/s41394-019-0164-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2018] [Revised: 02/05/2019] [Accepted: 02/06/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Study design Retrospective study. Objectives To establish the inter-rater reliability in the quantitative evaluation of spinal cord damage following cervical incomplete spinal cord injury (SCI) utilizing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). MRI was used to perform manual measurements of the cranial and caudal boundaries of edema, edema length, midsagittal tissue bridge ratio, axial damage ratio, and edema volume in 10 participants with cervical incomplete SCI. Setting Academic university setting. Methods Structural MRIs of 10 participants with SCI were collected from Northwestern University's Neuromuscular Imaging and Research Lab. All manual measures were performed using OsiriX (Pixmeo Sarl, Geneva, Switzerland). Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) were used to determine inter-rater reliability across seven raters of varying experience. Results High-to-excellent inter-rater reliability was found for all measures. ICC values for cranial/caudal levels of involvement, edema length, midsagittal tissue bridge ratio, axial damage ratio, and edema volume were 0.99, 0.98, 0.90, 0.84, and 0.93, respectively. Conclusions Manual MRI measures of spinal cord damage are reliable between raters. Researchers and clinicians may confidently utilize manual MRI measures to quantify cord damage. Future research to predict functional recovery following SCI and better inform clinical management is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Megan J. Kates
- Regis University School of Physical Therapy, Denver, CO USA
| | | | | | - Denise R. O’Dell
- Regis University School of Physical Therapy, Denver, CO USA
- Craig Hospital, Englewood, CO USA
| | - James M. Elliott
- Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Sydney, Northern Sydney Local Health District, St Leonards, Sydney, NSW Australia
- Northwestern University Department of Physical Therapy and Human Movement Sciences, Chicago, IL 60611 USA
- School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD Australia
| | - Kenneth A. Weber
- Stanford University Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Palo Alto, CA USA
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