Browse the latest research summaries in the field of physiology for spinal cord injury patients and caregivers.
Showing 221-230 of 321 results
Neurorehabil Neural Repair, 2007 • January 1, 2007
The purpose of this study was to determine whether long-term electrical stimulation training of the paralyzed soleus muscle could change the physiological properties of the soleus and influence tibia ...
KEY FINDING: Long-term electrical stimulation training of the paralyzed soleus muscle resulted in rapid and prolonged improvement in fatigue resistance.
Respir Physiol Neurobiol, 2018 • October 1, 2018
The study investigates the mechanisms by which daily acute intermittent hypoxia (dAIH) improves breathing function after cervical spinal cord injury (C2Hs) in rats. The key finding is that dAIH-induce...
KEY FINDING: dAIH-induced recovery of breathing capacity transitions from a serotonin-independent mechanism with acute C2Hs to a serotonin-dependent mechanism with chronic C2Hs.
JOURNAL OF NEUROTRAUMA, 2018 • February 1, 2018
This study investigates the impact of spinal cord injury (SCI) on cardiac function in a rat model, focusing on load-independent systolic dysfunction and changes in cardiomyocytes. The key findings rev...
KEY FINDING: SCI impairs systolic function independent of loading conditions, as evidenced by a significant reduction in end-systolic elastance.
The Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine, 2011 • January 1, 2011
The study aimed to evaluate body composition changes in patients with SCI after a supervised physical activity program and to correlate total body fat with time since injury. The results showed favora...
KEY FINDING: Body weight increased in the tetraplegia group and decreased in the high paraplegia group after the intervention.
Clin Neurophysiol, 2009 • September 1, 2009
The study aimed to determine if upper limb effort could enhance maximal lower limb muscle activation in individuals with incomplete spinal cord injury during recumbent stepping. The results showed tha...
KEY FINDING: Upper limb effort did not increase lower limb muscle activation during active lower limb effort in individuals with incomplete spinal cord injury during recumbent stepping.
Exp Neurol, 2010 • March 1, 2010
This study assessed the chronic effects of low thoracic hemisection on the cough reflex in cats. The major finding is that expiratory motor drive to abdominal muscles is not significantly impaired dur...
KEY FINDING: Expiratory motor drive to abdominal muscles is not significantly impaired during cough in cats that are chronically hemisected in the lower thoracic spinal cord.
Respir Physiol Neurobiol, 2010 • May 31, 2010
This study investigated the feasibility of using high-frequency spinal cord stimulation (HF-SCS) to activate intercostal muscles for artificial ventilation in dogs with spinal cord injury. The results...
KEY FINDING: High-frequency spinal cord stimulation (HF-SCS) can maintain artificial ventilation by activating intercostal muscles alone in dogs with spinal cord injury and bilateral phrenicotomy.
Clin Neurophysiol, 2010 • October 1, 2010
Spinal motoneurons are the final neural output of the central nervous system (CNS) through which motor commands to peripheral muscles are communicated. The level of the monoaminergic drive from the br...
KEY FINDING: The motoneuronal PIC recovers after chronic SCI, restoring motoneuronal excitability and contributing to long-lasting reflexes and muscle spasms.
Spinal Cord, 2011 • March 1, 2011
The study neurophysiologically characterizes motor control recovery after SCI using multi-muscle sEMG recordings during reflex and volitional motor tasks. Results showed that SCI subjects had lower sE...
KEY FINDING: Overall, sEMG amplitudes were lower after SCI, and prime mover muscle voluntary recruitment was slower with disrupted multi-muscle patterns.
Eur Spine J, 2011 • December 5, 2010
This study investigated the effect of cervical radiculopathy on the cutaneous silent period (CSP), an electrophysiological measure of spinal inhibitory reflexes. The results showed that the CSP is pre...
KEY FINDING: The cutaneous silent period (CSP) was preserved in most patients with cervical radiculopathy, regardless of which finger was stimulated.