Journal of rehabilitation research and development
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Altered sensations, including pain, are well-documented consequences associated with spinal cord injury (SCI). Although loss of sensory and motor functions at and below the level of injury is commonly thought to affect individuals with SCI most significantly, secondary consequences that include spasticity, bladder and bowel dysfunctions, infertility, and pain rank among the most difficult conditions to deal with following injury. ⋯ Over the past 15 years, a systematic examination related to the pathophysiology, clinical characteristics, and treatment of pain associated with SCI has provided insights into the spinal and supraspinal mechanisms associated with the development of at- and below-level pain. In this review, experimental studies focusing on the spinal and supraspinal mechanisms associated with pain at and below level will be discussed.
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Targeted muscle reinnervation (TMR) is a surgical intervention to improve the control of myoelectric prostheses in high-level upper-limb amputation. This article briefly describes the procedure and presents the protocol for postoperative, preprosthetic care. ⋯ This material is based on more than 6 years of experience treating patients with TMR in a research setting. Detailed results of this research are reported elsewhere.
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Recent studies have documented the importance of psychological factors in the experience of chronic pain in persons with spinal cord injury (SCI). The current study sought to replicate and extend previous work demonstrating associations among specific pain-related beliefs, coping, mental health, and pain outcomes in persons with SCI. A return-by-mail survey assessing psychological functioning and pain was completed by 130 individuals with SCI. ⋯ Zero-order correlations suggested that the specific variables most closely associated with negative pain outcomes were perception of oneself as disabled, perceptions of low control over pain, and tendency to catastrophize. In general, negative attributions and coping were stronger predictors of pain adjustment than were positive ones. Results highlight the importance of psychological factors in understanding chronic pain in persons with SCI and provide further support for the biopsychosocial model.
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Management of neuropathic pain remains problematic; however, cell therapy to treat the effects of pain on the sensory system after spinal cord injury (SCI) could be a useful approach. Since many clinical trials ultimately do not succeed, use of cell therapy will require that safety and efficacy issues be addressed early in preclinical rat studies. We used the human neuronal cell line hNT2.17, which secretes the inhibitory neurotransmitters gamma-aminobutyric acid and glycine, in an excitotoxic SCI pain model after intraspinal injection of quisqualic acid into rats. ⋯ Antinociceptive grafts displayed an optimal transplant time that included moderate effectiveness with chronic SCI and late graft placement and that required a minimal course of cyclosporine A 2 weeks after transplant for durable reversal of painlike behaviors. In addition, grafts did not need to be placed near the SCI level to be effective. These data suggest not only that these cells are safe and efficacious but also that they could be an effective clinical tool for treating SCI-associated neuropathic pain.
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Published studies have reported widely divergent estimates of the prevalence of chronic pain among individuals with (traumatic) spinal cord injury (SCI). To develop an estimate based on a synthesis of the research, we used searches of MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and other bibliographic databases and an ancestor search to identify articles published since 1966 in any language that reported a pain prevalence rate for at least 30 subjects with certain or likely traumatic SCI. Data on sample makeup, study quality indicators, and pain prevalence were abstracted independently by two researchers. ⋯ Pain prevalence in the combined samples did not appreciably differ between males and females, those with complete versus incomplete SCI, and those with paraplegia versus tetraplegia. We conclude that too much heterogeneity was present in the reports to calculate a post-SCI pain prevalence rate using meta-analytic methods. Further research is needed to determine whether rates are related to sample makeup (e.g., average subject age), research methods used (e.g., telephone interview vs self-report instruments), or even the definition of "chronic" pain.