The journal of spinal cord medicine
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Multicenter Study Clinical Trial
Nutrient intake and body habitus after spinal cord injury: an analysis by sex and level of injury.
To examine nutrient intake and body mass index (BMI) in the spinal cord injury (SCI) population according to level of injury and sex. ⋯ Women with paraplegia tended to maintain healthier diets, reflected by lower caloric and fat intakes, fewer key nutrients falling outside recommended guidelines, and less overweight or obesity. Individuals with tetraplegia tended to take in more calories and had higher BMIs, and using adjusted BMI, the majority of the population was overweight or obese. The majority of people with SCI would benefit from nutritional counseling to prevent emerging secondary conditions as the population with SCI ages.
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Tarlov cysts or spinal perineurial cysts are uncommon lesions. These are mostly incidental findings on magnetic resonance imaging or myelograms. The objectives of this study were to describe Tarlov cysts of the sacral region as a potential cause for retrograde ejaculations and review available management options. ⋯ Despite being mostly asymptomatic and an incidental finding, Tarlov cyst is an important clinical entity because of its tendency to increase in size with time. Tarlov cysts of the sacral and cauda equina region may be a rare underlying cause in otherwise unexplained retrograde ejaculations and infertility. Microsurgical excision may be a good option in a select group of patients.
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Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Effects of intravenous sodium amobarbital vs lidocaine on pain and sensory abnormalities in patients with spinal cord injury.
To compare the responses of patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) in regards to pain and sensory abnormalities to single blinded intravenous (i.v.) infusions of normal saline, sodium amobarbital, and lidocaine. ⋯ In this small study, the analgesic effect of sodium amobarbital and its ability to modify sensory abnormalities appeared superior to that of lidocaine.
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To investigate inter-rater and intra-rater reliability of electrical perceptual threshold (EPT) testing in assessing somatosensory function in healthy volunteers. ⋯ EPT is an objective, reproducible, and quantifiable method of assessing sensation in a control group. However, caution should be applied in certain dermatomes such as S2, where there was large variation between left and right side measurements.