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ABSTRACT: Objectives
To describe functional and structural impairments of the pulmonary system in middle-aged people with cervical and upper thoracic spinal cord injuries (SCI), and compare findings to the general population. To determine if the neurological level of injury (NLI) is related to functional and structural impairments, and if age is related to structural impairments.Design
Cross-sectional study with matched controls. Data from the Swedish SPinal Cord Injury Study on Cardiopulmonary and Autonomic Impairment (SPICA). Matched control data were obtained from the Swedish CArdioPulmonary bioImage Study (SCAPIS).Setting
Outpatient SCI unit in southern Sweden.Participants
25 people (20% women, mean age 58 years, mean time since injury 28 years, NLIs C2-T6, American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale A-C).Interventions
Not applicable.Outcome measures
Lung function was assessed with spirometry, diffusing capacity and impulse oscillometry. Structural assessments were performed with computed tomography.Results
Pulmonary function was generally worse compared to the controls. Structural impairments were common (75% of the participants and 65% of the controls; P = 0.36, NS). NLI was significantly related to some of the functional and structural impairments.Conclusions
Middle-aged people with long-term cervical and upper thoracic SCI can have substantial pulmonary functional impairments, whereas structural impairments do not differ considerably from the general population. Further larger and longitudinal studies should focus on the clinical impact of these impairments over time.
SUBMITTER: Hill M
PROVIDER: S-EPMC10446799 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Sep
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Hill Mattias M Jörgensen Sophie S Engström Gunnar G Persson Margaretha M Wollmer Per P Lexell Jan J
The journal of spinal cord medicine 20220223 5
<h4>Objectives</h4>To describe functional and structural impairments of the pulmonary system in middle-aged people with cervical and upper thoracic spinal cord injuries (SCI), and compare findings to the general population. To determine if the neurological level of injury (NLI) is related to functional and structural impairments, and if age is related to structural impairments.<h4>Design</h4>Cross-sectional study with matched controls. Data from the Swedish SPinal Cord Injury Study on Cardiopulm ...[more]