Neurological conditions associated with spinal cord injury

• Main Authors: Man Amanat, Alexander R. Vaccaro, Mona Salehi, Vafa Rahimi-Movaghar
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 2019-01-01
• Series: Informatics in Medicine Unlocked
• Online Access: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S235291481930190X

Background: Comorbid neurological conditions associated with spinal cord injury (SCI) significantly affect an individual's quality of life, yet they are often underrated. Recent reports suggest that SCI may predispose patients to develop other neurological disorders. We aim at providing an overview of the evidence of neurological conditions which are or seem resultant of SCI. Methods: We conducted a literature review using PUBMED and GOOGLE SCHOLAR to evaluate the occurrence of different neurological disorders in people with SCI. Results: Individuals with SCI seem at an increased risk of stroke, cognitive impairment, dementia, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, restless leg syndrome, and seizures. The co-occurrence of Guillain-Barré syndrome, and myasthenia gravis, were also reported. Conclusion: Neurological comorbidities in individuals with SCI may lead to poor long-term outcomes, which could be minimized by early diagnosis and treatment of these conditions.