Spinal cord injuries : clinical, functional, and emotional status

Ninety-eight patients with traumatic spinal cord injury, at a median age of 33.5 years (range, 16-72 years), with nonremarkable distributions of neurologic characteristics were investigated at a median of 2.3 years (range, 0.1-23 years) after injury. Functioning, mood disturbances, and overall quali...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Spine (Philadelphia, Pa. 1976) Pa. 1976), 1991, Vol.16 (1), p.78-83
Main Authors: LUNDQVIST, C, SIOÊSTEEN, A, BLOMSTRAND, C, LIND, B, SULLIVAN, M
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Activities of Daily Living
Adaptation, Psychological
Adult
Attitude to Health
Biological and medical sciences
Cross-Sectional Studies
Emotions
Female
Humans
Injuries of the nervous system and the skull. Diseases due to physical agents
Male
Medical sciences
Mood Disorders - epidemiology
Paraplegia - psychology
Quadriplegia - psychology
Quality of Life
Spinal Cord Injuries - epidemiology
Spinal Cord Injuries - psychology
Traumas. Diseases due to physical agents
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Summary:Ninety-eight patients with traumatic spinal cord injury, at a median age of 33.5 years (range, 16-72 years), with nonremarkable distributions of neurologic characteristics were investigated at a median of 2.3 years (range, 0.1-23 years) after injury. Functioning, mood disturbances, and overall quality of life were recorded with established self-assessment instruments. Physical dysfunction levels were moderate, being proportionate to neurologic impairment. Psychosocial functions, mood states, and quality-of-life perceptions did not differ from those of a control population sample. Psychosocial function and mood disturbances varied greatly during the first 4 years after injury, but patients' later recordings expressed predominantly a balanced emotional state and a rewarding social life. Progress in this direction consisted of clearly lessened physical dysfunction 1 year after injury and better psychosocial function and well-being after 2 years, whereas patterns of social activities and contacts became gradually less inhibited during a 4-year period after injury. Analysis of complications in patients' histories that affected function and mood showed severe pain to be the only complication that related to lower quality-of-life scores. Urinary incontinence and infection and autonomous dysreflexia related to inhibited self-care performance; spasticity related to impaired ambulation and feeding skills. Gainful employment was the only demographic factor linked to high quality-of-life scores.
ISSN:0362-2436
1528-1159
DOI:10.1097/00007632-199101000-00014