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Updated: Oct 11, 2026

A Murine Model of Cervical Spinal Cord Injury to Study Post-lesional Respiratory Neuroplasticity
Published on: May 28, 2014
Sleep apnea syndrome in chronic spinal cord injury: associated factors and treatment
S P Burns1, J W Little, J D Hussey
1Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, USA. spburns@u.washington.edu
Objective:
To determine the prevalence of sleep apnea in a sample of persons with chronic spinal cord injury (SCI) of varying injury levels and degrees of impairment.
Design:
Cross-sectional study.
Setting:
Inpatient SCI rehabilitation unit.
Participants:
Twenty men with SCI (motor complete and incomplete; American Spinal Injury Association classes A-D) of at least 1 year's duration, randomly selected from patients with SCI undergoing elective hospitalization.
Main Outcome Measures:
Apnea index, determined by sleep study (including chest wall movement, airflow, oxygen saturation), and daytime sleepiness, determined by Epworth sleepiness score.
Results:
Eight subjects (40%) had sleep apnea, manifested by elevated apnea index (mean +/- SD, 17.1 +/- 6.9) and excessive daytime sleepiness. Sleep apnea was commonly diagnosed in motor-incomplete injuries. A trend (p = .07) existed toward a greater prevalence of sleep apnea with tetraplegia. Age and body mass index were not associated with sleep apnea.
Conclusion:
The prevalence of sleep apnea in men with chronic SCI admitted for nonrespiratory elective hospitalization is high relative to the general population.
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