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Updated: May 16, 2026
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Contrast Enhanced Ultrasound Imaging for Assessment of Spinal Cord Blood Flow in Experimental Spinal Cord Injury
Published on: May 7, 2015
Peripheral vascular function in spinal cord injury: a systematic review
1International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries (ICORD)-BSCC, UBC, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Spinal Cord
|November 28, 2012
Summary
Individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) experience peripheral vascular dysfunction, including reduced artery diameter and blood flow. Physical deconditioning and blood pressure fluctuations worsen this condition, impacting cardiovascular health.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Physiology
- Neuroscience
- Vascular Biology
Background:
- Spinal cord injury (SCI) leads to increased lifespan but also premature cardiovascular disease.
- Peripheral vascular adaptations post-SCI are less understood than central changes.
- Cardiovascular complications are a leading cause of mortality in individuals with SCI.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide a comprehensive overview of arterial structure and function alterations following SCI.
- To highlight the impact of SCI on peripheral vasculature.
Main Methods:
- Systematic literature review.
- Extraction of studies measuring arterial structure or function in humans and animals with SCI.
Main Results:
- SCI causes vascular dysfunction below the lesion: reduced artery diameter, blood flow, increased shear rate, leg vascular resistance, and adrenoceptor hyper-responsiveness.
- Evidence suggests central arterial stiffening in individuals with SCI.
- Vascular dysfunction is characterized by maladaptive remodeling.
Conclusions:
- Physical deconditioning is a primary driver of peripheral vascular maladaptive remodeling after SCI.
- Blood pressure oscillations may exacerbate vascular dysfunction in individuals with SCI.
- Further research is needed to understand and mitigate SCI-related vascular complications.
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