Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 25, 2026

In Vivo Telemetry to Record Long-Term Cardiovascular Parameters, Temperature, and Activity in Spinal Cord Injury Rat Models
Published on: January 2, 2026
Cardiovascular control, autonomic function, and elite endurance performance in spinal cord injury
1International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries (ICORD), Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Abstract:
We aimed to determine the relationship between level of injury, completeness of injury, resting as well as exercise hemodynamics, and endurance performance in athletes with spinal cord injury (SCI). Twenty-three elite male paracycling athletes (C3-T8) were assessed for neurological level/completeness of injury, autonomic completeness of injury, resting cardiovascular function, and time to complete a 17.3-km World Championship time-trial test. A subset were also fitted with heart rate (HR) monitors and their cycles were fitted with a global positioning systems device (n = 15). Thoracic SCI exhibited higher seated systolic blood pressure along with superior time-trial performance compared with cervical SCI (all P < 0.01). When further stratified by autonomic completeness of injury, the four athletes with cervical autonomic incomplete SCI exhibited a faster time-trial time and a higher average speed compared with cervical autonomic complete SCI (all P < 0.042). Maximum and average HR also tended to be higher in cervical autonomic incomplete vs autonomic complete. There were no differences in time-trial time, HR, or speed between thoracic autonomic complete vs incomplete SCI. In conclusion, autonomic completeness of injury and the consequent ability of the cardiovascular system to respond to exercise appear to be a critical determinant of endurance performance in elite athletes with cervical SCI.
More Related Videos
06:51Development of an Algorithm to Perform a Comprehensive Study of Autonomic Dysreflexia in Animals with High Spinal Cord Injury Using a Telemetry Device
Published on: July 29, 2016
06:40Activity-based Training on a Treadmill with Spinal Cord Injured Wistar Rats
Published on: January 16, 2019
Related Concept Videos
Spinal Cord Injury ll: Pathophysiology
Secondary Spinal Cord Injury llI: Pathophysiology
Pathophysiology of Cardiac Performance
Spinal Cord
Disorders of the Autonomic Nervous System
Raynaud's disease, also known as Raynaud's...
Exercise and Cardiovascular Response
Light to moderate physical activity initiates a series of interconnected responses in the body. The heart rate modestly increases in anticipation of the workout, followed by widespread vasodilation as oxygen consumption by skeletal muscles increases. This results in decreased peripheral resistance, increased capillary blood flow, and accelerated...