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Sensation-seeking and traumatic spinal cord injury: case-control study
A R Mawson1, K W Jacobs, Y Winchester
1Department of Pediatrics, Louisiana State University Medical Center, New Orleans 70112.
Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
|December 1, 1988
Summary
Individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) exhibit higher sensation-seeking tendencies compared to the general population. This suggests a potential link between risk-taking behaviors and the likelihood of experiencing SCI.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Neurology
- Public Health
Background:
- Sensation-seeking behaviors are complex psychological traits.
- Previous research indicated no significant differences in sensation-seeking between SCI patients and general population norms.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between sensation-seeking preferences and spinal cord injury (SCI).
- To compare sensation-seeking levels in SCI patients versus a matched control group.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective case-control study design.
- 140 male SCI patients matched with 140 controls based on age, race, gender, education, and location.
- Telephone interviews using Zuckerman's Sensation-Seeking Scale (SSS, Form V), focusing on Disinhibition (Dis) and Boredom Susceptibility (BS) subscales.
Main Results:
- Statistically significant differences in both subscale scores and the combined SSS score between SCI patients and controls.
- SCI patients scored an average of 1.6 units higher on the SSS (p = .0001).
- High SSS scorers (above 90th percentile) were younger at injury, more likely to have prior arrests, and more prone to substance use before SCI.
Conclusions:
- Sensation-seeking preferences are modestly but significantly associated with spinal cord injury.
- Individuals with higher sensation-seeking traits may be at increased risk for SCI due to associated behaviors like substance use and risk-taking.