Upper gastrointestinal motility changes following spinal cord injury

Abstract

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is associated with severe autonomic dysfunction in both the acute and chronic phases. Upper gastrointestinal (GI) motor dysfunction has been previously reported in humans and rats. Gastric emptying (GE) of a solid meal--as measured by the [(13)C]-octanoic acid breath test--is delayed in the first 3 weeks after either spinal cord transection (SCT) or contusion (SCC) in rats. This is one of the main findings of a new paper by Qualls-Creekmore et al. in the current issue of this journal. Previous studies in rats only reported impairment of GE, intestinal and GI transit of liquid after SCI, but the authors observed that the delay of the GE of solid was more prominent after SCT than SCC. Recovery of the delay of GE of solid occurred at 6 weeks after SCC, but not after SCT. However, gastric motility changes persisted despite the functional normalization of the GE in rats with SCC. Bowel dysfunction is a major physical and psychological burden for SCI patients. Collaborative efforts, like the development of international standards to evaluate autonomic function after SCI will likely clarify the mechanisms of dysfunction and lead to the development of new therapeutic strategies.

Effect of quantitative assessment‐based nursing intervention on the bowel function and life quality of patients with neurogenic bowel dysfunction after spinal cord injury

“…Patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) is associated with autonomic dysreflexia (Furusawa et al, 2011), serious upper and lower neurogenic bowel dysfunction (NBD) (Preziosi & Emmanuel, 2009;Gondim, de Oliveira, & Thomas, 2010). NBD after SCI was clinically manifested by abdominal distension, intractable constipation, prolonged defecation and faecal incontinence, which seriously affected the normal life of patients (Zhu & Liu, 2012).…”

Epidemiological Study on Spinal Cord Injuries in a Hospital from North-West of Romania

“…Several treatment options, such as cell transplant methods, are being researched to overcome the disabilities that result from SCI. Most preclinical animal studies are performed in rodent models of SCI [4,[7][8][9]. The spinal cord is a vital part of the central nervous system and is housed in the spine.…”

Greatly increased prevalence of esophageal dysmotility observed in persons with spinal cord injury

“…An area of concern in the SCI population is chronic gastrointestinal (GI) dysfunction with its associated complications. Prior studies in the SCI population have demonstrated an increased incidence of abnormalities in the upper gastrointestinal tract, including gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), esophageal disorders, and delayed gastric emptying . Motility disorders of the esophagus result in a disruption or weakening of peristalsis, causing difficulty in swallowing, regurgitation of food, GERD, and at times, a spasm‐like chest pain.…”