A Longitudinal Examination of Aging With a Spinal Cord Injury: Cardiovascular, Cerebrovascular and Cognitive Consequences
Condition: Spinal Cord Injury
MeSH terms: Spinal Cord Injuries; Wounds and Injuries
Study type: Observational

Summary: 
      The general population is aging, today 12% of the United States population is older than 65
      and it is estimated that by 2020 the number of people in the United States older than 65 will
      outnumber children younger than 5. As the general population ages, the spinal cord injury
      (SCI) population is also aging and it is estimated that 14% is older than 60. Although
      persons with SCI are living longer, life expectancy remains below that of the general
      population with cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases accounting for more than 25% of
      all deaths since 1995. Similar to findings in the general population, BP dysregulation may
      impact cognitive function, and investigators reported poorer performance on tasks of memory
      and attention processing in hypotensive individuals with SCI compared to a normotensive SCI
      cohort. Thus, it is imperative that investigators work to minimize the impact of cognitive
      deficits on these aspects of life quality in persons with SCI as they age. Therefore the
      goals of this study are: Study 1) to compare cardiovascular, cerebrovascular and cognitive
      function and fMRI between older individuals with SCI (50-75 years) and older age-matched
      controls and Study 2) to determine 3-5 year longitudinal changes in cardiovascular,
      cerebrovascular and cognitive function and fMRI in relatively young individuals with SCI
      (28-54 years) compared to relatively young age-matched controls.
    

Detailed description: 
      All potential subjects will undergo a two-part screening process which consists of an initial
      screening via telephone and a detailed, in-person screening. Eligible subjects will be
      invited to participate in a 4 hour laboratory visit during which their arterial stiffness,
      blood pressure, heart rate, respiration rate and, blood flow to the brain will be monitored
      at rest and during a comprehensive series of cognitive tests. For Study 1 (cross-sectional),
      40 older (50-75 years) individuals with SCI and 20 age-matched non-SCI controls will be
      recruited. For study 2 (longitudinal), 30 individuals (28-54 years) with SCI and 20
      age-matched non-SCI will be recruited from previous enrollment in the Impact of Age on
      Cardiovascular, Cerebrovascular and Cognitive Health in SCI study to learn the longitudinal
      changes in cardiovascular, cerebrovascular and cognitive health.
    

Intervention name(s): Longitudinal
Intervention type(s): Other
Intervention description(s): Participants that completed the Impact of Age on Cardiovascular, Cerebrovascular, Cerebrovascular and Cognitive Health study, will be re-assessed again to compare longitudinal (3-5 years) change in blood pressure, cerebral blood flow, arterial stiffness and cognitive health.
Observational model: Case-Control
Time perspective: Cross-Sectional
Sampling method: Non-Probability Sample
Study population: 
        Study 1) 40 older (50-75 years) individuals with SCI and 20 age-matched non-SCI controls.

        Study 2) 30 individuals (28-54 years) with SCI and 20 age-matched non-SCI controls.
        Participants will be recruited from the Impact of Age on Cardiovascular, Cerebrovascular
        and Cognitive Health study.
      
Keywords: autonomic dysreflexia; baroreceptor integrity; sympathetic integrity; vagal integrity; autonomic integrity; arterial stiffness; cognitive function; traumatic brain injury; cerebral blood flow; white matter hyperintensities; cerebral vascular resistance index