Biomedical subjects

Christina V Oleson

Publications and source records attributed to Christina V Oleson.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2005

Prognostic value of pinprick preservation in motor complete, sensory incomplete spinal cord injury.

OBJECTIVE: To assess sacral and lower-extremity pinprick preservation as prognostic indicators for ambulation in motor complete, sensory incomplete spinal cord injury (SCI). DESIGN: Retrospective analysis. SETTING: Twenty-eight tertiary care centers in the United States and Canada. PARTICIPANTS: Subjects (N=131; mean age, 31.6y) with motor complete, sensory incomplete SCI. INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Ambulation at 26 and 52 weeks postinjury (modified Benzel scale). RESULTS: A higher percentage of subjects with sacral pinprick preservation at baseline were ambulating at 26 (39.4% vs 28.3%) and 52 weeks (53.6% vs 41.5%). This finding did not reach statistical significance. The presence of sacral pinprick preservation at 4 weeks postinjury was significant for predicting ambulation at 52 weeks postinjury (36.0% vs 4.4%, P =.011) and approached significance at 26 weeks (15.2% vs 0.0%, P =.056). Significant differences in ambulation rates were also observed between subjects, based on the presence of baseline lower-extremity pinprick preservation (>/=50% of lower-extremity L2-S1 dermatomes) at both 26 (50.0% vs 28.8%, P =.048) and 52 weeks (66.7% vs 40.3%, P =.023) after injury. CONCLUSIONS: Baseline lower-extremity pinprick preservation and sacral pinprick preservation at 4 weeks postinjury are associated with an improved prognosis for ambulation.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Effects of smoking on neuropathic pain in two people with spinal cord injury.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: To describe an apparent relationship between smoking and the neuropathic pain experience in people with spinal cord injury (SCI). METHOD: Case Reports. PARTICIPANTS/METHODS: Two individuals treated at a rehabilitation center. The first was a 38-year-old white man with a T1 2 SCI, American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) impairment scale (AIS) A, secondary to motor vehicle crash. Duration of injury was 14 years. He reported burning pain in his legs, and has smoked 1/2 pack per day for the last 15 years. The second was a 55-year-old African American man with a T6 SCI, AIS A, secondary to gunshot wound. Duration of injury was 22 years. He was a 40-year 1/2 to 1 pack per day smoker, who, after injury, consistently experienced burning, radicular pain, rated 7/10, around the level of the injury. SUMMARY: The first subject rated his pain as 4/10 when not smoking and 7/10 when smoking. The pain subsided 30 minutes after smoking was discontinued. He noted an immediate increase in neuropathic pain when smoking. The second subject quit smoking for 1 month and immediately noted that the pain disappeared, rating it 0/10. After he resumed smoking, his radicular pain was 8.5/10 in the morning and 5/10 in afternoon. CONCLUSIONS: No similar reports have been published, based on a MEDLINE search. Nicotinic receptors have been implicated in pain perception. It is unclear to what extent these 2 cases generalize to the SCI population. We plan to explore this via survey and experimental research. Smoking cessation may have a dual benefit of increased health and decreased neuropathic pain.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

Transverse myelitis secondary to coexistent Lyme disease and babesiosis.

OBJECTIVE: To describe transverse myelitis secondary to coexistent Lyme disease and babesiosis. METHOD: Case report. BACKGROUND: A 74-year-old man presented with rapid onset of weakness, numbness, and tingling in his legs, with symptoms ascending to his hands and forearms within days. He recalled an insect bite to his scapular area 2 weeks earlier. FINDINGS: T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated diffuse hyperintensity from T1 through T12. Western blot and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay identified infection with Borrelia burgdorferi, the spirochete responsible for Lyme disease. Giemsa-stained blood smears identified ring forms later recognized by polymerase chain reaction as Babesia microti, the piroplasm responsible for babesiosis. Initial examination revealed C7 motor and T3 sensory complete tetraplegia, with recovery to T4 paraplegia by 2 months. CONCLUSION: The history, physical examination, imaging, and serologic studies were consistent with transverse myelitis related to Lyme disease and babesiosis. The severity and permanence of this patient's deficits were greater than those reported in the majority of previous cases of transverse myelitis due to Lyme disease alone, suggesting a possible role for coinfection with babesiosis.

Aged↗

PubMed2002

Bone density in competitive figure skaters.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the bone mineral density (BMD) of competitive female teenage figure skaters with a history of fracture with the BMD of skaters without fracture and to compare each group to age-matched, nonathletic controls. DESIGN: Retrospective age-matched cohort. SETTING: Tertiary care medical center and 3 local skating clubs. PARTICIPANTS: Thirty-six adolescent female competitive skaters (10 with fracture, 26 without fracture) to 22 age-matched controls. INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: BMD was estimated by quantitative ultrasound. RESULTS: Skaters who had suffered stress fractures had BMD values comparable with those of healthy nonathletic controls. However, skaters who had not suffered stress fractures had calcaneal BMD values 15% to 24% greater than either the controls or skaters with fractures. Among the skaters without fracture, there was a 14% to 19% higher calcaneal BMD in skaters who executed triple jumps relative to skaters who performed only double jumps. Furthermore, there was 7% to 11% greater BMD in the landing foot of the skaters relative to the takeoff foot. CONCLUSIONS: Stress fractures in adolescent skaters are not caused by low bone mass but may result from excessive forces placed on a normal skeleton. Our findings also support the hypothesis that higher peak forces are applied to the landing foot relative to the takeoff foot.

Adolescent↗