Sensory perception in complete spinal cord injury.
OBJECTIVE
To describe sensations evoked by painful or repetitive stimulation below injury level in patients with a clinically complete (American Spinal Injury Association, ASIA Grade A) spinal cord injury (SCI).


METHODS
Twenty-four patients (11 with central neuropathic pain and 13 without pain) with a traumatic SCI above the tenth thoracic vertebra were examined using quantitative sensory testing, MR imaging, and somatosensory evoked potentials (SEP).


RESULTS
Painful (pressure, pinch, heat or cold) or repetitive (pinprick) stimuli elicited vague localized sensations in 12 patients (50%). Pain, spasticity, and spasms were equally seen in SCI patients with or without localized sensations. SEP and MRI did not differentiate between these two groups.


CONCLUSIONS
The present study suggests retained sensory communication across the injury in complete SCI, i.e. 'sensory discomplete' SCI.
Finnerup
N B
NB
Departments of Neurology and Danish Pain Research Centre Neuroradiology Clinical Neurophysiology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.
Gyldensted
C
C
Fuglsang-Frederiksen
A
A
Bach
F W
FW
Jensen
T S
TS
D000328:Adult; D005073:Evoked Potentials, Somatosensory / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009437:Neuralgia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D009619:Nociceptors / Q000503:physiopathology*; D017288:Pain Threshold / Q000502:physiology; D012678:Sensation Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology