Can spinal cord injury patients show a worsening in ASIA impairment scale classification despite actually having neurological improvement? The limitation of ASIA Impairment Scale Classification

Gündoğdu, I.; Akyüz, M.; Oztürk, E. A.; Cakcı, F. A.

doi:10.1038/sc.2014.89

SAFETYLIT WEEKLY UPDATE

We compile citations and summaries of about 400 new articles every week.

RSS Feed

HELP: Tutorials | FAQ

CONTACT US: Contact info

Search Results

Journal Article

Can spinal cord injury patients show a worsening in ASIA impairment scale classification despite actually having neurological improvement? The limitation of ASIA Impairment Scale Classification
Citation	Gündoğdu I, Akyüz M, Oztürk EA, Cakcı FA. Spinal Cord 2014; 52(9): 667-670.
Affiliation	Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation, Ministry of Health Ankara Diskapi Yildirim Beyazit Education and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
Copyright	(Copyright © 2014, International Spinal Cord Society, Publisher Nature Publishing Group)
DOI	10.1038/sc.2014.89
PMID	24891005
Abstract	BACKGROUND:In our clinical training program, which includes probable American Spinal Injury Association impairment scale (AIS) grade changes in the event of recovery, we have noticed some confounding results regarding the AIS grading in spinal cord injury (SCI) patient case examples who are expected to recover. We also observed an individual case that showed a conflict between AIS grade conversion and neurological changes in European Multicenter Study on Human Spinal Cord Injury study.Study design:The analysis of SCI case examples for the probable AIS grade changes in the event of recovery. OBJECTIVES:To demonstrate the possible problems with AIS classification in SCI cases involving presumed motor and sensory changes, and to clarify the possible causes of the inverse relationship between the motor/sensory changes and AIS conversion in certain conditions.Setting:Ankara, Turkey. METHODS:We studied the case examples of reference from the 2011 revision of International Standards for the Neurological Classification of Spinal Cord Injury. RESULTS:We encountered the same unique problem of deteriorating AIS grades within the critical zones of conversion when presumed neurological improvement took place, and vice versa. CONCLUSION:When recovery occurs without observing any motor or sensory changes while taking only the AIS into account, it would be possible to make an incorrect conclusion. This is most likely an indication of a limitation of the AIS. To enlighten this paradox, the large amount of data in SCI databases should be reanalyzed.Spinal Cord advance online publication, 3 June 2014; doi:10.1038/sc.2014.89. Language: en