Evaluate the perispinal neurovascular response (NVR) in a pilot case-control study of 3 incomplete spinal cord transection patients, using non-invasive functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). The NVR was evaluated in 3 patients with SCI (one AIS-C and two AIS-B) using fNIRS and compared with a healthy group of 42 subjects. NVR was triggered by painless electrical stimulation of the median nerve. HbO2 changes were measured with an 8-channel fNIRS at cervical and lumbar levels. Patient 1 (T12 injury, 8-month rehabilitation) shows near-normal NVR in the lower thoracic channels, consistent with AIS-C recovery. Patient 2 (T11 injury, 10-month rehabilitation, severe neuropathic pain) with AIS-B status, and Patient 3 (T7 injury, 36-month rehabilitation) exhibited attenuated upper-thoracic NVR responses, correlating with AIS-B status. Median nerve conduction velocities were normal across patients. fNIRS detected distinct NVR patterns correlated with injury level and rehabilitation progress, suggesting its utility for tracking functional recovery. This first-in-human application highlights fNIRS as a promising tool for assessing spinal cord injury.
Appelgren-Gonzalez et al. (Wed,) studied this question.