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Context: A previously healthy 40-year-old woman experienced a sudden complete tetraplegia (C8, AIS-A)., Findings: MRI revealed a C6/C7 disc herniation surrounded by an epidural haematoma., Conclusion/clinical Relevance: Physicians must recognize acute, non-traumatic disc herniation as a potential cause of spinal cord injury, urging prompt diagnosis and intervention.

Introduction: Long-term analgesic effect of intrathecal baclofen was reported in individuals with spinal cord injury. We conducted a prospective study to evaluate the effect of intrathecal baclofen on subtypes of neuropathic pain and its interference with general activity., Materials and Methods: Nine spinal cord injury individuals who presented with severe spasticity and moderate to severe neuropathic pain received intrathecal baclofen via an implanted pump. We applied the ASIA Impairment Scale to assess spinal cord injury severity. Neuropathic pain was evaluated by numerical rating scale, Neuropathic Pain Symptom Inventory, and Brief Pain Inventory. Evaluations were performed at baseline and after at least 6 months of continuous intrathecal baclofen treatment., Results: Intrathecal baclofen led to significant pain reduction as measured by numerical rating scale, Neuropathic Pain Symptom Inventory, and Brief Pain Inventory (p < 0.05). Improvements were significant for paroxysmal pain and dysesthesia and for pain interference with general activity, as assessed by the Brief Pain Inventory (p < 0.05). There was a significant relationship between the time since spinal cord injury and changes in paroxysmal pain as well as in the total Neuropathic Pain Symptom Inventory score (p < 0.05). The baclofen dose correlated also to the percentage changes in neuropathic pain improvement and sleep (p < 0.003)., Conclusions: The present results provide evidence that intrathecal baclofen effectively reduces neuropathic pain, particularly paroxysmal pain and dysesthesia, and improves pain interference and overall well-being in individuals with spinal cord injury. Clinicians should be aware of this less well-known beneficial effect of intrathecal baclofen and should consider such a treatment option for better control of neuropathic pain in individuals with spinal cord injury., Competing Interests: Declarations. Conflict of interest: The authors have no competing interests to declare that are relevant to the content of this article., (© 2024. The Author(s) under exclusive licence to Belgian Neurological Society.)

(1) Background: Restoring arm and hand function is one of the priorities of people with cervical spinal cord injury (cSCI). Noninvasive electromagnetic neuromodulation is a current approach that aims to improve upper-limb function in individuals with SCI. The aim of this study is to review updated information on the different applications of noninvasive electromagnetic neuromodulation techniques that focus on restoring upper-limb functionality and motor function in people with cSCI. (2) Methods: The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines were used to structure the search protocol. A systematic review of the literature was performed in three databases: the Cochrane Library, PubMed, and Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro). (3) Results: Twenty-five studies were included: four were on transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), four on transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), two on transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation (tSCS), ten on functional electrical stimulation (FES), four on transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), and one on neuromuscular stimulation (NMS). The meta-analysis could not be completed due to a lack of common motor or functional evaluations. Finally, we realized a narrative review of the results, which reported that noninvasive electromagnetic neuromodulation combined with rehabilitation at the cerebral or spinal cord level significantly improved upper-limb functionality and motor function in cSCI subjects. Results were significant compared with the control group when tSCS, FES, TENS, and NMS was applied. (4) Conclusions: To perform a meta-analysis and contribute to more evidence, randomized controlled trials with standardized outcome measures for the upper extremities in cSCI are needed, even though significant improvement was reported in each non-invasive electromagnetic neuromodulation study.

Transcutaneous multisegmental spinal cord stimulation (tSCS) has shown superior efficacy in modulating spinal locomotor circuits compared to single-site stimulation in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI). Building on these findings, we hypothesized that administering a single session of tSCS at multiple spinal segments may yield greater enhancements in muscle strength and gait function during stimulation compared to tSCS at only one or two segments. In our study, tSCS was applied at single segments (C5, L1, and Coc1), two segments (C5-L1, C5-Coc1, and L1-Coc1), or multisegments (C5-L1-Coc1) in a randomized order. We evaluated the 6-m walking test (6MWT) and maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) and assessed the Hmax/Mmax ratio during stimulation in ten individuals with incomplete motor SCI. Our findings indicate that multisegmental tSCS improved walking time and reduced spinal cord excitability, as measured by the Hmax/Mmax ratio, similar to some single or two-site tSCS interventions. However, only multisegmental tSCS resulted in increased tibialis anterior (TA) muscle strength. These results suggest that multisegmental tSCS holds promise for enhancing walking capacity, increasing muscle strength, and altering spinal cord excitability in individuals with incomplete SCI.