Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37606612›Full record

ArticleAnnals of neurology2023

Spasticity Predicts Motor Recovery for Patients with Subacute Motor Complete Spinal Cord Injury.

Sina Sangari, Bing Chen, Francis Grover, Hoda Salsabili, Manasi Sheth, Kavita Gohil, Sara Hobbs, Amanda Olson, Ines Eisner-Janowicz, Alan Anschel and 9 more

Open access · bronzeAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Annals of neurology, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
9citing papers in PubMed
5.4field-weighted citation impact, top 4% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

9 citing papers in PubMed, 21 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Review
  2. Enhanced Reticulospinal Output in Subacute Spinal Cord Injury Patients with Spasticity.The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience · 2026
    Article
  3. Article
  4. Review
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Exploring the Landscape of Biomarkers in Spinal Cord Injury.Topics in spinal cord injury rehabilitation · 2025
    Review
  8. Article
  9. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

19 authors at 5 institutions in 2 countries.

Sina SangariShirley Ryan AbilityLab, Chicago, Illinois, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7800-9959
Bing ChenShirley Ryan AbilityLab, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Francis GroverShirley Ryan AbilityLab, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Hoda SalsabiliShirley Ryan AbilityLab, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Manasi ShethShirley Ryan AbilityLab, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Kavita GohilShirley Ryan AbilityLab, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Sara HobbsShirley Ryan AbilityLab, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Amanda OlsonShirley Ryan AbilityLab, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Ines Eisner-JanowiczShirley Ryan AbilityLab, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Alan AnschelShirley Ryan AbilityLab, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Ki KimShirley Ryan AbilityLab, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
David ChenShirley Ryan AbilityLab, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Allison KesslerShirley Ryan AbilityLab, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Allen W HeinemannShirley Ryan AbilityLab, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Martin OudegaShirley Ryan AbilityLab, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Brian K KwonInternational Collaboration on Repair Discoveries (ICORD), Department of Orthopedics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Steven KirshblumKessler Institute for Rehabilitation, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey, USA.
James D GuestThe Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, USA.
Monica A PerezShirley Ryan AbilityLab, Chicago, Illinois, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9400-8657
Shirley Ryan AbilityLab · USNorthwestern University · USRutgers, The State University of New Jersey · USUniversity of British Columbia · CAUniversity of Miami · US

Funding

From Neural Control of Movement to Treatments for Spinal Cord InjuryR35NS122336 · NINDS · REHABILITATION INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO D/B/A SHIRLEY RYAN ABILITYLAB · PI Monica A Perez · 2021 to 2026
$3.6M
Grasping Function after Spinal Cord InjuryI01RX002474 · VA · MIAMI VA HEALTH CARE SYSTEM · PI PEREZ, MONICA A · 2018 to 2024
–
Repetitive Acute Intermittent Hypoxia for Spinal Cord RepairI01RX002848 · VA · EDWARD HINES JR VA HOSPITAL · PI CASELLA, GIZELDA T.B., OUDEGA, MARTIN · 2020 to 2024
–
Spinal Cord Stimulation for Functional Recovery in Humans with TetraplegiaI01RX003715 · VA · EDWARD HINES JR VA HOSPITAL · PI PEREZ, MONICA A · 2022 to 2025
–
NINDS NIH HHS R35 NS122336RRD VA I01 RX001807RRD VA I01 RX002474RRD VA I01 RX002848RRD VA I01 RX003715
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveA motor complete spinal cord injury (SCI) results in the loss of voluntary motor control below the point of injury. Some of these patients can regain partial motor function through inpatient rehabilitation; however, there is currently no biomarker to easily identify which patients have this potential. Evidence indicates that spasticity could be that marker. Patients with motor complete SCI who exhibit spasticity show preservation of descending motor pathways, the pathways necessary for motor signals to be carried from the brain to the target muscle. We hypothesized that the presence of spasticity predicts motor recovery after subacute motor complete SCI.

methodsSpasticity (Modified Ashworth Scale and pendulum test) and descending connectivity (motor evoked potentials) were tested in the rectus femoris muscle in patients with subacute motor complete (n = 36) and motor incomplete (n = 30) SCI. Motor recovery was assessed by using the International Standards for Neurological Classification of Spinal Cord Injury and the American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale (AIS). All measurements were taken at admission and discharge from inpatient rehabilitation.

resultsWe found that motor complete SCI patients with spasticity improved in motor scores and showed AIS conversion to either motor or sensory incomplete. Conversely, patients without spasticity showed no changes in motor scores and AIS conversion. In incomplete SCI patients, motor scores improved and AIS conversion occurred regardless of spasticity.

interpretationThese findings suggest that spasticity represents an easy-to-use clinical outcome that might help to predict motor recovery after severe SCI. This knowledge can improve inpatient rehabilitation effectiveness for motor complete SCI patients. ANN NEUROL 2023.

Identifiers

PMID37606612
PMCPMC11951027
OpenAlexW4386046247

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.