Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41711677›Full record

SynthesisThe journal of spinal cord medicine2026

The role of short-chain fatty acids in spinal cord injury: A systematic review of human and animal evidence.

Sina Rinderknecht, Alessandro Bertolo, Ezra Valido, Stevan Stojic, Samford Wong, Gary J Farkas, Priya Iyer, Ivana Jaric, Jivko Stoyanov, Marija Glisic

Abstract readSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in The journal of spinal cord medicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
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

1 citing paper in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
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

10 authors.

Sina RinderknechtInstitute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Alessandro BertoloSwiss Paraplegic Research, Nottwil, Switzerland.
Ezra ValidoSwiss Paraplegic Research, Nottwil, Switzerland.
Stevan StojicSwiss Paraplegic Research, Nottwil, Switzerland.
Samford WongNational Spinal Injuries Centre, Stoke Mandeville Hospital, Aylesbury, UK.
Gary J FarkasDepartment of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA.
Priya IyerThe University of Sydney, Nutrition and Dietetics Group, Susan Wakil School of Nursing and Midwifery, The Charles Perkins Centre, Sydney, Australia.
Ivana JaricInstitute of Laboratory Animal Sciences, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Jivko StoyanovInstitute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Marija GlisicInstitute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

contextSpinal cord injury (SCI) disrupts gut microbiota composition, resulting in dysbiosis that can worsen neuroinflammation and impede post-injury recovery. Short-chain fatty acids (SCFA), metabolites produced by the gut microbiome with anti-inflammatory properties, offer a promising avenue for improving recovery and rehabilitation outcomes.

objectiveWe aimed to compile a summary of the human and animal evidence on the potential benefits of SCFA or SCFA  - producing bacteria in individuals with SCI.

methodsThree databases (EMBASE, Medline (Ovid) and Web of Science) were searched from inception until 19 October 2023. No language restrictions were applied. Title and abstract screening, data extraction and risk of bias assessments were done independently by two reviewers.

resultsA total of 2492 studies were retrieved, 69 full-text studies were reviewed, and 13 studies were included (11 animal and 2 human). Human studies, which involved participants with chronic SCI, linked gut dysbiosis (a proxy for low SCFA production) and human metabolic profiles, suggesting a potential role for microbiome-targeted interventions even in later stages of injury. Evidence from animal studies, predominantly in acute and sub-acute models of SCI, consistently associated SCFA interventions with improved motor function, reduced tissue damage and favorable changes in inflammatory and oxidative stress markers. Fecal microbiota transplantation and probiotics improved motor function and reduced lesion size in animal models. Gut microbiome modulations through treatments such as melatonin, moxibustion, and intermittent fasting was correlated with improved motor outcomes and increased abundance of SCFA-producing bacteria.

conclusionsThis review highlights the potential of targeting the gut microbiota and SCFAs as therapeutic strategies for SCI recovery. However, despite promising results in animal models, human evidence remains limited.

Indexed as

DysbiosisFatty Acids, VolatileGastrointestinal MicrobiomeSpinal Cord InjuriesAnimalsHumansFatty Acids, VolatileMicrobiomeNeurological recoveryRehabilitationShort-chain fatty acidsSpinal cord injurySystematic review

Identifiers

PMID41711677
PMCPMC13591990

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
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Registered trials

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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.