Browse the latest research summaries in the field of nutrition & dietetics for spinal cord injury patients and caregivers.
Showing 1-10 of 103 results
The Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine, 2023 • January 1, 2023
A 56-year-old female veteran with multiple sclerosis (MS) implemented a time-restricted eating (TRE) program, eating all calories within a 6-hour window, to combat weight gain. Over 6 months, the pati...
KEY FINDING: The patient experienced significant weight loss (7.2 kg based on self-report, 9.5 kg from 1 year prior based on Veterans Affairs (VA) measurements).
The Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine, 2024 • January 1, 2024
The study examined the impact of sufficient energy intake within the first 3 days of admission on functional outcomes and body weight change during hospitalization in patients with CSCI undergoing reh...
KEY FINDING: Sufficient energy intake within the first 3 days of admission did not affect functional outcomes in patients with CSCI.
Spine Surg Relat Res, 2023 • July 1, 2023
This retrospective cohort study examined the nutritional time course in individuals with acute traumatic cervical spinal cord injury (CSCI). The study found that individuals with more severe paralysis...
KEY FINDING: Individuals with severe paralysis (AIS A, B, or C) were significantly more undernourished than those with mild paresis (AIS D) three months after the injury.
American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 2023 • May 1, 2023
This qualitative study investigates informal caregivers’ perceptions of facilitators for successful weight management in people with SCI. The study identifies key themes related to healthy eating, exe...
KEY FINDING: Healthy eating is facilitated by factors like healthy food content (vegetables, fruits, lean protein), self-control, self-management in eating habits, and a pre-injury lifestyle that incorporated healthy eating.
Br J Nutr, 2024 • February 14, 2024
This study compared different methods of estimating energy needs and protein intake in people with chronic spinal cord injury (SCI). The study found that a SCI-specific method for estimating energy ne...
KEY FINDING: The SCI-specific method for EER had the best agreement with the EEI and did not significantly overestimate it.
The Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine, 2025 • September 27, 2023
This study investigates the age-dependent effects of vitamin D supplementation on musculoskeletal health in chronic SCI patients with vitamin D deficiency. The results indicate that vitamin D suppleme...
KEY FINDING: In younger adults with SCI, vitamin D supplementation led to significant improvements in testosterone, total cholesterol, and triglyceride levels.
Frontiers in Immunology, 2023 • November 8, 2023
This study investigates the impact of zinc status on spinal cord injury (SCI) pathology in mice, revealing that zinc deficiency exacerbates inflammation and impairs axonal regeneration, leading to wor...
KEY FINDING: Zinc deficiency after SCI promotes the translocation of NF-kB in macrophages, leading to a pro-inflammatory phenotype and increased expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines.
Food & Nutrition Research, 2024 • March 25, 2024
This study assessed malnutrition in SCI patients using GLIM criteria, finding a high prevalence of malnutrition. The MUST screening tool showed moderate agreement but failed to identify all malnourish...
KEY FINDING: 62% of subacute SCI patients were malnourished according to the GLIM criteria.
J Clin Med Res, 2024 • April 30, 2024
Patients with SCI face a significant risk of malnutrition, necessitating adequate monitoring of their nutritional status over time and consideration of TDEE changes across different disease phases. Fu...
KEY FINDING: Patients with acute SCI typically exhibit an energy expenditure up to 54% lower than those without.
Scientific Reports, 2024 • June 5, 2024
This study investigated the effects of nutritional factors on the occurrence of pneumonia after cervical spinal cord injury (CSCI). The results showed that low nutritional status, severe paralysis, an...
KEY FINDING: Low nutritional status, indicated by a PNI ≤ 38.7, was a significant risk factor for pneumonia after CSCI (OR 3.35; 95% CI 1.19–9.39).