Assessment of quality of life in relation to spasticity severity and socio-demographic and clinical factors among patients with spinal cord injury

The Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine, 2020 · DOI: 10.1080/10790268.2018.1543093 · Published: January 1, 2020

Spinal Cord Injury Participation Neurology

Simple Explanation

This study investigated how the severity of spasticity, along with other factors, affects the quality of life (QOL) in individuals with spinal cord injuries (SCI). It also aimed to identify factors that predict poor QOL in these patients. The study found that more severe spasticity is associated with lower QOL scores, particularly in the areas of physical health and social relationships. This suggests that managing spasticity could improve the QOL for people with SCI. The research also highlights the importance of bladder management techniques, as voluntary voiding (normal bladder function) was linked to better physical health scores. This indicates that addressing bladder dysfunction is crucial for enhancing overall QOL in SCI patients.

Study Duration

Not specified

Participants

110 patients with SCI

Evidence Level

Descriptive cross-sectional study

Key Findings

1
Patients with more severe spasticity had significantly lower scores in physical health, social relationships, and overall QOL.
2
Severity of spasticity was identified as a significant predictor of decreased WHOQOL-BREF total scores, physical domain scores, and social relations domain scores.
3
Voluntary voiding was found to be a significant predictor of increased WHOQOL-BREF physical domain scores compared with bladder management via catheter use.

Research Summary

This study assessed the impact of spasticity severity, socio-demographic, and clinical factors on the quality of life (QOL) of patients with spinal cord injury (SCI). The findings revealed that greater spasticity severity negatively impacts QOL, particularly in the domains of physical health and social relationships, among Turkish SCI patients. The study concludes that considering spasticity severity in rehabilitation and employing appropriate bladder dysfunction management are important for improving QOL in SCI patients.

Practical Implications

Rehabilitation Strategies

Rehabilitation programs should prioritize the management of spasticity to improve patients' physical health and social interactions.

Bladder Management

Focus on achieving voluntary voiding where possible, as it is associated with better physical QOL scores.

QOL Assessments

Regularly assess the QOL of SCI patients, taking into account the severity of spasticity and bladder management techniques, to tailor interventions effectively.

Study Limitations

1
The cross-sectional design made it impossible to establish any cause and effectrelationships.
2
Lack of data on other variables with a potential impact on QOL such as anxiety, depression, social support and physical activity participation is another limitation
3
given the lack of a national SCI registry in Turkeyand limited data available on this subject, our findings represent a valuable contribution to the literature.

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