Self-reported effects of cold temperature exposure in persons with tetraplegia

Cervical spinal cord injury (tetraplegia) disrupts the body's ability to regulate blood flow to maintain core temperature in cold environments, making individuals susceptible to hypothermia. This study investigates how people with tetraplegia perceive cold and whether it limits their daily activities. The study used surveys to compare how people with tetraplegia and non-SCI controls feel in cold temperatures and whether it affects their ability to perform routine activities. The surveys asked about clothing needed for comfort, thermal discomfort, and impact on daily routines. The findings indicate that individuals with tetraplegia experience greater discomfort and limitations in performing daily activities during colder seasons compared to non-SCI controls, highlighting the need to address thermoregulatory impairment in this population.

• 1
  Persons with tetraplegia need significantly more clothing to stay comfortable indoors and outdoors compared to non-SCI individuals in the same environment.
• 2
  Individuals with tetraplegia are more likely to feel cold indoors when others are comfortable and less likely to feel comfortable both indoors and outdoors during colder months.
• 3
  Cold seasonal temperatures negatively affect the ability of individuals with tetraplegia to perform bathing routines, maintain social schedules, keep medical appointments, sleep, think clearly, and complete work duties more often than non-SCI controls.