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Brain Sciences
Special Issues
Spinal Cord Injury: Biomarkers, Neuroimaging and Therapeutic Approaches
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Spinal Cord Injury: Biomarkers, Neuroimaging and Therapeutic Approaches

A special issue of Brain Sciences (ISSN 2076-3425). This special issue belongs to the section "Neurorehabilitation".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 March 2026 | Viewed by 108

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Alaa Abd-Elsayed

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Anesthesiology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI 53715, USA
Interests: neuromodulation; pain; discogenic pain; knee degenerative disease
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Spinal cord injury represents a challenge in medical practice: it is increasing in incidence and patients experience a lower quality of life. However, innovations are on the rise for treatment of spinal cord injuries. Therapies for this condition remain in their infancy with a large gap in knowledge about the condition and appropriate therapeutic approaches. There is also shortage in available treatment modalities for treating different spinal cord injuries. The complexity of spinal cord injuries stem from the different types and the impact on different organs and functions.

The aim of this Special Issue is to discuss the recent innovations in diagnosis and treatment of spinal cord injuries. We hope this Special Issue will shed light on a very serious condition that causes significant disabilities and poses a large economic burden on health care systems all over the world.

Recent innovations in the diagnosis and management of spinal cord injuries include neuromodulation, rehabilitation and surgery. All types of research, including review articles.

Dr. Alaa Abd-Elsayed
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Brain Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • spinal cord
  • injury
  • neuromodulation
  • surgery
  • injury
  • innovations

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

20 pages, 821 KB  
Article
Non-Invasive Cervical Spinal Stimulation and Respiratory Recovery After Spinal Cord Injury: A Randomized Controlled Trial with a Partial Crossover Design
by Hatice Kumru, Agustin Hernandez-Navarro, Sergiu Albu and Loreto García-Alén
Brain Sci. 2025, 15(9), 982; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci15090982 (registering DOI) - 12 Sep 2025
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Respiratory impairment is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in participants with spinal cord injury (SCI). Cervical SCI (cSCI) severely compromises respiratory function due to paralysis and weakness of the respiratory muscles. Recent evidence suggests that transcutaneous electrical spinal cord [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Respiratory impairment is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in participants with spinal cord injury (SCI). Cervical SCI (cSCI) severely compromises respiratory function due to paralysis and weakness of the respiratory muscles. Recent evidence suggests that transcutaneous electrical spinal cord stimulation (tSCS) may enhance motor strength and promote functional recovery. Therefore, cervical tSCS, applied at cervical segments, holds potential as a therapeutic strategy to improve respiratory function in participants with cervical SCI. Methods: This randomized controlled trial with a partial crossover design included participants with both complete and incomplete cSCI. Neurological assessments were used, as well as tests to evaluate pulmonary function maximum inspiratory pressure (MIP), maximum expiratory pressure (MEP), and spirometric measurements. These assessments were conducted at baseline and after the last session. The experimental group received tSCS at the C3–C4 and C6–C7 cervical spinal levels, delivered at a frequency of 30 Hz during occupational therapy. The control group underwent identical occupational therapy sessions without stimulation. Each session lasted 30 min and was conducted over eight days. Results: Fifteen participants with cSCI received tSCS, while 11 cSCI participants were included in the control group. Seven participants took part in both groups. Only the tSCS group showed significant improvements in MIP, MEP, and forced vital capacity (p < 0.05), while no significant changes were observed in the control group. Conclusions: tSCS applied at the cervical segments can promote respiratory function following cervical SCI. This approach may support neuroplasticity and help reduce long-term respiratory complications in participants with cervical SCI. However, to confirm these effects, long-term stimulation protocols and follow-up studies in larger SCI populations are required. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Spinal Cord Injury: Biomarkers, Neuroimaging and Therapeutic Approaches)
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