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The Relationship Between Age and Recovery After Spinal Cord Injury
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Date
2026-01-27
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Journal Article
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Abstract
Background and Objectives Spinal cord injury (SCI) incidence is rising among the elderly, yet the relationship between age and recovery remains controversial. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between age and neurologic and functional outcomes and to identify an age cutoff associated with a decline in recovery. Methods We conducted a prospective cohort study using data from patients with traumatic and ischemic SCI enrolled in the European Multicenter Study about Spinal Cord Injury between 2001 and 2022. Linear regression models assessed the relationship between age and changes from baseline to 1 year after SCI in the total motor score (TMS) of the International Standards for Neurological Classification of Spinal Cord Injury (ISNCSCI) and in the Spinal Cord Independence Measure (SCIM) total score. Additional analyses examined the relationship between age and the evolution of ISNCSCI light-touch and pinprick scores, as well as ambulation parameters (6-minute walking test, 10-meter walking test, and Walking Index for Spinal Cord Injury). Models were adjusted for baseline scores, sex, year of injury, American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale (AIS) grade, and level of injury. The age cutoff was determined using a change-point model. Results A total of 2,171 patients (median age 47 years, 77.9% male, 51.9% injured at the cervical level, and 50.0% with a motor complete injury [AIS-A and AIS-B]) were included in the analysis. Increased age was not associated with changes in TMS (p = 0.896) but was significantly associated with reduced SCIM improvement (p < 0.001), with an estimated decline of 4.3 SCIM points per decade of age. Sensory outcomes were not significantly affected by age (Delta light-touch: p = 0.273; Delta pinprick: p = 0.520) while ambulation recovery declined with increasing age (all outcomes p < 0.01). A noticeable reduction in functional recovery was observed in patients older than 70 years. Discussion Older age does not seem to affect neurologic recovery but is linked to poorer functional and ambulation outcomes. These findings, including the identified age cutoff, should inform future clinical trial design and guide tailored care strategies for older adults with SCI.
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NEUROLOGY
Volume
106 (2)