[Cardiovascular disorders in paraplegic patients]

Abstract

While the consequences of damage to the sensorimotor nervous system in spinal cord injury are obvious, autonomic dysreflexia often goes unrecognised. Spinal cord injury affecting the cord above the fifth thoracic segment involves interruption of the connection between brain and sympathetic nervous system and, below the level of the lesion, the sacral parasympathetic nervous system. The isolated spinal cord continues to function, except for the directly damaged segment, but there is no central control. The autonomic nervous system below the level of the lesion can trigger severe reactions from the cardiovascular system which diminish quality of life and even promote severe morbidity. Autonomous malfunction can also have clinical effects in relation to thermoregulation and gastrointestinal, genital and urinary tract function.