Sensory deprivation in spinal cord injury--an essay

Abstract

Due to altered or absent sensation below the level of the lesion, and varying degrees of preserved motor function, the spinal cord patient is limited in his/her ability to increase sensory feedback via interaction with the environment. The sequelae of this in the acute spinal cord patient could be likened to a state of sensory deprivation. Drawing inferences from the sensory deprivation literature of the 1950s and 1960s, in which university students volunteered to be placed in sensory deprivation chambers, is far from accurate. However, the research stimulates thought into the combined effects of immobilization, social isolation, and sensory deprivation-all of which the acute spinal cord patient is likely to experience. This state of sensory deprivation appears to lessen with time, regardless of the persistence of the impairment. The essay hypothesizes that neuroadaptive processes occur and proposes to the use of sensory stimulation, particularly in the spinal intensive care unit, to facilitate this adaptation.