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A Methodological Approach to Evaluating the Relationship Between Breathing and Balance in Adults Living with Chronic Spinal Cord Injury
Location: 71
Mentor: Dr. David McMillan
Title: A Methodological Approach to Evaluating the Relationship Between Breathing and
Balance in Adults Living with Chronic Spinal Cord Injury
Authors: Sophia Picciotto [1], David W. McMillan [1,2]
Affiliations: [1] The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis and [2] Department of Neurological Surgery,
University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine
Introduction: Spinal cord injury (SCI) confers obligate neurogenic restrictive and obstructive
respiratory compromise, resulting in a host of pulmonary complications co-morbid to paralysis.
Due to prevalence of mortal pulmonary infection in SCI, the interaction of respiratory
compromise and movement disorder has historically been overlooked. Viewing the trunk as a
semblant muscular hydrostat, we have designed and are conducting an experiment to evaluate
the relationship between pulmonary function and trunk control in adults living with chronic SCI.
Methods: Participants with SCI enter the laboratory and, after demographic survey, conduct an
inspiratory performance (IP) exam. This pulmonary function assessment quantifies maximal
inspiratory pressure (MIP), sustained MIP (SMIP), and inspiratory duration (ID). Following IP ,
participants then undergo the Function in Sitting Test (FIST) as modified for SCI (FIST-SCI) by a
team at University of Miami. This 14-item observational assessment of seated balance requires
simple equipment and minimal time (13.5±5.5 min). Univariate interclass linear correlation
analysis will quantify the relationship between breathing (e.g., MIP) and balance (e.g., FIST-SCI
summed score). Secondary analysis determines interaction of demographic variables (e.g., level
of SCI, etc) with primary outcome.
Hypothesis & Goals: In executing our experiment we test the hypothesis that, in SCI, respiratory
performance is related to trunk control during seated balance. Our overarching goal in this and
other projects is to model the use of a simple, accessible, and therefore scalable, tool developed
at University of Miami (i.e., FIST-SCI) in the clinical integration of breathing and balance in SCI.
