An observational study in Autonomic Dysreflexia, Spinal Cord Injuries and Disorders (SCI/D) and Cardiac Remodeling, sponsored by Swiss Paraplegic Research, Nottwil. Recruiting at 1 site in Switzerland. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-08-27.
Sponsored by Swiss Paraplegic Research, Nottwil · Observational
This case-control study aims to investigate left ventricular remodeling in individuals with chronic spinal cord injury or disease (SCI/D) (≥10 years) and autonomic dysreflexia (AD) who have no prior cardiovascular history. The primary objective is to compare cardiac changes between 24 individuals with high-level SCI/D (above Th6) who have AD and 24 individuals with low-level SCI/D (below Th10) who do not have AD. A secondary objective examines how factors such as age, sex, injury duration, and physical activity are associated with cardiac remodeling.
All 48 participants will undergo cardiac MRI as well as blood measurement of B-type natriuretic peptid to assess cardiac morphology and function. The findings could shed light on a potentially underestimated cardiovascular risk factor in the SCI/D population.
Participants will be recruited from all patients with a chronic spinal cord injury arriving for a routine urology check-up at the Swiss Paraplegic Center in Nottwil, Switzerland
Exclusion Criteria:
Spinal Cord Injury, above Th6, AIS A or B, Autonomic Dysreflexia
Spinal Cord Injury, below Th10, AIS A or B, no Autonomic Dysreflexia
Left ventricular end-diastolic volume (ml)
Left ventricular end-diastolic volume assessed by cardiac MRI
Time frame: baseline
Left ventricular mass (g)
Left ventricular mass assessed by cardiac MRI
Time frame: baseline
Left ventricular end systolic volume (ml)
Left ventricular end systolic volume assessed by cardiac MRI
Time frame: baseline
Left ventricular ejection fraction (%)
Percentage of blood pumped out of the heart's left ventricle with each contraction assessed by cardiac MRI
Time frame: baseline
B-type natriuretic peptide level (pg/ml)
B-type natriuretic peptide levels in blood serum
Time frame: baseline
biological sex
biological sex assigned at birth
Time frame: at enrolment
age (years)
age
Time frame: at enrolment
body height (cm)
body height
Time frame: at enrolment
body mass (kg)
body mass
Time frame: at enrolment
duration of spinal cord injury or disease (years)
time from occurrence of spinal cord injury or disease to study enrolment
Time frame: at enrolment
level of physical activity
self-reported hours of physical activity per week used to stratify participants into three groups: 1) not performing regular physical activity 2) exercising one to three hours per week and 3) more than three hours per week
Time frame: at enrolment
Plan to share: No
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Swiss Paraplegic Research, Nottwil