Effects of Spinal Cord Injury Site on Cardiac Autonomic Regulation: Insight from Analysis of Cardiovascular Beat by Beat Variability during Sleep and Orthostatic Challenge

Purpose: The goal of this study on Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) patients with cervical or thoracic lesion was to assess whether disturbances of ANS control, according to location, might differently affect vagal and sympatho-vagal markers during sleep and orthostatic challenge. We analyzed with linear and nonlinear techniques beat-by-beat RR and arterial pressure (and respiration) variability signals, extracted from a polysomnographic study and a rest–tilt test. We considered spontaneous or induced sympathetic excitation, as obtained shifting from non-REM to REM sleep or from rest to passive tilt. We obtained evidence of ANS cardiac (dys)regulation, of greater importance for gradually proximal location (i.e., cervical) SCI, compatible with a progressive loss of modulatory role of sympathetic afferents to the spinal cord. Furthermore, in accordance with the dual, vagal and sympathetic bidirectional innervation, the results suggest that vagally mediated negative feedback baroreflexes were substantially maintained in all cases. Conversely, the LF and HF balance (expressed specifically by normalized units) appeared to be negatively affected by SCI, particularly in the case of cervical lesion (group p = 0.006, interaction p = 0.011). Multivariate analysis of cardiovascular variability may be a convenient technique to assess autonomic responsiveness and alteration of functionality in patients with SCI addressing selectively vagal or sympathetic alterations and injury location. This contention requires confirmatory studies with a larger population.