Role of Stem Cell Intervention on Quality of Life (QOL) in Acute Spinal Cord Injury (ASCI) Subjects—A Longitudinal Cohort Study

Presented at SMISS Annual Forum 2016
By Rajeshwar Srivastava MS
With Saloni Raj MBBS, Alka Singh MSC, Nitesh Srivastava MOT,

Disclosures: Rajeshwar Srivastava MS None Saloni Raj MBBS None, Alka Singh MSC None, Nitesh Srivastava MOT None,

Introduction

RAND 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) is a questionnaire developed to measure quality of life (QOL) which is used worldwide. SF 36 questionnaires have been well established for assessment of quality of life, functional status, and psychosocial status of such patients. After knowing the series of daily life problems (social, psychosocial or functional) faced by study subjects, we can priorities them to find solutions of urgent (or serious) problems first and others later on. Acute Spinal cord injury (ASCI) is a devastating neurological insult resulting in temporary or permanent physical disabilities of the subjects. The role of stem cell in facilitating neurological recovery in ASCI is being propagated by various researchers. This study focuses on QOL following stem cell therapy in ASCI subjects and the importance of stem cell therapy when compared with other modalities in alleviating some of the unsolved problems in these patients. 

Aims/Objectives

To study the role of stem cell intervention on quality of life (QOL) in acute spinal cord injury (ASCI) subjects. 

Methods

73 ASCI subjects undergoing surgery were divided into two groups—fixation with stem cell group1 (n=46) and fixation without stem cells group 2 (n=26). The subjects were followed
with help of SF 36 questionnaire and inferences drawn at 6 weeks,
3 months and at 6 months.

Results

Both groups were analyzed by Paired T-test for 8 variables of SF-36. Improvement in QOL in group 1 was significantly better than group 2 and this was evident from the first follow-up itself. Whereas in group1 all 8 domains of SF-36 showed significant improvement, in group 2 only 4 domains viz pain, physical functioning, role limitation due to physical health & energy/fatigue improved. 

Conclusions

The differences in the SF-36 scores between groups indicate that fixation with stem cells were effective in improving QOL in ASCI. The data is useful for assessing the health status of ASCI subjects at a given period of time and provides a new dimension in terms of QOL following stem cell intervention.