Spinal Cord Injury and Artificial Intelligence

December 20, 2023

Introduction:

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a life-changing event that can be caused by either a disease or trauma (1). Car accidents, falls, and violence, including suicide attempts, are the main causes of SCI, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) (2). The spinal cord carries messages between the brain and the body, which allows people to move and feel sensations. Trauma to the spine can damage the spinal cord, which leads to blocked communication between the brain and the body. In SCI, movement and sensation become interrupted, which results in loss of function, paralysis, and loss of sensation. Apart from the devastating adaptation of suddenly not being able to walk, SCI can cause pain, changes in sexual function, loss of bowel and/or bladder control, and spasms, along with other physical and mental symptoms (3). SCI can be categorized as a complete or incomplete injury. More than half of those who get damage to the spinal cord have a complete injury, which results in total loss of motor and sensory function below the damaged site. Some people have incomplete injuries and do retain and recover some function.

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