Electrostimulation as a method of correction of respiratory disorders in patients with cervical spinal cord injury: A review

BACKGROUND:Patients with cervical spinal cord injury have the highest risk of developing respiratory dysfunction and associated complications such as pneumonia, atelectasis, and respiratory failure. Respiratory dysfunction is the leading cause of comorbid, somatic, and infectious pathology, and mortality following traumatic cervical spinal cord injuries. Mechanical ventilation of the lungs is the standard treatment for such patients; however, it is associated with atrophy and diaphragm dysfunction. AIM:To analyze literature data on the use of electrical stimulation techniques of the spinal cord, nerves, and muscles for the correction of respiratory disorders in patients with cervical spinal cord trauma. MATERIALS AND METHODS:This study presented the results of the search and analysis of peer-reviewed articles that examined the effects of various electrical stimulation techniques on respiratory function in patients with cervical spinal cord injury. ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, and PubMed were searched from 2000 to 2022. RESULTS:Currently, new treatment options are available for patients with tetraplegia, with reduced ventilatory function. Many studies have shown the positive effect of electrostimulation techniques on ventilatory function such as reduced time spent on mechanical ventilation and reduced incidence of infections and other lung complications. CONCLUSIONS:Electrical stimulation promotes neuromuscular plasticity and results in improved spontaneous activation of the diaphragm and respiratory muscles. Electrostimulation inacomprehensive rehabilitation program of patients with traumatic spinal cord injuries at the cervical level is currently employed to promote weaning from mechanical ventilation and prevent accompanying complications such as respiratory failure, pneumonia, and atelectasis. In addition to invasive electrical stimulation of the diaphragmatic nerve and/or spinal cord, existing less invasive electrostimulation techniques require further investigation in patients with spinal cord injury and respiratory dysfunction.