Search

Study design:Prospective longitudinal study.Objectives:The aim of this study was to examine the effects of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) on the soleus H reflex in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) before and after locomotion training.Setting:Neurorehabilitation hospital in Barcelona, Spain.Methods:H reflex was elicited in 29 incomplete patients with SCI at 20, 50 and 80 ms after single vertex TMS, and compared with 13 healthy subjects. Patients were subdivided in two groups according to time since injury (<3 months, 3–12 months), and all received training with electromechanical systems. The H reflex modulation pattern to TMS was reassessed and the results were analyzed as a function of change in the patient clinical score.Results:Healthy subjects showed a significant H reflex facilitation at 20 ms (186.1%) and at 80 ms (190.6%) compared with the control H reflex. In patients, the H reflex facilitation at 20 ms was significantly reduced before training (142.5%, P=0.039) compared with healthy subjects. After training, patients with <3 months exhibited an increase in H reflex facilitation at 20 ms (170.7%, P=0.04), a greater gait velocity (P=0.014) and a positive correlation with the walking index for spinal cord injury (WISCI II) scale (P=0.050), compared with those with >3 months.Conclusions:TMS-induced H reflex modulation may help in the assessment of changes in the descending control of leg reflexes. Our results suggest that the changes on reflex modulation in patients with SCI occur within the first 3 months after injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To i) compare baseline clinical and demographic characteristics of post-acute stroke inpatients who were diagnosed with first-time urinary tract infection (UTI) vs inpatients who were not ii) compare rehabilitation outcomes between both groups and iii) examine associations between time to UTI event and risk factors., Design: Retrospective observational cohort study SETTING: Institution for inpatient neurological rehabilitation., Participants: Inpatients (n=1683) admitted within 3 months post-stroke to a rehabilitation facility between 2005 and 2023., Interventions: Not applicable., Main Outcome Measures: Functional Independence Measure (FIM), Functional Ambulation Categories (FAC) at admission. Cox proportional hazards models analyzed the association between UTI event timing and risk factors., Results: Of the (n=1683) included patients, 196 (11.6%) experienced a UTI. In 32.1% of cases, the UTI occurred during the first week after admission to rehabilitation and 47.9% of UTIs occurred during the first two weeks. Median (IQR) time to UTI was 16 (5-37) days since admission. Most common germs were Escherichia coli (40.5%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (23.7%) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (6.4%). Patients who acquired a UTI had older age, higher stroke severity, higher proportion of dysphagia, hypertension, neglect, bilateral affectation, atrial fibrillation, hemiplegia, lower levels of functional independence and lower FAC. We identified no differences in sex, type of stroke (ischemic or hemorrhagic), time to admission, aphasia, diabetes, dyslipidemia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, dominant side affected and educational level between both groups. Patients with UTI presented significantly poorer rehabilitation outcomes including lower discharge FIM and FAC, larger LOS, lower FIM efficiency and decreased FIM effectiveness. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards identified hypertension HR=1.60(1.13-2.27), admission FIM HR=0.98(0.97-0.99), admission BMI HR=0.96(0.93-0.99) and admitted with catheter HR= 1.80(1.22-2.64) as significant predictors of time to first UTI event (Concordance-index = 0.754)., Conclusions: UTIs identification, characterization, and predictive factors can support post-acute stroke mitigation strategies to minimize UTI-related complications and optimize rehabilitation outcomes., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Background: In-hospital falls are frequent post-stroke medical complications and will remain of concern because it may not be possible to prevent all of them. We aimed to i) compare admission clinical and sociodemographic characteristics between fallers and non-fallers ii) determine falls characteristics iii) compare length of stay (LOS), discharge functional independence, ambulation and destination between fallers and non-fallers., Methods: A matched case-control study, comparing individuals (n = 302) who fell during inpatient post-acute rehabilitation, matched (on time to admission, age and motor Functional Independence Measure (mFIM)) to individuals (n = 302) who didn´t fall, admitted within 3 months post-injury to a center between 2008 and 2023. Ambulation was assessed using the Functional Ambulation Category (FAC)., Results: Mean age at admission was 50±8 years. No baseline differences were seen between groups in the proportion of patients with aphasia, diabetes, dyslipidemia, hypertension, neglect, atrial fibrillation, dysphagia, dominant side affected, medication for depression, FAC assessment, body mass index and educational level. A first-fall in the first week was experienced by 22.2 % and in the first three weeks by 54.3 %. Most falls occurred at the patients' room (75.1 %) mostly due to distractions (55.3 %) and transferring without help (32.4 %) with 18 % occurring in the bathroom, fallers were alone in 68.6 % of the cases. Fallers had an 8-day longer mean LOS compared to non-fallers, yet there were no differences in discharge mFIM or FAC scores. While non-fallers had a higher proportion of poor mFIM outcomes (28.5 % vs. 17.9 %) and no ambulation (20.7 % vs. 12.4 %), fallers showed greater mFIM gains (26 vs. 22 points). Discharge destinations were similar across both groups., Conclusions: Despite no baseline differences, fallers experienced longer stays with comparable independence and ambulation scores at discharge. Most falls occurred in patients' rooms during unsupervised activities. Preventive recommendations have been provided to address these risks and enhance patient safety., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background and Purpose: Aquatic therapy (AT), though potentially effective, lacks studies on clinical efficacy in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI). A recent study analyzing interviews with rehabilitation professionals on its clinical application reported that the scarce evidence of AT benefits was one of the actual barriers to its successful integration into clinical practice. We seek to provide evidence by comparing independence in activities of daily living (ADLs) and functional ambulation capacity in patients following rehabilitation which included AT and matched controls who followed rehabilitation without AT (non-AT)., Methods: Functional Independence Measure (FIM), Spinal Cord Independence Measure (SCIM-III), Walking Index for Spinal Cord Injury (WISCI-II) and its minimal clinically important difference (WISCI-II/MCID) were assessed. The AT group followed the Halliwick concept. We performed nonparametric nearest-neighbor k:1 matching for age, time since injury to admission, FIM at admission, level of injury (paraplegia/tetraplegia), completeness and cause of injury (traumatic, non-traumatic). The rehabilitation program comprised four daily hours of intensive treatment from the multidisciplinary team. Both groups received the same total number of rehabilitation hours at the same specialized clinical center and were admitted to follow inpatient rehabilitation within 2 months after injury., Results: A total of 29 patients with SCI who followed AT (admitted between 2017 and 2023) were compared to historical matches selected from 551 inpatients with SCI (admitted between 2014 and 2023). For k = 1, the groups showed no significant differences in gains, efficiency, or effectiveness in FIM and SCIM-III; significant differences were observed in WISCI-II gain (p = 0.018) and WISCI-II efficiency (p = 0.046) in favor of the AT group; the proportion of patients achieving WISCI-II/MCID was significantly higher for the AT group (75.9% vs. 48.3%) (p = 0.030). These results were confirmed for k = 2., Conclusion: The AT group performed similarly in independence for performing ADLs and significantly better in ambulation than the matched historical controls., (© 2024 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Introduction: The ABLE Exoskeleton has been tested to be safe and feasible for persons with spinal cord injury (SCI) to complete basic skills in clinical settings but has not been tested for use in home and community environments. A user-centered design process was employed to test the feasibility of the current ABLE Exoskeleton (designed for clinical use) for persons with SCI to perform the basic and advanced skills required for home and community environments, to gain crucial feedback for the development of a novel personal-use exoskeleton., Methods: In this prospective pretest-posttest quasi-experimental study across two SCI centers (Germany, Spain), in-and outpatients with SCI were included into a 22-session training and assessment protocol, utilizing the ABLE Exoskeleton. Feasibility and usability measures [level of assistance (LoA) for basic and advanced skills, donning/doffing-time and LoA] were recorded together with safety outcomes, and participant and therapist satisfaction with the device., Results: 10 participants (44.4 ± 24 years), with SCI from C5 to T11, (American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale A-D) completed the study. In 209 sessions, six device-related adverse events (pain and skin lesions) were reported. Average total time for don and doff was 10:23 ± 3:30 min. Eight participants were able to complete don and doff with minimal assistance or less. Independence to carry out all skills in the device increased significantly for all participants ( p  < 0.05). Participants with chronic SCI required a significantly ( p  < 0.05) lower LoA for six of the nine advanced skills than those in the sub-acute phase., Discussion: This study shows that the ABLE Exoskeleton is safe, feasible and usable for people with SCI in respect to independent donning, doffing and performance of basic and advanced exoskeleton skills. The supervised exoskeleton use in the clinical environment was a highly valuable approach for identifying the challenging tasks and the necessary technological developments that need to be carried out for a personal-use exoskeleton, including a more independent sit-to-stand transition, faster speed of transitions between states and a richer display on the remote control for the user., Clinical Trial Registration: https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05643313., Competing Interests: AC-C, HL-M, and EP were employees of ABLE Human Motion S.L., the sponsor of the clinical investigation when the study was conducted, and the publication prepared. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Nadorf, Wright, López-Matas, Porras, Carnicero-Carmona, Hensel, Franz, Weidner, Vidal, Opisso and Rupp.)

Background: To overcome the application limitations of functional electrical stimulation (FES), such as fatigue or nonlinear muscle response, the combination of neuroprosthetic systems with robotic devices has been evaluated, resulting in hybrid systems that have promising potential. However, current technology shows a lack of flexibility to adapt to the needs of any application, context or individual. The main objective of this study is the development of a new modular neuroprosthetic system suitable for hybrid FES-robot applications to meet these needs., Methods: In this study, we conducted an analysis of the requirements for developing hybrid FES-robot systems and reviewed existing literature on similar systems. Building upon these insights, we developed a novel modular neuroprosthetic system tailored for hybrid applications. The system was specifically adapted for gait assistance, and a technological personalization process based on clinical criteria was devised. This process was used to generate different system configurations adjusted to four individuals with spinal cord injury or stroke. The effect of each system configuration on gait kinematic metrics was analyzed by using repeated measures ANOVA or Friedman's test., Results: A modular NP system has been developed that is distinguished by its flexibility, scalability and personalization capabilities. With excellent connection characteristics, it can be effectively integrated with robotic devices. Its 3D design facilitates fitting both as a stand-alone system and in combination with other robotic devices. In addition, it meets rigorous requirements for safe use by incorporating appropriate safety protocols, and features appropriate battery autonomy, weight and dimensions. Different technological configurations adapted to the needs of each patient were obtained, which demonstrated an impact on the kinematic gait pattern comparable to that of other devices reported in the literature., Conclusions: The system met the identified technical requirements, showcasing advancements compared to systems reported in the literature. In addition, it demonstrated its versatility and capacity to be combined with robotic devices forming hybrids, adapting well to the gait application. Moreover, the personalization procedure proved to be useful in obtaining various system configurations tailored to the diverse needs of individuals., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

High-quality and accessible education is crucial for advancing neuropsychology. A recent study identified key barriers to board certification in clinical neuropsychology, such as time constraints and insufficient specialized knowledge. To address these challenges, this study explored the capabilities of advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI) language models, GPT-3.5 (free-version) and GPT-4.0 (under-subscription version), by evaluating their performance on 300 American Board of Professional Psychology in Clinical Neuropsychology-like questions. The results indicate that GPT-4.0 achieved a higher accuracy rate of 80.0% compared to GPT-3.5's 65.7%. In the "Assessment" category, GPT-4.0 demonstrated a notable improvement with an accuracy rate of 73.4% compared to GPT-3.5's 58.6% (p = 0.012). The "Assessment" category, which comprised 128 questions and exhibited the highest error rate by both AI models, was analyzed. A thematic analysis of the 26 incorrectly answered questions revealed 8 main themes and 17 specific codes, highlighting significant gaps in areas such as "Neurodegenerative Diseases" and "Neuropsychological Testing and Interpretation.", (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background: Most research focuses around impairments in body function and structure, with relatively only a small number exploring their social impact., Objectives: 1) compare characteristics for individuals who before stroke were blue collar vs. white collar workers 2) identify clinical, functional, and job-related factors associated with return to work within 1 year after discharge 3) identify specific ADL individual items (assessed at rehabilitation discharge) as return to work predictors and 4) identify return to work causal mediators., Methods: Retrospective observational cohort study, analyzing adult patients with stroke admitted to rehabilitation between 2007 and 2021, including baseline Barthel Index (BI) and return to work assessments between 2008 and 2022. Kaplan-Meier survival curves and Cox proportional hazards were applied. Causal mediation analyses using 1000-bootstrapped simulations were performed., Results: A total of 802 individuals were included (14.6% returned to work), 53.6% blue-collar and 46.4% white-collar. Blue-collar workers showed significantly higher proportion of ischemic stroke, diabetes, dyslipidemia, and hypertension.Individuals not returning to work presented a higher proportion of blue collar, dominant side affected, aphasia, lower BI scores, and larger length of stay (LOS). Multivariable Cox proportional hazards identified age at injury, aphasia, hypertension, and total discharge BI score (C-Index = 0.74). Univariable Cox models identified three independent BI items at all levels of independence: bathing (C-Index = 0.58), grooming (C-Index = 0.56) and feeding (C-Index = 0.59). BI efficiency (gain/LOS) was a causal mediator., Conclusion: Blue collar workers showed higher proportion of risk factors and comorbidities. Novel factors, predictors, and a return to work mediator were identified.

Context: Being able to survive in the long-term independently is of concern to patients with spinal cord injury (SCI), their relatives, and to those providing or planning health care, especially at rehabilitation discharge. Most previous studies have attempted to predict functional dependency in activities of daily living within one year after injury ., Objectives: (1) build 18 different predictive models, each model using one FIM (Functional Independence Measure) item, assessed at discharge, as independent predictor of total FIM score at chronic phase (3-6 years post-injury) (2) build three different predictive models, using in each model an item from a different FIM domain with the highest predictive power obtained in objective (1) to predict "good" functional independence at chronic phase and (3) adjust the 3 models from objective (2) with known confounding factors., Methods: This observational study included 461 patients admitted to rehabilitation between 2009 and 2019. We applied regression models to predict total FIM score and "good" functional independence (FIM motor score ≥ 65) reporting adjusted R 2 , odds ratios, ROC-AUC (95% CI) tested using 10-fold cross-validation., Results: The top three predictors, each from a different FIM domain, were Toilet (adjusted R 2  = 0.53, Transfers domain), Toileting (adjusted R 2  = 0.46, Self-care domain), and Bowel (adjusted R 2  = 0.35, Sphincter control domain). These three items were also predictors of "good" functional independence (AUC: 0.84-0.87) and their predictive power increased (AUC: 0.88-0.93) when adjusted by age, paraplegia, time since injury, and length of stay., Conclusions: Discharge FIM items accurately predict long-term functional independence.

Purpose: Existing literature on pediatric traumatic spinal cord injury (PTSCI) demonstrates large variations in characteristics, incidence, time-periods and etiology, worldwide. Epidemiological studies addressing injuries to the total spine, conducted in Southern European regions are remarkably scarce; therefore we aimed to investigate long-term trends analyzing etiology, fracture location and type, single or multiple fractures, associated lesions and neurological status in Catalonia, Spain., Methods: We conducted a retrospective observational study. We analyzed post-acute patients after PTSCI, aged 0-17, admitted with neurological deficits between 1986 and 2022 to a specialized hospital in Catalonia. Neurological deficits were assessed using the American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale (AIS)., Results: Two hundred and forty nine children were included, 174 (69.9%) boys and 75 (30.1%) girls; mean age was 13.9 years (range, 2 months to 17 years). Two hundred and four children (82%) had ≥ 1 spinal fractures, 66 (26.5%) dislocations and 8 (3.2%) SCIWORA. Fractures were multilevel contiguous in 108 (43.4%) cases. Fracture types comprised 81 vertebral compactions (32.5%), 22 burst fractures (8.8%), 7 odontoid (2.8%) and 4 tear-drops (1.6%). There were ≥ 1 associated lesions in 112 cases (45%): in limbs in 23 cases (9.2%), thorax or abdomen in 59 (23.7%) and skull or face in 81 (32.5%). In 44 cases (39% of the 112) there were multiple lesions. Locations comprised cervical spine in 105 cases (42%), thoracic spine in 124 (49%), lumbar spine in 18 (7%), and sacrum in 2 (0.8%). Road traffic accidents (RTAs) were the main etiology (62.2%) over the whole period. However, from 2016 onwards, RTAs dropped below the rate of falls and sports injuries. The most common sites for injury in those aged 9 years or older were in the cervical (41.1%) and thoracic (50.7%) regions. Those aged 8 or under were far more likely to sustain a complete SCI (80.0%) or an accompanying traumatic brain injury (45.0%) likely due to higher numbers of pedestrian versus car RTAs. A significant peak in the occurrence of cases during 2006-2010 (20.1%) was identified with an absolute drop immediately after, during 2011-2015 (8.8%). A marked shift in trend is observed between 2016-2022 regarding age of injuries (an increase in 9 years or older), etiology (increase in falls and sports versus RTA), AIS grade (increase in incomplete lesions AIS B-D versus AIS A), severity (increase in tetraplegia versus paraplegia) and location (increase in cervical versus lumbar and thoracic injuries)., Conclusions: A shift in trend is observed in the past 7 years regarding age of injuries (increase in those older than 9), etiology (increase in falls and sports versus RTA), AIS grade (increase in incomplete lesions AIS B-D versus AIS A), severity (increase in tetraplegia versus paraplegia) and location (increase in cervical)., Level of Evidence: IV., Competing Interests: Declarations. Conflict of interest: The authors report no conflict of interest., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Context/objective: Community integration (CI) is a crucial rehabilitation goal after spinal cord injury (SCI). There is a pressing need to enhance our understanding of the factors associated with CI for individuals with traumatic or non-traumatic etiologies, with the latter being notably understudied. Accordingly, our research explores the associations and potential mediators influencing CI across these populations., Setting: Specialized neurological rehabilitation center., Participants: Community-dwelling individuals who were admitted as inpatients within 3 months post-injury ( n  = 431, 51.9% traumatic, 48.1% non-traumatic), assessed in relation to community integration within 1-3 years after discharge., Outcome Measure: Community Integration Questionnaire (CIQ). Covariates: American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale (AIS), Functional Independence Measure (FIM) and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS)., Results: Multiple linear regression yielded age, B AIS grade, educational level (< 6 years and <12 years), time since injury to admission, length of stay, HADS-depression at discharge, total FIM at discharge and three social work interventions (support in financial, legal and transportation services) as significant predictors of total CIQ score (Adjusted R 2  = 41.4). Multiple logistic regression identified age, traumatic etiology, educational level (< 6 years and <12 years), length of stay, HADS depression at discharge, total FIM at discharge and one social work intervention (transportation support) as significant predictors of good community integration, AUC (95% CI): 0.82 (0.75-0.89), Sensitivity:0.76, Specificity:0.73. We identified motor FIM at discharge and motor FIM efficiency as causal mediators of total CIQ., Conclusions: We identified modifiable factors during rehabilitation-functional independence, depression, and social work interventions-that are associated with CI.

Background: Telerehabilitation in spinal cord injury (teleSCI) is a growing field that can improve access to care and health outcomes in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI). The clinical effectiveness of teleSCI is not known., Objectives: To compare independence in activities of daily living and mobility capacity in patients following teleSCI and matched controls undergoing traditional rehabilitation., Design: Matched case-control study., Setting: TeleSCI occurring in home setting (cases) versus traditional rehabilitation on inpatient unit (controls)., Participants: Forty-two consecutive patients with SCI followed with teleSCI were compared to 42 historical rehabilitation inpatients (controls) matched for age, time since injury to rehabilitation admission, level of injury (paraplegia/tetraplegia), complete or incomplete injury, and etiology (traumatic/nontraumatic). The teleSCI group (n = 42) was also compared to the complete cohort of historical controls (n = 613)., Interventions: The teleSCI group followed home-based telerehabilitation (3.5 h/day, 5 days/week, 67 days average duration) and historical controls followed in-person rehabilitation., Main Outcome Measure(s): The Functional Independence Measure (FIM), the Spinal Cord Independence Measure (SCIM) and the Walking Index for Spinal Cord Injury (WISCI). We formally compared gains, efficiency and effectiveness. International Standards for Neurological Classification of Spinal Cord Injury and the American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale (AIS) were used., Results: The teleSCI group (57.1% nontraumatic, 71.4% paraplegia, 73.8% incomplete, 52.4% AIS grade D) showed no significant differences compared with historical controls in AIS grades, neurological levels, duration, gains, efficiency and effectiveness in FIM, SCIM, or WISCI, although the teleSCI cohort had significantly higher admission FIM scores compared with the complete cohort of historical controls., Conclusions: TeleSCI may provide similar improvements in mobility and functional outcomes as traditional rehabilitation in medically stable patients (predominantly with paraplegia and motor incomplete SCI) when provided with appropriate support and equipment., (© 2023 American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.)

Introduction: Digital solutions for cognitive assessment are currently not only widely used in experimental contexts but can also be useful in clinical practice for efficient screening and longitudinal follow-up. The "Guttmann Cognitest" ® , which includes seven computerized tasks designed to assess main cognitive functions, revealed in a previous validation study to be a potential useful tool to assess cognitive functioning in healthy middle-aged adults., Method: Here, we present results from a validation in two different populations: one consisting of older adults, and the other comprising young and middle-aged individuals, some of them affected by acquired brain injury. To perform a convergent validity test, older adults were also administered with the MOCA, while young and middle-aged individuals were administered with a short neuropsychological assessment including gold-standard neuropsychological tests. We also conducted sensitivity and specificity analysis to establish the utility of this instrument in identifying potential cognitive dysfunctions in the two groups., Results: Results demonstrated strong convergent validity as well as good specificity and sensitivity characteristics., Discussion: This tool is a valid and useful instrument to assess cognitive functioning and detecting potential cases of cognitive dysfunctions in older adults and clinical populations., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Cattaneo, Roca-Ventura, Heras, Anglada, Missé, Ulloa, Fankhauser, Opisso, García-Molina and Solana-Sánchez.)

Background: As the world population continues to age, the prevalence of neurological diseases, such as dementia, poses a significant challenge to society. Detecting cognitive impairment at an early stage is vital in preserving and enhancing cognitive function. Digital tools, particularly mHealth, offer a practical solution for large-scale population screening and prompt follow-up assessments of cognitive function, thus overcoming economic and time limitations., Objective: In this work, two versions of a digital solution called Guttmann Cognitest ® were tested., Methods: Two hundred and one middle-aged adults used the first version (Group A), while 132 used the second one, which included improved tutorials and practice screens (Group B). This second version was also validated in an older age group (Group C)., Results: This digital solution was found to be highly satisfactory in terms of usability and feasibility, with good acceptability among all three groups. Specifically for Group B, the system usability scale score obtained classifies the solution as the best imaginable in terms of usability., Conclusions: Guttmann Cognitest ® has been shown to be effective and well-perceived, with a high potential for sustained engagement in tracking changes in cognitive function., Competing Interests: The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article., (© The Author(s) 2024.)

Background: Most studies focus on the risk factors associated with the development of pressure ulcers (PUs) during acute phase or community care for individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI)., Objectives: This study aimed to i) compare clinical and demographic characteristics of inpatients after SCI with PUs acquired during rehabilitation vs inpatients without PUs and ii) evaluate an existing PU risk assessment tool iii) identify first PU predictors., Methods: Individuals (n = 1,135) admitted between 2008 and 2022 to a rehabilitation institution within 60 days after SCI were included. Admission Functional Independence Measure (FIM), American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale (AIS) and mEntal state, Mobility, Incontinence, Nutrition, Activity (EMINA) were assessed. Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox proportional hazards models were fitted., Results: Overall incidence of PUs was 8.9%. Of these, 40.6% occurred in the first 30 days, 47.5% were sacral, 66.3% were Stage II. Patients with PUs were older, mostly with traumatic injuries (67.3%), AIS A (54.5%), lower FIM motor (mFIM) score and mechanical ventilation. We identified specific mFIM items to increase EMINA specificity. Adjusted Cox model yielded sex (male), age at injury, AIS grade, mFIM and diabetes as PUs predictors (C-Index = 0.749)., Conclusion: Inpatients can benefit from combined assessments (EMINA + mFIM) and clinical features scarcely addressed in previous studies to prevent PUs.