Article

Prospective cohort study. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the changes in
resting energy expenditure and body composition over time in a cohort of patients
with spinal cord injury during acute treatment, rehabilitation, and 2 years after
the end of rehabilitation. METHODS: Adult patients admitted for acute treatment
and rehabilitation after traumatic spinal cord injury were recruited.
Measurements of resting energy expenditure and body composition were scheduled at
2, 6, 10 and 14 weeks after spinal cord injury, at the end of rehabilitation, and 2 years later. RESULTS: Patients' mean age was 38.8 years (standard deviation
14.0). Resting energy expenditure began to decrease up to the 10-week measurement
(p = 0.02) and further decreased after the 130-week measurement (p< 0.001). Body
weight was already decreased after the 6-week measurement (p< 0.01) and increased
after the end of rehabilitation (p = 0.009). Percentage body fat mass showed
similar changes. CONCLUSION: After an initial decrease in resting energy
expenditure, body weight and percentage of body fat, these values levelled off
during the rehabilitation period. After the end of the rehabilitation period,
body weight and body fat mass increased again to the baseline levels, whereas
resting energy expenditure decreased further. These results suggest that
rehabilitation programmes should focus on adapting to these foreseeable changes.

Langue : ANGLAIS