Age Does Not Affect Neurologic Recovery After Spinal Cord Injury

MONDAY, Jan. 5, 2026 (HealthDay News) — For patients with spinal cord injury (SCI), older age does not seem to affect neurologic recovery but is associated with poorer functional outcomes, according to a study published online Dec. 23 in Neurology.

Chiara Pavese, M.D., Ph.D., from the University of Pavia in Italy, and colleagues conducted a prospective cohort study using data from patients with traumatic and ischemic SCI to examine the association between age and neurologic and functional outcomes. The analyses included 2,171 patients (51.9 percent injured at the cervical level; 50.0 percent with a motor complete injury).

The researchers found no association for older age with changes in the total motor score, but there was a significant association with reduced Spinal Cord Independence Measure total score improvement, with an estimated decline of 4.3 points per decade of age. No significant association was seen for sensory outcomes with age, while a decline in ambulation recovery was seen in association with increasing age. In patients older than 70 years, a noticeable reduction in functional recovery was seen.

“Our study indicates the need for an age-based stratification of patients in the evaluation of functional, but not neurologic, outcomes,” the authors write. “Moreover, patients older than 70 years have a reduced potential for functional recovery; therefore, their inclusion in future clinical trials that use functional outcome measures should be carefully balanced.”

Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)