Association Between Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury and Psychiatric Disorders, Mental Illness and Dementia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Abstract

Study DesignSystematic review and meta-analysis.ObjectivesMeta-analysis was used to evaluate the association between traumatic spinal cord injury and mental disorders, psychological disorders, and dementia onset, and to provide a scientific basis for the prevention of traumatic spinal cord injury.MethodsA computerized search of English databases such as PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and other English databases for retrospective studies on the associations between traumatic spinal cord injury and psychiatric disorders, mental illnesses, and dementia was carried out within a timeframe of from the creation of the databases to 7 April 2024, and two researchers independently carried out the screening of the literature, extracted and collated the baseline and endpoint indicators, and assessed the quality of the literature, before conducting meta-analysis by using the Stata 15.1 software for meta-analysis.ResultsEleven papers were included, and meta-analysis showed that patients with traumatic spinal cord injury were at significantly higher risk of anxiety, depression, psychosis, dementia, insomnia, adjustment disorders, mood disorders, personality disorders, alcohol-related disorders, substance-use disorders, adjustment reactions, drug dependence, and central pain relative to patients with nontraumatic spinal cord injury (<i>P</i> < 0.05); there was no significant correlation between traumatic spinal cord injury and PTSD.ConclusionsTraumatic spinal cord injury may increase the risk of developing anxiety, depression, psychiatric disorders, and dementia; with national regional differences in the risk of developing anxiety. Clinical staff should be alert to the possibility of co-existence of psychiatric disorders, psychological disorders and dementia when diagnosing patients with traumatic spinal cord injury.