Stress Impact of Covid-19 in Patients with Spinal Cord Injury

Introduction 

Stress is classically described as a response to something novel, unpredictable and uncontrollable, all features of the global COVID-19 pandemic. A stressor event causes the hypothalamic secretion of corticotropin-releasing hormone and the stimulation of the medulla of the adrenal with increased catecholamines. One of the most relevant disabilities is caused by spinal cord injury (SCI). The study aimed to evaluate the blood values of stress neurotransmitters: ACTH, cortisol, prolactin, TSH, FT3 and FT4 in SCI patients infected by COVID -19, in order to measure the different ways of responding to stressor events.

Material and Method 

We have evaluated 6 patients admitted to the Spinal Unit of IRCCS Maugeri Foundation in the period between February and September 2020. The blood determination of stress neurotransmitters was being carried out on the first day of hospitalization in Spinal Unit after recovery from COVID-19.

Results 

The values of the stress neurotransmitters don’t show significant differences in comparison between all the considered SCI patients.

Conclusions 

The results highlighted the presence of a physiological response to stress in SCI patients affected by COVID 19.

Keywords 

 Covid 19; Stress; Spinal cord injury (SCI)