Researchers found that the risk of fatigue is nine times greater in individuals with spinal cord injury compared to those without," said study lead Aaron Phillips, Assistant professor at university of Calgary in Canada.
Working with colleagues in canada, serbia and croatia, the team determined that fatigue and sleep issues were prevalent in people with spinal cord injury and that sleep-related breathing problems were associated with reduced brain health in this population.
The researchers also found the incidence of clinically defined sleep apnea was roughly four times greater for individuals with spinal cord injury compared to those without, and then went on to show that fatigue and trouble sleeping are related to the level and severity of the spinal cord injury. people with spinal cord injury were suffering from very disturbed breathing during sleep that was actually preventing them from carrying oxygen to vital organs like their brain," said study researcher jordan Squair.
