Intrathecal baclofen for autonomic instability due to spinal cord injury

Auton Neurosci. 2009 Mar 12;146(1-2):106-10. doi: 10.1016/j.autneu.2008.12.003. Epub 2009 Jan 20.

Abstract

Autonomic dysreflexia may occur following spinal cord injury above mid-thoracic level, commonly developing in the early posttraumatic period. Cardiovascular dysregulation is the most prominent feature, characterized by paroxysmal high blood pressure attacks, which are precipitated by distension of urinary bladder or bowels, skin wounds, or increased spastic muscle tone. Severe drops in blood pressure may occur in orthostatic conditions. Baclofen is effective for treating spasticity. While orally administered baclofen often fails to alleviate severe spasticity adequately, intrathecal baclofen (ITB) is more effective and thus is being used increasingly. A 61-year-old male sustained a cervical spinal cord injury, subsequently developing severe spastic tetraparesis, predominantly in the legs. Some 30 years later he experienced marked spasms of the muscles of the abdominal wall, leading to extreme fluctuations of blood pressure. After positive evaluation with ITB the patient underwent implantation of a pump-catheter-system for continuous ITB application. Abdominal wall spasms ceased entirely with a daily dose of 190 microg ITB, accompanied by a sustained normotensive blood pressure profile. However, spasms reoccurred after inadvertent reduction of ITB flow when increasing the pump's ITB concentration but subsided again when the optimal antispastic dose was reestablished. Baclofen per se has the potential of lowering blood pressure. In this patient, however, ITB treatment enabled permanent stabilization of insidious blood pressure fluctuations. It would appear that suppression of abdominal spasms prevented the triggering of dysautonomic crises. This case demonstrates that ITB administration may help to stabilize autonomic dysreflexia and orthostatic hypotension in patients with spinal cord lesions.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Abdominal Wall / physiopathology*
  • Antihypertensive Agents / therapeutic use
  • Autonomic Dysreflexia / drug therapy*
  • Autonomic Dysreflexia / etiology
  • Autonomic Dysreflexia / physiopathology
  • Baclofen / administration & dosage
  • Baclofen / therapeutic use*
  • Benzimidazoles / therapeutic use
  • Biphenyl Compounds
  • Humans
  • Hypertension / drug therapy
  • Hypertension / etiology
  • Hypertension / physiopathology
  • Hypertension / prevention & control*
  • Infusion Pumps, Implantable
  • Injections, Spinal
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Paraplegia / etiology
  • Shy-Drager Syndrome / etiology
  • Shy-Drager Syndrome / prevention & control
  • Spasm / drug therapy*
  • Spasm / etiology
  • Spinal Cord Injuries / complications*
  • Spinal Cord Injuries / physiopathology
  • Tetrazoles / therapeutic use

Substances

  • Antihypertensive Agents
  • Benzimidazoles
  • Biphenyl Compounds
  • Tetrazoles
  • Baclofen
  • candesartan