LAUSR

To examine associations between parameters of psychological wellbeing, injury characteristics, cardiovascular autonomic nervous system (ANS) control, and cognitive performance in persons with spinal cord injury (SCI) compared to age-matched uninjured controls. This is an observational, cross-sectional study including a total of 94 participants (52 with SCI and 42 uninjured controls: UIC). Cardiovascular ANS responses were continuously monitored at rest and during administration of the Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test (PASAT). Self-report scores on the SCI-Quality of Life questionnaires are reported for depression, anxiety, fatigue, resilience, and positive affect. Participants with SCI performed significantly more poorly on the PASAT compared to the uninjured controls. Although not statistically significant, participants with SCI tended to report more psychological distress and less wellbeing than the uninjured controls. In addition, when compared to uninjured controls the cardiovascular ANS responses to testing were significantly altered in participants with SCI; however, these responses to testing did not predict PASAT performance. Self-reported levels of anxiety were significantly related to PASAT score in the SCI group, but there was no significant relationship between PASAT and the other indices of SCI-Quality of Life. Altered cardiovascular ANS responses to testing did not relate to test performance. While high levels of anxiety were related to poorer PASAT performance in the SCI group, other measures of SCI-Quality of Life were not correlated with performance. Future investigations should more closely examine the relationship among cardiovascular ANS impairments, psychological disorders, and cognitive dysfunction to better elucidate the underpinnings of these deficits and to guide interventions aimed at improving physiological, psychological, and cognitive health following SCI. Tetraplegia, Paraplegia, Blood Pressure Variability, Heart Rate Variability, Cognitive, Mood.