A new study published in the American Academy of Neurology’s medical journal Neurology® on December 23, 2025, examines how age affects recovery for people with spinal cord injuries.
“Due to population growth and medical advances, the number of people diagnosed with spinal cord injuries is increasing, and the average age at time of injury is rising,” said study author Chiara Pavese, MD, of the University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy. “Despite significant advances in medicine and surgery over the past few decades, recovery rates after spinal cord injury have remained unchanged. Our results may help researchers design studies tailored to the age of the population to evaluate new treatments and approaches for patients with spinal cord injuries.”
The researchers found that older age did not seem to affect neurological recovery, such as motor or sensory abilities. However, the study found that older adults had worse functional recovery, including the ability to take care of themselves, such as eating, bathing, managing their bladder and bowel movements, and moving around. Recovery was also poor in tests of walking ability, such as how quickly the patient could walk short distances with or without assistance such as a cane.
The study involved 2,171 people, with an average age of 47 years, admitted to spine units participating in the European Multicenter Study on Spinal Cord Injuries. People were followed for one year after injury. During that time, they tested their abilities. The researchers looked at the relationship between age and how much ability a person regained over a year.
There was no relationship between age and neurological outcomes, including upper and lower body strength and the ability to detect light touch and pinprick injuries.
However, researchers found that older people were more likely to have worse functional recovery than younger people. For tests of independence in activities of daily living such as eating, bathing, bladder and bowel control, and mobility, the overall score ranges from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating better recovery. Participants had an average score of 31 points upon admission to the spine care unit after injury. After one year, the score averaged 35 points. Researchers found that test scores decreased by 4.3 points for every 10 years of age. Older adults had lower improvements in all tests of walking ability than younger adults.
These results explained the types of spinal cord injuries people suffered and their severity.
The researchers also found that functional recovery was significantly reduced in people over 70.
“People over the age of 70 require a special approach to rehabilitation that takes into account the possibility that they have other conditions, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes or osteoporosis, and supports recovery that can be applied to everyday life,” Pavese said.
A limitation of this study was that a significant number of people included in the original database were no longer included after a year, and there was limited information available about why they dropped out of the study and whether they died during that time. Those who dropped out of the study or died may have been different as a group from those who remained in the study, which could affect the results.
The research was supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation, the Wings for Life Research Foundation, the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program, the Swiss Cantonal Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation, and the Italian Ministry of Health.
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American Academy of Neurology
