Question explored with the scientific record
Anything on how spinal problems might affect gallbladder emptying
The short version: the evidence you retrieved does not test your hypothesis. It is almost entirely off-topic.
The retrieved studies cover spinal cord injury scales, surgical outcomes, and animal models of bladder and erectile function. None of them measure gallbladder emptying, biliary motility, or the autonomic pathways that connect the two. The closest you get is a study on heart rate variability in thoracic spinal cord injury, which shows reduced vagal modulation in paraplegic patients [21]. That is a plausible mechanism—vagal tone drives gallbladder contraction—but the study did not look at the gallbladder. Another study links autonomic neuropathy to delayed gastric emptying in diabetes [31], but that is a different disease and a different organ.
The evidence does not support or refute your hypothesis. It simply does not address it. The autonomic connection is biologically plausible, but no study here tests it. The burden of proof remains unmet.
My call: the hypothesis is plausible but unproven. Confidence: not clear—the evidence base you retrieved is empty on this question.
Sources used 42
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Reliability and minimal detectable change of the Trunk Assessment Scale for Spinal Cord Injury (TASS) and the trunk control test for individuals with spinal cord injury
This study evaluates the reliability and measurement error of the Trunk Assessment Scale for Spinal Cord Injury (TASS) and the Trunk Control Test for Spinal Cord Injury (TCT-SCI) in individuals with spinal cord injury, demonstrating high inter-rater and intra-rater reliability.
DOI: 10.1038/s41394-022-00502-0 -
The Validity of Administrative Data To Classify Patients with Spinal Column and Cord Injuries
This study evaluates the validity of administrative data in classifying spinal column and cord injuries by comparing ICD-10 codes from the Discharge Abstract Database with expert clinical diagnoses from the Rick Hansen Spinal Cord Injury Registry, revealing significant discrepan…
DOI: 10.1089/neu.2012.2441 -
Nontraumatic vs. Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury
This study compares rehabilitation outcomes between patients with nontraumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) and those with traumatic SCI, revealing that nontraumatic patients have shorter rehabilitation stays and lower charges but similar functional gains.
DOI: 10.1097/00002060-200109000-00010 -
Increased mean arterial pressure goals after spinal cord injury and functional outcome
This study investigates the relationship between mean arterial pressure goals and functional outcomes in acute spinal cord injury patients, revealing that while higher hypotensive episodes correlate with lower admission motor scores, they do not significantly affect changes in m…
DOI: 10.4103/0974-2700.155507 -
Changes in NMDA Receptor Subunit Expression in Response to Contusive Spinal Cord Injury
This study investigates the changes in NMDA receptor subunit expression in ventral motor neurons following spinal cord injury, revealing significant up-regulation of NR1 and NR2A mRNA levels in response to the injury, which may affect neuronal responses to glutamate and have imp…
DOI: 10.1046/j.1471-4159.2000.0750174.x -
Neurogenic bladder model for spinal cord injury: spinal cord microdialysis and chronic urodynamics
This study presents a neurogenic bladder model in rats to investigate neurotransmitter changes and urodynamic responses following spinal cord injury, revealing significant alterations in amino acid levels post-injury.
DOI: 10.1016/s1385-299x(01)00137-4 -
Occurrence of limb movement during sleep in rats with spinal cord injury
This study investigates the occurrence of limb movements during sleep in rats with spinal cord injury, revealing that such movements may originate from the spinal cord itself rather than cortical structures.
DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2004.05.021 -
Menstrual changes after spinal cord injury
This study investigates the menstrual changes experienced by females after spinal cord injury, revealing that 77.5% of participants experienced amenorrhea, with significant reductions in menstrual flow and dysmenorrhea post-injury.
DOI: 10.1038/s41393-022-00765-2 -
The thoracic anterior spinal cord adhesion syndrome
This study presents a series of 16 patients with chronic anterior hemicord dysfunction, proposing the term 'thoracic anterior spinal cord adhesion syndrome' (TASCAS) to describe the condition characterized by anterior thoracic cord displacement due to dural adhesions or defects,…
DOI: 10.1259/bjr/81458631 -
Quantification of Rossolimo reflexes: A sensitive marker for spondylotic myelopathy
This study evaluates and quantifies the Rossolimo reflex as a sensitive marker for assessing the severity of spinal cord dysfunction in patients with cervical and thoracic spondylotic myelopathy through electrophysiological testing.
DOI: 10.1038/sc.2010.81 -
Mechanical Circulatory Support During Repair of Thoracic Aortic Injuries Improves Morbidity and Prevents Spinal Cord Injury
A retrospective cohort at a level 1 trauma center found that mechanical circulatory support (MCS) during repair of blunt descending thoracic aortic injuries markedly reduced spinal cord injury and other organ dysfunction compared to simple cross-clamping (CC), with better neurol…
DOI: 10.1001/archsurg.1994.01420290040006 -
Replacement of the descending aorta: Recent outcomes of open surgery performed with partial cardiopulmonary bypass
This study retrospectively analyzes the outcomes of 113 patients who underwent surgical replacement of the descending aorta using partial cardiopulmonary bypass, revealing comparable risks to thoracic endoprosthesis placement despite its invasiveness.
DOI: 10.1016/j.jtcvs.2008.03.034 - Magnetic resonance imaging of the cervical spinal cord in multiple sclerosis at 7T DOI: 10.1177/1352458515591070
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Effects of intracavernous injection of P2X3 and NK1 receptor antagonists on erectile dysfunction induced by spinal cord transection in rats
In a rat model of erectile dysfunction induced by spinal cord transection, intracavernous injections of P2X3 and NK1 receptor antagonists increased intracavernous pressure and these receptors were upregulated in dorsal root ganglia and corpus cavernosum, suggesting a potential t…
DOI: 10.1111/and.12217 -
The Effect of Cigarette Smoke Exposure on Spinal Cord Injury in Rats
Chronic cigarette smoke exposure worsens early edema, blood–spinal cord barrier disruption, and oxidative stress after thoracic spinal cord injury in rats, associated with upregulation of AQP4 and HIF-1α and leads to greater short-term motor dysfunction, with no clear impact on …
DOI: 10.1089/neu.2012.2574 -
Early Changes in Respiration and Motor Activity after Spinal Cord Injury Predict Pain-Related Outcomes in Mice
In a mouse model of lower thoracic spinal cord injury, early reductions in respiration rate variability and movement predict later pain-related outcomes (mechanical hypersensitivity and thermal dysregulation), suggesting early physio-behavioral biosignatures can forecast chronic…
DOI: 10.1101/2025.08.29.672856 -
Experience with Electromyography of the External Urethral Sphincter in Spinal Cord Injury Patients
This study investigates the electromyographic activity of the external urethral sphincter in 71 male spinal cord injury patients, revealing significant discordance between the anal and external urethral sphincters and highlighting the importance of electromyography in diagnosing…
DOI: 10.1016/s0022-5347(17)53739-8 -
Validity of the Digital Inclinometer and iPhone When Measuring Thoracic Spine Rotation
This study investigates the criterion and concurrent validity of a digital inclinometer and an iPhone app for measuring thoracic spine rotation in a heel-sit position, demonstrating strong validity for both tools compared to a reference standard.
DOI: 10.4085/1062-6050-52.6.05 -
Carcinoid tumor mistaken for persistent neurogenic bowel symptoms in a patient with paraplegia: A case report
A case report of a 39-year-old man with spinal cord injury and neurogenic bowel in whom a previously undiagnosed jejunal carcinoid tumor caused persistent GI symptoms, diagnosed after endoscopic and radiologic workup, treated with surgical resection, octreotide, and radiation, h…
DOI: 10.1053/apmr.2001.21866 -
Neuroendocrine and Cardiac Metabolic Dysfunction and NLRP3 Inflammasome Activation in Adipose Tissue and Pancreas following Chronic Spinal Cord Injury in the Mouse
Chronic spinal cord injury in female mice induces multi-system neuroendocrine and inflammatory dysfunction, showing hypothalamic POMC/NPY dysregulation, leptin-signaling and RhoA/ROCK–mediated cardiac changes, and activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome with caspase-1, IL-1β and IL…
DOI: 10.1042/AN20130021 -
Heart rate variability in individuals with thoracic spinal cord injury
A cross-sectional study comparing heart rate variability in able-bodied individuals and those with thoracic spinal cord injury while seated, using time-domain, frequency-domain and nonlinear HRV analyses, finding reduced overall HRV and vagal modulation in the paraplegic group a…
DOI: 10.1038/sc.2014.207 -
Evaluating regional blood spinal cord barrier dysfunction following spinal cord injury using longitudinal dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI
Noninvasive mapping of regional blood-spinal cord barrier dysfunction after acute spinal cord injury in mice using dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI reveals spatiotemporal remodeling that correlates with diffusion tensor imaging metrics and histology.
DOI: 10.1186/1471-2342-9-10 -
Clinical assessment of spasticity in spinal cord injury: A multidimensional problem
A case-series evaluation of how well commonly used clinical scales and self-report measures capture the multidimensional nature of spasticity in spinal cord injury, revealing weak correlations between self-reports and clinical scores and among different clinical measures, thereb…
DOI: 10.1016/s0003-9993(96)90014-3 -
Oesophageal Function in Diabetes Mellitus and its Association with Autonomic Neuropathy
This study evaluates oesophageal function in diabetic patients and its association with autonomic neuropathy, revealing significant delays in water transit time and abnormal peristalsis in those with autonomic dysfunction.
DOI: 10.1111/j.1464-5491.1985.tb00656.x -
Cardiovascular autonomic function and plasma catecholamine resonses in irritable bowel syndrome
This study investigates central sympathetic function in patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) using the clonidine-growth hormone stimulation test, revealing no significant abnormalities in cardiovascular autonomic function compared to controls.
DOI: 10.1016/s0016-5085(98)83015-1 -
Effectiveness of Aldose Reductase Inhibitors for Diabetic Gastroenteropathy with Constipation.
This study presents a case of a diabetic patient with severe constipation and autonomic dysfunction who showed significant improvement in bowel motility and cardiovascular function after treatment with the aldose reductase inhibitor epalrestat, suggesting its potential efficacy …
DOI: 10.2169/internalmedicine.36.479 -
Antroduodenal Manometry Is Abnormal in Children Presenting With Orthostatic Intolerance and Gastrointestinal Symptoms
This study investigates the abnormalities in antroduodenal manometry (ADM) in children with orthostatic intolerance (OI) and gastrointestinal symptoms, revealing that 74% of subjects exhibited abnormal motility patterns, suggesting a link between autonomic dysregulation and gast…
DOI: 10.1097/mpg.0000000000001150 -
Long Term Efficacy of Gastric Electrical Stimulation for Post-Surgical Gastroparesis
A compilation of abstracts evaluating gastroparesis management via Wireless Motility Capsule safety and Gastric Electrical Stimulation, including long-term prokinetic use, efficacy across etiologies, and mechanisms of GES effects.
DOI: 10.1016/s0016-5085(17)31920-0 -
Effect of epalrestat on impairment of colonic contractile activity and ion transport in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats
This study investigates the effects of diabetes mellitus on gastric emptying and gastrointestinal motility, revealing that postprandial dysmotility correlates with the severity of autonomic neuropathy in diabetic patients.
DOI: 10.1016/S0016-5085(00)83641-0 -
Esophageal motility, vagal function and gastroesophageal reflux in a cohort of adult asthmatics
This study investigates the relationship between esophageal motility, gastroesophageal reflux (GER), and vagal function in adult asthmatics, revealing that while asthmatics exhibit peristaltic dysfunction and increased GER, their overall esophageal motility remains normal, sugge…
DOI: 10.1186/1471-230X-12-140 -
Pathophysiology of Diabetic Gastroparesis
A comprehensive exploration of the pathophysiology of diabetic gastroparesis, combining clinical symptom data, autonomic testing, visceral afferent neuropathy, and gastric myoelectrical activity measurements to argue that silent gastroparesis and visceral hypersensitivity are in…
DOI: 10.2337/diab.46.2.s77 -
Orthostatic Intolerance and Gastrointestinal Motility in Adolescents With Nausea and Abdominal Pain
This study investigates the relationship between gastric emptying, autonomic function, and postural tachycardia in adolescents experiencing nausea and abdominal pain, finding no significant predictive value of heart rate changes on tilt table tests for gastric motility abnormali…
DOI: 10.1097/MPG.0b013e318145a70c -
Ehlers Danlos syndrome and gastrointestinal manifestations: a 20‐year experience at Mayo Clinic
A 20-year Mayo Clinic retrospective study of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) patients shows GI manifestations are common across major EDS subtypes (classic, hypermobility, vascular), with constipation more prevalent in hypermobility type and various GI motility abnormalities identi…
DOI: 10.1111/nmo.12665 -
Colonic dysfunction in diabetes mellitus
This study characterizes colonic myoelectrical and motor activity in insulin-dependent diabetics with varying constipation, compares them to normals, and links postprandial colonic responses to gastric emptying and peripheral nerve function, finding impaired postprandial colonic…
DOI: 10.1016/0016-5085(80)90916-6 -
A Modified Lateral Approach to the Canine Cervical Spine: Procedural Description and Clinical Application in 16 Dogs with Lateralized Compressive Myelopathy or Radiculopathy
This study describes a modified lateral surgical approach to the cervical spine in dogs, evaluating its clinical outcomes in 16 dogs with various neurologic disorders, demonstrating generally favorable results without postoperative deterioration in neurologic status.
DOI: 10.1111/j.1532-950x.2005.00066.x -
Possible involvement of the autonomic nervous system in cervical muscles of patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis / chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS)
An observational Japanese study evaluated whether local modulation of the cervical muscles using low-frequency electrical stimulation and far-infrared irradiation is associated with recovery from ME/CFS and with autonomic nervous system indicators (pupil diameter) in 1226 hospit…
DOI: 10.1186/s12891-021-04293-7 -
Traumatic Subdural Hematoma of the Thoraco-Lumbar Junction of Spinal Cord
This study presents a case of traumatic spinal subdural hematoma at the thoraco-lumbar junction, highlighting its clinical presentation, MRI findings, and the importance of rapid surgical intervention for optimal recovery.
DOI: 10.1097/BSD.0b013e31802c2ff6 -
Neurolastin, a Dynamin Family GTPase, Regulates Excitatory Synapses and Spine Density
This study characterizes neurolastin as a unique dynamin family GTPase with E3 ligase activity, essential for maintaining dendritic spine density and endosomal dynamics in neurons.
DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2015.06.064 -
Anterior cervical spine fusion and sleep disordered breathing
This study investigates the development of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in patients following anterior cervical spine fusion, revealing that the surgical placement of anterior cervical plates can reduce upper airway size and exacerbate sleep-disordered breathing symptoms, which…
DOI: 10.1212/01.wnl.0000068163.96302.9b -
Surgical outcomes and natural history of intramedullary spinal cord cavernous malformations: a single-center series and meta-analysis of individual patient data
This study evaluates the surgical outcomes and natural history of intramedullary spinal cord cavernous malformations (ISCCMs) through a systematic review and meta-analysis of individual patient data, revealing that early surgical intervention correlates with better neurological …
DOI: 10.3171/2014.6.SPINE13949 -
2dSpAn-Auto: an automated tool for analysis of two-dimensional dendritic spine images
The study presents 2dSpAn-Auto, an automated tool for the analysis of two-dimensional dendritic spine images, which enables fast and accurate segmentation and morphological analysis across various imaging modalities, addressing the critical need for efficient dendritic spine ass…
DOI: 10.1186/s12859-025-06179-0 -
A widespread echinococcosis of the spine
This case study describes a rare instance of widespread echinococcosis of the spine in a 73-year-old man, highlighting the challenges in diagnosis and treatment due to the extensive spread of the infection.
DOI: 10.1136/jnnp.2009.198341