Risk Factors of New Symptomatic Fractures after Vertebroplasty: A Retrospective Cohort Study of 268 Patients with Painful Osteoporotic Vertebral Compression Fracture.

OBJECTIV: To evaluate the risk factors of new osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (OVCFs) after percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP). METHODS: From January 2016 to November 2019, patients suffering from OVCFs were retrospectively reviewed. The independent influence factors for new OVCFs after PVP were assessed, from following variables: age, sex, BMI, BMD, history of alcoholism, smoking, hypertension, diabetes, glucocorticoid use, and prior vertebral fractures, the number of initial fractures, mean cement volume, method of puncture, D-type of cement leakage and regular anti-osteoporosis treatment. RESULTS: A total of 268 patients with 347 levels met the inclusion criteria and were finally included in this study. 49 levels of new OVCFs among 33 patients (12.31%) were observed during the follow-up period. It indicated that female (Adjusted OR: 6.812, 95%CI: [1.096, 42.337], P = 0.040), lower BMD (Adjusted OR: 0.477, 95%CI: [0.300, 0.759], P = 0.002), prior vertebral fractures (Adjusted OR: 16.145, 95%CI: [5.319, 49.005], P = 0.000), and regular anti-osteoporosis treatment (Adjusted OR: 0.258, 95%CI: [0.086, 0.774], P = 0.016) were independent influence factors for new OVCF. The cut-off value of BMD to reach new OVCF was -3.350, with a sensitivity of 0.660 and a specificity of 0.848. CONCLUSION: Female, lower BMD (T- score of lumbar), prior vertebral fractures and regular anti-osteoporosis treatment were independent influencing factors. BMD (T- score of lumbar) lower than -3.350 would increase risk for new OVCF, and none osteoporotic treatment has detrimental effect on new onset fractures following PVP.

A rare missense PAX6 mutation causes atypical aniridia in a three-generation Chinese family.

AIM: To investigate the molecular diagnosis of a three-generation Chinese family affected with aniridia, and further to identify clinically a PAX6 missense mutation in members with atypical aniridia. METHODS: Eleven family members with and without atypical aniridia were recruited. All family members underwent comprehensive ophthalmic examinations. A combination of whole exome sequencing (WES) and direct Sanger sequencing were performed to uncover the causative mutation. RESULTS: Among the 11 family members, 8 were clinically diagnosed with congenital aniridia (atypical aniridia phenotype). A rare heterozygous mutation c.622C>T (p.Arg208Trp) in exon 8 of PAX6 was identified in all affected family members but not in the unaffected members or in healthy control subjects. CONCLUSION: A rare missense mutation in the PAX6 gene is found in members of a three-generation Chinese family with congenital atypical aniridia. This result contributes to an increase in the phenotypic spectrum caused by PAX6 missense heterozygous variants and provides useful information for the clinical diagnosis of atypical aniridia, which may also contribute to genetic counselling and family planning.

Highly Curved Defect Sites: How Curvature Effect Influences Metal-Free Defective Carbon Electrocatalysts.

Topological defects are widely recognized as effective active sites toward a variety of electrochemical reactions. However, the role of defect curvature is still not fully understood. Herein, carbon nanomaterials with rich topological defect sites of tunable curvature is reported. The curved defective surface is realized by controlling the high-temperature pyrolytic shrinkage process of precursors. Theoretical calculations demonstrate bending the defect sites can change the local electronic structure, promote the charge transfer to key intermediates, and lower the energy barrier for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Experimental results convince structural superiority of highly-curved defective sites, with a high kinetic current density of 22.5 mA cm-2 at 0.8 V versus RHE for high-curvature defective carbon (HCDC), ≈18 times that of low-curvature defective carbon (LCDC). Further raising the defect densities in HCDC leads to the dual-regulated products (HCHDC), which exhibit exceptionally outstanding ORR activity in both alkaline and acidic media (half-wave potentials: 0.88 and 0.74 V), outperforming most of the reported metal-free carbon catalysts. This work uncovers the curvature-activity relationship in carbon defect for ORR and provides new guidance to design advanced catalysts via curvature-engineering.

[Clinical Study of Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Patients with Co-Reactivation of Cytomegalovirus and Epstein-Barr Virus].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical characteristics and risk factors of cytomegalovirus(CMV) and Epstein-Barr virus(EBV) co-reactivation after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) and its influence on prognosis. METHODS: The clinical data of 222 patients who received allo-HSCT from January 2015 to December 2020 were collected, and the patients were divided into groups according to the occurrence of CMV and EBV infection. Kaplan-Meier method was used for survival analysis, and Cox proportional hazard regression model was used to analyze the risk factors of co-reactivation of CMV and EBV. RESULTS: After allo-HSCT, there were 30 patients with co-reactivation of CMV and EBV (CMV++EBV+ group), 101 patients with CMV viremia (CMV+ group), 149 patients with EBV viremia (EBV+ group), and 28 patients with CMV and EBV inactivation (CMV-+ EBV- group). Compared with the other groups, the incidence of acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) and hemorrhagic cystitis (HC) was higher in CMV++ EBV+ groups (53.3% vs 42.6%, 36.9%, 17.9%, P < 0.001; 36.7% vs 32.7%, 22.8%, 10.7%, P =0.042). The incidence of post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease (PTLD) in CMV++ EBV+ group was similar to CMV+ group and EBV+ group (3.3% vs 3.0%, 3.4%, P =0.811). Univariate and multivariate analysis showed that the persistent time of CMV and EBV after transplantation were independent risk factors for co-reactivation of CMV and EBV. Compared with the other groups, the 2-year overall survival (OS) rate and 2-year disease-free survival (DFS) rate of patients in CMV++EBV+ group were lower (46.7% vs 74.9%, 83.4%, 71.4%, P < 0.001; 46.7% vs 70.9%, 79.5%, 69.9%, P =0.002), and 2-year non-recurrence mortality (NRM) was higher (48.2% vs 22%, 13.6%, 18.7%, P <0.001). CONCLUSION: The persistent time of CMV and EBV after transplantation are independent risk factors for patients with co-reactivation of CMV and EBV. Patients with co-reactivation of CMV and EBV had lower OS and DFS rate and higher NRM, suggesting that the clinical prognosis of the patients are worse.

Multiome in the Same Cell Reveals the Impact of Osmotic Stress on Arabidopsis Root Tip Development at Single-Cell Level.

Cell-specific transcriptional regulatory networks (TRNs) play vital roles in plant development and response to environmental stresses. However, traditional single-cell mono-omics techniques are unable to directly capture the relationships and dynamics between different layers of molecular information within the same cells. While advanced algorithm facilitates merging scRNA-seq and scATAC-seq datasets, accurate data integration remains a challenge, particularly when investigating cell-type-specific TRNs. By examining gene expression and chromatin accessibility simultaneously in 16,670 Arabidopsis root tip nuclei, the TRNs are reconstructed that govern root tip development under osmotic stress. In contrast to commonly used computational integration at cell-type level, 12,968 peak-to-gene linkage is captured at the bona fide single-cell level and construct TRNs at an unprecedented resolution. Furthermore, the unprecedented datasets allow to more accurately reconstruct the coordinated changes of gene expression and chromatin states during cellular state transition. During root tip development, chromatin accessibility of initial cells precedes gene expression, suggesting that changes in chromatin accessibility may prime cells for subsequent differentiation steps. Pseudo-time trajectory analysis reveal that osmotic stress can shift the functional differentiation of trichoblast. Candidate stress-related gene-linked cis-regulatory elements (gl-cCREs) as well as potential target genes are also identified, and uncovered large cellular heterogeneity under osmotic stress.

Chronic infectious unilateral giant thyroid cyst related to diabetes mellitus: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Patients rarely develop complicated infections in thyroid cysts. Here, we describe a patient with chronic infected unilateral giant thyroid cyst related to diabetes mellitus (DM). CASE SUMMARY: A 66-year-old male was admitted due to an evident neck lump for 5 d after approximately 40 years of gradually progressive neck mass and 7 years of DM. Doppler ultrasound and computed tomography scan showed a giant lump in the left thyroid gland lobe. He was diagnosed with a large thyroid nodule complicated by tracheal dislocation and had surgical indications. Surgical exploration revealed evident inflammatory edema and exudation between the left anterior neck muscles, the nodule and glandular tissue. Fortunately, inflammatory lesions did not affect major neck vessels. Finally, a left partial thyroidectomy was performed. Macroscopic observation showed that the cystic thyroid mass consisted of extensive cystic wall calcification and was rich in massive rough sand-like calculi content and purulent matter. Postoperative pathology confirmed benign thyroid cyst with chronic infection. CONCLUSION: The progression of this chronic infectious unilateral giant thyroid cyst may have been related to DM, and identifying blood vessels involvement can prevent serious complications during operation.

Applications of gastric peroral endoscopic myotomy in the treatment of upper gastrointestinal tract disease.

Gastric peroral endoscopic myotomy (G-POME) is an emerging minimally invasive endoscopic technique involving the establishment of a submucosal tunnel around the pyloric sphincter. In 2013, Khashab et al used G-POME for the first time in the treatment of gastroparesis with enhanced therapeutic efficacy, providing a new direction for the treatment of gastroparesis. With the recent and rapid development of G-POME therapy technology, progress has been made in the treatment of gastroparesis and other upper digestive tract diseases, such as congenital hypertrophic pyloric stenosis and gastric sleeve stricture, with G-POME. This article reviews the research progress and future prospects of G-POME for the treatment of upper digestive tract gastrointestinal diseases.

Deficiency of neutral cholesterol ester hydrolase 1 (NCEH1) impairs endothelial function in diet-induced diabetic mice.

BACKGROUND: Neutral cholesterol ester hydrolase 1 (NCEH1) plays a critical role in the regulation of cholesterol ester metabolism. Deficiency of NCHE1 accelerated atherosclerotic lesion formation in mice. Nonetheless, the role of NCEH1 in endothelial dysfunction associated with diabetes has not been explored. The present study sought to investigate whether NCEH1 improved endothelial function in diabetes, and the underlying mechanisms were explored. METHODS: The expression and activity of NCEH1 were determined in obese mice with high-fat diet (HFD) feeding, high glucose (HG)-induced mouse aortae or primary endothelial cells (ECs). Endothelium-dependent relaxation (EDR) in aortae response to acetylcholine (Ach) was measured. RESULTS: Results showed that the expression and activity of NCEH1 were lower in HFD-induced mouse aortae, HG-exposed mouse aortae ex vivo, and HG-incubated primary ECs. HG exposure reduced EDR in mouse aortae, which was exaggerated by endothelial-specific deficiency of NCEH1, whereas NCEH1 overexpression restored the impaired EDR. Similar results were observed in HFD mice. Mechanically, NCEH1 ameliorated the disrupted EDR by dissociating endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) from caveolin-1 (Cav-1), leading to eNOS activation and nitric oxide (NO) release. Moreover, interaction of NCEH1 with the E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase ZNRF1 led to the degradation of Cav-1 through the ubiquitination pathway. Silencing Cav-1 and upregulating ZNRF1 were sufficient to improve EDR of diabetic aortas, while overexpression of Cav-1 and downregulation of ZNRF1 abolished the effects of NCEH1 on endothelial function in diabetes. Thus, NCEH1 preserves endothelial function through increasing NO bioavailability secondary to the disruption of the Cav-1/eNOS complex in the endothelium of diabetic mice, depending on ZNRF1-induced ubiquitination of Cav-1. CONCLUSIONS: NCEH1 may be a promising candidate for the prevention and treatment of vascular complications of diabetes.

Albiflorin ameliorates thioacetamide-induced hepatic fibrosis: The involvement of NURR1-mediated inflammatory signaling cascades in hepatic stellate cells activation.

Thioacetamide (TAA) within the liver generates hepatotoxic metabolites that can be induce hepatic fibrosis, similar to the clinical pathological features of chronic human liver disease. The potential protective effect of Albiflorin (ALB), a monoterpenoid glycoside found in Paeonia lactiflora Pall, against hepatic fibrosis was investigated. The mouse hepatic fibrosis model was induced with an intraperitoneal injection of TAA. Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) were subjected to treatment with transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-ß), while lipopolysaccharide/adenosine triphosphate (LPS/ATP) was added to stimulate mouse peritoneal macrophages (MPMs), leading to the acquisition of conditioned medium. For TAA-treated mice, ALB reduced ALT, AST, HYP levels in serum or liver. The administration of ALB reduced histopathological abnormalities, and significantly regulated the expressions of nuclear receptor-related 1 protein (NURR1) and the P2X purinoceptor 7 receptor (P2×7r) in liver. ALB could suppress HSCs epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition, and pro-inflammatory factor level. ALB also remarkably up-regulated NURR1, inhibited P2×7r signaling pathway, and worked as working as C-DIM12, a NURR1 agonist. Moreover, deficiency of NURR1 in activated HSCs and Kupffer cells weakened the regulatory effect of ALB on P2×7r inhibition. NURR1-mediated inhibition of inflammatory contributed to the regulation of ALB ameliorates TAA-induced hepatic fibrosis, especially based on involving in the crosstalk of HSCs-macrophage. Therefore, ALB plays a significant part in the mitigation of TAA-induced hepatotoxicity this highlights the potential of ALB as a protective intervention for hepatic fibrosis.

Coupling Ni Single Atomic Sites with Metallic Aggregates at Adjacent Geometry on Carbon Support for Efficient Hydrogen Peroxide Electrosynthesis.

Single atomic catalysts have shown great potential in efficiently electro-converting O2 to H2O2 with high selectivity. However, the impact of coordination environment and introduction of extra metallic aggregates on catalytic performance still remains unclear. Herein, first a series of carbon-based catalysts with embedded coupling Ni single atomic sites and corresponding metallic nanoparticles at adjacent geometry is synthesized. Careful performance evaluation reveals NiSA/NiNP-NSCNT catalyst with precisely controlled active centers of synergetic adjacent Ni-N4S single sites and crystalline Ni nanoparticles exhibits a high H2O2 selectivity over 92.7% within a wide potential range (maximum selectivity can reach 98.4%). Theoretical studies uncover that spatially coupling single atomic NiN4S sites with metallic Ni aggregates in close proximity can optimize the adsorption behavior of key intermediates *OOH to achieve a nearly ideal binding strength, which thus affording a kinetically favorable pathway for H2O2 production. This strategy of manipulating the interaction between single atoms and metallic aggregates offers a promising direction to design new high-performance catalysts for practical H2O2 electrosynthesis.

Photoinduced Decarboxylative Difluoroalkylation and Perfluoroalkylation of α-Fluoroacrylic Acids.

Herein, a novel and practical methodology for the photoinduced decarboxylative difluoroalkylation and perfluoroalkylation of α-fluoroacrylic acids is reported. A wide range of α-fluoroacrylic acids can be used as applicable feedstocks, allowing for rapid access to structurally important difluoroalkylated and polyfluoroalkylated monofluoroalkenes with high Z-stereoselectivity under mild conditions. The protocol demonstrates excellent functional group compatibility and provides a platform for modifying complex biologically active molecules.

Rejuvenating classical brain electrophysiology source localization methods with spatial graph Fourier filters for source extents estimation.

EEG/MEG source imaging (ESI) aims to find the underlying brain sources to explain the observed EEG or MEG measurement. Multiple classical approaches have been proposed to solve the ESI problem based on different neurophysiological assumptions. To support clinical decision-making, it is important to estimate not only the exact location of the source signal but also the extended source activation regions. Existing methods may render over-diffuse or sparse solutions, which limit the source extent estimation accuracy. In this work, we leverage the graph structures defined in the 3D mesh of the brain and the spatial graph Fourier transform (GFT) to decompose the spatial graph structure into sub-spaces of low-, medium-, and high-frequency basis. We propose to use the low-frequency basis of spatial graph filters to approximate the extended areas of brain activation and embed the GFT into the classical ESI methods. We validated the classical source localization methods with the corresponding improved version using GFT in both synthetic data and real data. We found the proposed method can effectively reconstruct focal source patterns and significantly improve the performance compared to the classical algorithms.

The role of inflammation in silicosis.

Silicosis is a chronic illness marked by diffuse fibrosis in lung tissue resulting from continuous exposure to SiO2-rich dust in the workplace. The onset and progression of silicosis is a complicated and poorly understood pathological process involving numerous cells and molecules. However, silicosis poses a severe threat to public health in developing countries, where it is the most prevalent occupational disease. There is convincing evidence supporting that innate and adaptive immune cells, as well as their cytokines, play a significant role in the development of silicosis. In this review, we describe the roles of immune cells and cytokines in silicosis, and summarize current knowledge on several important inflammatory signaling pathways associated with the disease, aiming to provide novel targets and strategies for the treatment of silicosis-related inflammation.

Does Small Aneurysm Size (<10 mm) Predict Complete Occlusion After Flow Diversion? A Surpass Evolve Single-Center Study.

BACKGROUND: Long-term safety and efficacy outcomes of Surpass Evolve flow diverter (SEFD) in treatment of intracranial aneurysms are lacking. Factors predicting complete aneurysm occlusion are elusive in literature. METHODS: A retrospective review of all consecutive aneurysms treated with SEFD from February 2020 to July 2022, at a single comprehensive stroke center. RESULTS: Fifty-one patients with 80 aneurysms were included. Mean target aneurysm size was 5.6 mm and mean neck-width 3.42 mm. Small aneurysms (<10 mm) were 75% (n=60), while 25% were >10 mm. Unruptured were 71 (88.7%), previously ruptured were 8 (10%), and partially thrombosed 2.3% (n=1). Mean SEFDs used per patient were 1.07 and 40% (n=22) procedures were performed transradially. Mean procedure time was 59.1 minutes. The technical success rate for device deployment was 100%. Raymond Roy (RR) class I occlusion at 6 month (n=73) was seen among 56.2% (n=41), at 1 year (n=35) among 85.7% (n=30) and at 2 year (n=18) among 88.8% (n=16) aneurysms. Aneurysm size <10 mm significantly predicted RR-I occlusion outcome (odds ratio [OR]: 2.16; confidence interval [CI]: 0.02-4.29) at 6 months. Age, gender, smoking status, hypertension, location of aneurysm, and rupture status did not predict RR-I occlusion outcome. No mortality or permanent neurological morbidity was observed in the cohort. Major complications seen in 7.2% (n=4) patients were stent thrombosis (n=1, 1.8%), carotid-cavernous fistula (n=1, 1.8%) and transient ischemia in 2 (3.6%). Non-flow limiting stenosis was observed in 3 (5.4%) patients. CONCLUSION: SEFD gives good aneurysm occlusion rates with favorable long-term safety profile and low rate of thromboembolic complications. Small aneurysm size (<10 mm) was associated with complete aneurysm occlusion at 6-month angiographic follow-up. CLINICAL IMPACT: As Surpass Evolve is a newer generation Flow diverter of the Stryker Surpass FDs, with its improved design and applicability in intracranial aneurysms, we believe that more physicians will be encouraged to use this device worldwide.

Ultrasmall Ru nanoparticles-decorated nickel/nickel oxide three phase heterojunctions to boost alkaline hydrogen evolution.

The rational design and optimization of heterogeneous interface for low loading noble metal HER eletrocatalysts to facilitate the upscaling of alkaline water/seawater electrolysis is highly challenging. Herein, we present a facile deep corrosion strategy induced by NaBH4 to precisely construct an ultrasmall Ru nanoparticle-decorated Ni/NiO hybrid (r-Ru-Ni/NiO) with highly dispersed triple-phase heterostructures. Remarkably, it exhibits superior activity with only 53 mV and 70 mV at 100 mA cm-2 for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in alkaline water and seawater, respectively, surpassing the performance of Pt/C (109.7 mV, 100 mA cm-2, 1 M KOH). It is attributed to collaborative optimization of electroactive interfaces between well-distributed ultrasmall Ru nanoparticles and Ni/NiO hybrid. Moreover, the assembled r-Ru-Ni/NiO system just require 2.03 V at 1000 mA cm-2 in anion exchange membrane (AEM) electrolyzer, outperforming a RuO2/NF || Pt/C system, while exhibiting outstanding stability at high current densities. This study offers a logical design for accurate construction of interfacial engineering, showing promise for large-scale hydrogen production via electrochemical water splitting.

Regulation of the Nur77-P2X7r Signaling Pathway by Nodakenin: A Potential Protective Function against Alcoholic Liver Disease.

Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) is the main factor that induces liver-related death worldwide and represents a common chronic hepatopathy resulting from binge or chronic alcohol consumption. This work focused on revealing the role and molecular mechanism of nodakenin (NK) in ALD associated with hepatic inflammation and lipid metabolism through the regulation of Nur77-P2X7r signaling. In this study, an ALD model was constructed through chronic feeding of Lieber-DeCarli control solution with or without NK treatment. Ethanol (EtOH) or NK was administered to AML-12 cells, after which Nur77 was silenced. HepG2 cells were exposed to ethanol (EtOH) and subsequently treated with recombinant Nur77 (rNur77). Mouse peritoneal macrophages (MPMs) were treated with lipopolysaccharide/adenosine triphosphate (LPS/ATP) and NK, resulting in the generation of conditioned media. In vivo, histopathological alterations were markedly alleviated by NK, accompanied by reductions in serum triglyceride (TG), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels and the modulation of Lipin-1, SREBP1, and Nur77 levels in comparison to the EtOH-exposed group (p < 0.001). Additionally, NK reduced the production of P2X7r and NLRP3. NK markedly upregulated Nur77, inhibited P2X7r and Lipin-1, and promoted the function of Cytosporone B, a Nur77 agonist (p < 0.001). Moreover, Nur77 deficiency weakened the regulatory effect of NK on P2X7r and Lipin-1 inhibition (p < 0.001). In NK-exposed MPMs, cleaved caspase-1 and mature IL-1ß expression decreased following LPS/ATP treatment (p < 0.001). NK also decreased inflammatory-factor production in primary hepatocytes stimulated with MPM supernatant. NK ameliorated ETOH-induced ALD through a reduction in inflammation and lipogenesis factors, which was likely related to Nur77 activation. Hence, NK is a potential therapeutic approach to ALD.

Creating a new yellow and blue combination transparent film for Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer growth based on orthogonal designs.

Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer originates from old-growth forest environments, where the light intensity and spectrum reaching the forest bed are influenced by the canopy and humidity. In farmlands, suitable light intensity for cultivation is achieved by controlling the light transmission rate using shading nets, while light quality is regulated by a cover of yellow or blue transparent film. Such films have a light quality distinct from that produced by old-growth forests. Herein, a large composite film was developed by alternating small pieces of yellow and blue transparent film. An orthogonal array was used to evaluate the influence of the small transparent film area (STFA), yellow transparent film (YTF) number, and blue transparent film (BTF) number on the associated changes in ginseng in a range of fluorescence-, photosynthesis-, morphology-, and crop quality-related factors. Our results showed that light intensity was influenced primarily by STFA, which caused an overall decrease, while the light quality ratio was affected primarily by YTF number, which increased the proportion of red light and decreased that of blue light, with corresponding influence on different growth parameters. Based on these observations, an improved yellow and blue combination transparent film (YBCTF) with the following characteristics was established: STFA: 15 × 15 cm, YTF: two pieces, and BTF: three pieces. The improved YBCTF facilitated efficient light energy use by the plants, and led to an increase in leaf area, the per leaf photosynthetic rate, dry root weight, and the per root single ginsenoside yield. The findings present a relatively low-cost approach for optimising the light environment of ginseng cultivated in farmland and other crops in large-scale agricultural settings.

Brain activation during the N-back working memory task in individuals with spinal cord injury: a functional near-infrared spectroscopy study.

Cognitive impairments have frequently been reported in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) across different domains such as working memory, attention, and executive function. The mechanism of cognitive impairment after SCI is not well understood due to the heterogeneity of SCI sample populations, and may possibly be due to factors such as cardiovascular dysfunction, concomitant traumatic brain injury (TBI), hypoxia, sleep disorders, and body temperature dysregulation. In this study, we implement the Neuropsychiatric Unit Cognitive Assessment Tool (NUCOG) to assess cognitive differences between individuals with SCI and age-matched able-bodied (AB) controls. We then use an N-back working memory task and functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to elucidate the neurovascular correlates of cognitive function in individuals with SCI. We observed significant differences between the SCI and AB groups on measures of executive function on the NUCOG test. On the N-back task, across the three levels of difficulty: 0-back, 2-back, and 3-back, no significant differences were observed between the SCI and AB group; however, both groups performed worse as the level of difficulty increased. Although there were no significant differences in N-back performance scores between the two groups, functional brain hemodynamic activity differences were observed between the SCI and AB groups, with the SCI group exhibiting higher maximum oxygenated hemoglobin concentration in the right inferior parietal lobe. These findings support the use of fNIRS to study cognitive function in individuals with SCI and may provide a useful tool during rehabilitation to obtain quantitative functional brain activity metrics.