GERD and Anti-Reflux Therapy Between Able-bodied and SCI Individuals

Respiratory dysfunction, esophageal dysmotility, and a gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) have been demonstrated to be highly prevalent in persons with SCI. GERD has been linked to respiratory symptoms and conditions such as asthma, chronic cough, and an increased rate of respiratory infections in the general population. In persons with asthma, respiratory symptoms and dependency on asthma medications have been reduced by treatment with anti-reflux medication. Possible mechanisms have been proposed for this link, including the microaspiration of reflux materials, which may result in airway acidification and aspiration pneumonia, or the stimulation of the vagus nerve through acid-sensitive receptors in the esophagus with associated esophageal inflammation and reflex bronchoconstriction. Investigators propose to study the effects of anti-reflux therapy (proton pump inhibition) in persons with SCI on objective and subjective symptoms of respiratory function to determine the underlying mechanisms of airway inflammation due to GERD.