Publications and Presentations
Publications and Presentations
Within the last five years
Peer Reviewed Publications
Bedard S, Enamundram NK, Tsagkas C, Pravata E, Granziera C, Smith AC, Weber KA, Cohen-Adad J. Towards contrast-agnostic soft segmentation of the spinal cord. Medical Image Analysis. 2025. doi: 10.1016/j.media.2025.103473. Online ahead of print.
Smith AC, Laguna JM, Wesselink E, Scott ZE, Jenkins H, Thornton W, Connor J, Delp S, Chaudhari A, Parrish TB, Mackey S, Elliott JM, Weber KA. Leg Muscle Volume, Intramuscular Fat, and Force Generation: Insights from a Computer Vision Mode and Fat-Water MRI. Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle. 2025;16(1):e13735.
Bogard AT, Hembree T, Pollet A, Ryder S, Marzloff G, Smith AC, Tan AQ. Intermittent Hypoxia-Induced Enhancements in Excitability Predict Gains in Motor Learning and Metabolic Efficiency. Scientific Reports. 2025;15(1):6614.
Smith AC, Morey C, Thornton WA, Connor JR, Pfyffer D, Weber KA, Will K, Tefertiller C. Responsiveness to transcutaneous spinal stimulation for upper extremity recovery following spinal cord injury: a case series exploration of midsagittal tissue bridges. Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine. 2025. doi: 10.1080/10790268.2024.2448046. Online ahead of print.
Karthik EN, Valosek J, Smith AC, Pfyffer D, Schading-Sassenhausen S, Farner L, Weber KA, Freund P, Cohen-Adad J. SCIseg: Automatic segmentation of T2-weighted hyperintense lesions in spinal cord injury. Radiology AI. 2025;7(1):e240005.doi: 10.1148/ryai.240005.
McKay MJ, Smith AC, ..., Elliott JM. MuscleMap: An Open-Source, Community-Supported Consortium for Whole-Body Quantitative MRI of Muscle. Journal of Imaging. 2024;10(11):262.
Smulligan KL, Carry P, Smith AC, Esopenko C, Baugh CM, Wilson JC, Howell DR. Cervical spine proprioception and vestibular/oculomotor function: an observational study comparing young adults with and without a concussion history. Physical Therapy in Sport. 2024;69:33-39.
Smith AC, Ahmed RU, Weber KA, Negahdar MJ, Gibson D, Boakye M, Rejc E. Spinal cord lesion MRI and behavioral outcomes in a miniature pig model of spinal cord injury: exploring preclinical potential through an ad hoc comparison with human SCI. Spinal Cord Series and Cases. 2024 Jul 8;10(1):44.
Smulligan KL, Magliato SN, Keeter C, Wingerson MJ, Smith AC, Wilson JC, Howell DR. The diagnostic utility of cervical spine proprioception for adolescent concussion. Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine. 2024; doi: 10.1097/JSM.0000000000001243.
Thornton WA, Smulligan K, Weber KA, Tefertiller C, Manago M, Sevigny M, Wiley L, Stevens-Lapsley J, Smith AC. Lesion characteristics are associated with bowel, bladder, and overall independence following cervical spinal cord injury. Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine. 2024;3:1-9.
Draganich C, Anderson D, Dornan G, Sevigny M, Berliner JC, Charlifue S, Welch A, Smith AC. Predictive modeling of ambulatory outcomes after spinal cord injury using machine learning. Spinal Cord. 2024;62(8):446-453.
Pfyffer D, Smith AC, Weber KA, Grillhoesl A, Mach O, Draganich C, Berliner JC, Tefertiller C, Leister I, Maier D, Schwab JM, Thompson A, Curt A, Freund P. Prognostic value of tissue bridges in cervical spinal cord injury: a longitudinal multicenter study. Lancet Neurology. 2024;23(8):816-825.
Smith AC, Draganich C, Thornton WA, Berliner JC, Lennarson PJ, Rejc E, Sevigny M, Charlifue S, Tefertiller C, Weber KA. Authors’ Response to Letter to Editor on “A single dermatome clinical prediction rule for independent walking one year after spinal cord injury.” Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. 2024;105(7):1411-1412.
Alazzam AM, Balance WB, Smith AC, Rejc E, Weber KA, Trainer R, Gorgey AS. The use of peak slope ratio to identify standing configurations following percutaneous epidural stimulation in persons with spinal cord injury. Journal of Clinical Medicine. 2024;13(5):1344.
Bedard S, Enamundram NK, Tsagkas C, Pravata E, Granziera C, Smith AC, Weber KA, Cohen-Adad J. Towards contrast-agnostic soft segmentation of the spinal cord. arXiv pre-print. 2023. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2310.15402.
Bogard AT, Hemmerle MR, Smith AC, Tan AQ. Enhanced motor learning and motor savings after acute intermittent hypoxia are associated with a reduction in metabolic cost. Journal of Physiology. 2023;20:10.1113/JP285425.
Smith AC, Draganich C, Thornton WA, Berliner JC, Lennarson PJ, Rejc E, Sevigny M, Charlifue S, Tefertiller C, Weber KA. A single dermatome clinical prediction rule for independent walking one year after spinal cord injury. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. 2024;105(1):10-19.
Thornton WA, Marzloff G, Ryder S, Best A, Rasheed K, Coons D, Smith AC. The presence or absence of midsagittal tissue bridges and walking: a retrospective cohort study in spinal cord injury. Spinal Cord. 2023;61(8):436-440.
Elliott JM, Walton DM, Albin SR, Courtney DM, Siegmund GP, Carroll LJ, Parrish TB, Weber KA, Smith AC. Biopsychosocial Sequelae and Recovery Trajectories From Whiplash Injury Following a Motor Vehicle Collision. The Spine Journal. 2023;23(7):1028-1036.
Claus D, Draganich C, Berliner JC, Niehaus W, Berliner JM, Magnusson D, Smith AC. Needs of an uninsured equity-deserving minority patient cohort with physical disabilities during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Frontiers in Rehabilitation Sciences. 2023;4:1000838. doi: 10.3389/fresc.2023.1000838.
Smith AC, Kuchnia A, Bodkin SG, Harris-Love MO. Editorial: innovative imaging approaches to advance musculoskeletal rehabilitation. Frontiers in Rehabilitation Sciences. 2023;4:1110409. doi: 10.3389/fresc.2023.1110409.
Draganich C, Weber KA, Thornton WA, Berliner JC, Sevigny M, Charlifue S, Tefertiller C, Smith AC. Predicting outdoor walking one-year after spinal cord injury: a retrospective multisite external validation study. Journal of Neurologic Physical Therapy. 2023. doi: 10.1097/NPT.0000000000000428.
Smith AC, Hohl K, Griffhorn M, Prokup S, O’Dell DR, Kleinschmidt L, Elliott JM, Jayaraman A. Muscle adaptations in acute SCI following over-ground exoskeleton + FES training: a pilot study. Frontiers in Rehabilitation Sciences. 2022;3:963771. doi: 10.3389/fresc.2022.963771.
Smulligan KL, Wingerson MJ, Seehusen CN, Smith AC, Walker GA, Wilson JC, Howell DR. Dizziness is associated with neck/shoulder pain following pediatric concussion. Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine. 2022. doi: 10.1097/JSM.0000000000001054.
Tefertiller C, Rozwod M, VandeGriend E, Bartelt P, Sevigny M, Smith AC. Transcutaneous electrical spinal cord stimulation to promote upper and lower extremity recovery in chronic spinal cord injury. Frontiers in Rehabilitation Sciences. 2022. doi: 10.3389/fresc.2021.740307.
Bodkin SG, Smith AC, Bergman BC, Huo D, Weber KA, Zarini S, Kahn D, Garfield A, Macias E, Harris-Love MO. Utilization of mid-thigh magnetic resonance imaging to predict lean body mass and knee extensor strength in obese adults. Frontiers in Rehabilitation Sciences. 2022. doi: 10.3389/fresc.2022.808538.
Smith AC, Angeli CA, Ugiliweneza B, Weber KA, Bert RJ, Negahdar M, Mesbah S, Boakye M, Harkema SJ, Rejc E. Spinal cord imaging markers and recovery of standing with epidural stimulation in individuals with clinically motor complete spinal cord injury. Experimental Brain Research. 2022;240(1):279-288.
Smith AC, O’Dell DR, Albin SR, Berliner JC, Dungan D, Robinson E, Elliott JM, Carballido-Gamio J, Stevens-Lapsley J, Weber KA. Lateral corticospinal tract and dorsal column damage: predictive relationships with future motor and sensory scores at discharge from acute rehabilitation after spinal cord injury. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. 2022;103(1):62-68.
Berliner JC, O’Dell DR, Albin SR, Dungan D, Sevigny M, Elliott JM, Weber KA, Abdie DR, Anderson JS, Rich AA, Seib CA, Sagan HGS, Smith AC. The influence of conventional T2 MRI indices in predicting who will walk outside one year after spinal cord injury. Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine. 2021. doi: 10.1080/10790268.2021.1907676.
Smith AC, Albin SR, O’Dell DR, Berliner JC, Dungan D, Sevigny M, Draganich C, Elliott JM, Weber KA. Axial MRI biomarkers of spinal cord damage to predict future walking and motor function: a retrospective study. Spinal Cord. 2021;59(6):693-699.
Paliwal M, Weber KA, Smith AC, Elliott JM, Muhammad F, Bodurka J, Dhaher Y, Parrish TB, Mackey S, Smith ZA. Fatty infiltration in cervical flexors and extensors in patients with degenerative cervical myelopathy using a multi-muscle segmentation model. PLOS ONE. 2021;16(6):e0253863. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0253863.
Smith AC, O’Dell DR, Thornton WA, Dungan D, Robinson E, Thaker A, Gisbert R, Weber KA, Berliner JC, Albin SR. Spinal cord tissue bridges validation study: predictive relationships with sensory scores following cervical spinal cord injury. Topics in Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation. 2021. Online ahead of print. https://doi.org/10.46292/sci21-00018.
Weber KA, Abbott R, Bojilov V, Smith AC, Wasielewski M, Hastie TJ, Parrish TB, Mackey S, Elliott JM. Multi-muscle deep learning segmentation to automate the quantification of muscle fat infiltration in cervical spine conditions. Nature Scientific Reports. 2021;11,16567. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-95972-x.
Stone D, Ward E, Bogaardt H, Heard R, Martin-Harris B, Smith, AC, Elliott JM. Self-reported dysphagia and pharyngeal volume following whiplash injury. Dysphagia. 2021. doi: 10.1007/s00455-020-10233-9.
Rejc E, Smith AC, Weber KA, Ugiliweneza B, Bert RJ, Negahdar M, Boakye M, Harkema SJ, Angeli CA. Spinal cord imaging markers and recovery of volitional leg movement with spinal cord epidural stimulation in individuals with clinically motor complete spinal cord injury. Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience. 2020. doi: 10.3389/fnsys.2020.559313.
Smith AC, Albin SR, Abbott R, Crawford RJ, Hoggarth MA, Wasielewski M, Elliott JM. Confirming the geography of fatty infiltration in the deep cervical extensor muscles in whiplash recovery. Nature Scientific Reports. 10,11471 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-68452-x.
Elliott JM, Smith AC, Hoggarth MA, Albin SR, Weber KA, Haager M, Fundaun J, Wasielewski M, Courtney DM, Parrish TB. Muscle fat infiltration following whiplash: a computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging comparison. PLoS One. 2020. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0234061.
Professional Presentations
Platform, Grand Grounds, Invited Lectures
Pfyffer D, Smith AC, Weber KA, Grillhoesl A, Mach O, Draganich C, Berliner JC, Tefertiller C, Leister I, Maier D, Schwab JM, Thompson A, Curt A, Freund P. American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) Annual Scientific Meeting Oral Presentation. Scottsdale, AZ USA 2025. Title of session: “Prognostic value of tissue bridges in cervical spinal cord injury: a longitudinal, multicenter, retrospective cohort study.”
Cezat KM, Koesters W, Smith AC. APTA Combined Sections Meeting Academy of Neurologic Physical Therapy Educational Session. Houston, TX USA 2025. Title of session: “Integrating Spinal Cord Injury Clinical Prediction Rules into Practice: Determining Long-Term Complex Rehab Technology” (2/15/25).
Smith AC, Pfyffer D, Weber KA, Grillhoesl A, Mach O, Draganich C, Berliner JC, Tefertiller C, Leister I, Maier D, Schwab JM, Thompson A, Curt A, Freund P. APTA Combined Sections Meeting Academy of Neurologic Physical Therapy Platform Presentation. Houston, TX USA 2025. Title of talk: “Spinal cord tissue bridges predict short and long term improvement: an international multicenter study.” (2/15/25).
Smith AC. TED for your Head, University of Colorado Anschutz Campus Neuroscience Innovation Initiative. Aurora, CO 2024. Title of talk: “Restoring movement after spinal cord injury.” (9/26/24).
Tefertiller C, Rozwod M, Thornton W, Smith AC. Academy of Spinal Cord Injury Professionals Conference. Chicago, IL 2024. Title of session: “Predicting Walking Outcomes after Spinal Cord Injury.” (9/4/24).
Valosek J, Enamundram NK, Bouthillier M, Schading-Sassenhausen S, Farner L, Pfyffer D, Smith AC, Weber KA, Freund P, Cohen-Adad J. International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine Annual Meeting & Exhibition. Singapore 2024. Title of session: “Automatic segmentation of T2-weighted hyperintense lesions in spinal cord injury.” (5/6/24).
Cezat KM, Tefertiller C, Brazg G, Smith AC. APTA Combined Sections Meeting Academy of Neurologic Physical Therapy Educational Session. Boston, MA USA 2024. Title of session: “The Chasm between SCI Research and Clinical PT Practice: Can We Bridge the Gap?” (2/15/24).
Kahn J, Smith AC. APTA Combined Sections Meeting Academy of Neurologic Physical Therapy Educational Session. Boston, MA USA 2024. Title of session: “EDGEing Forward with Outcomes: Updates from the SCI and TBI EDGE Taskforces” (2/15/24).
Smulligan KL, Magliato SN, Keeter CL, Wingerson MJ, Smith AC, Wilson JC, Howell DR. APTA Combined Sections Meeting Platform Presentation. Boston MA, USA 2024. Title of talk: “The diagnostic utility of cervical spine proprioception for adolescent concussion.” (2/16/2024).
Smulligan KL, Magliato SN, Keeter CL, Wingerson MJ, Smith AC, Wilson JC, Howell DR. Pediatric Research in Sports Medicine Society (PRiSM) 11th Annual Meeting, Anaheim, CA USA 2024. Title of talk: “Head Repositioning Accuracy as a Diagnostic Tool for Adolescent Concussion.” (1/25/24). Award Finalist.
Smith AC. Northwestern University Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Movement and Rehabilitation Science Track. PhD Trainee Chalk Talk. (1/23/24).
Draganich C, Anderson D, Dornan G, Sevigny M, Berliner J, Charlifue S, Welch A, Smith AC. Academy of Spinal Cord Injury Professionals, San Diego, CA USA 2023. Title of talk: “Predictive modeling of ambulatory outcomes after spinal cord injury using machine learning” (9/4/23).
Berliner JC, Smith AC. Spinal Cord Injury Model Systems Project Directors Meeting, Washington DC, USA 2023. Title of talk: “Predicting outdoor walking one year after SCI: 2 separate CPRs.” (6/26/23).
Thornton WA, Tefertiller C, Cezat KM, Hobbs S, Smith AC. APTA Combined Sections Meeting Academy of Neurologic Physical Therapy Educational Session. San Diego, CA USA 2023. Title of session: “Can physical therapists predict future function? Prognosis in the weeks following spinal cord injury.” (2/24/23).
Mckenzie K, Kozlowski A, Smith AC, Jayaraman A. APTA Combined Sections Meeting Academy of Neurologic Physical Therapy Educational Session. San Diego, CA USA 2023. Title of session: “Prediction Tools and Clinical Outcomes in Neurologic Rehabilitation: What, When, Where, and How to Measure.” (2/23/23).
Smith AC, Thornton WA, Draganich C, Berliner J, Tefertiller C, Weber KA. APTA Combined Sections Meeting Academy of Neurologic Physical Therapy Platform Presentation, San Diego CA, USA 2023. Title of talk: “A clinical prediction rule using S1 dermatome to predict independent walking following spinal cord injury” (2/25/23).
Claus D, Draganich C, Berliner JC, Niehaus W, Berliner JM, Magnusson D, Smith AC. Needs of marginalized, uninsured patients with physical disabilities during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. University of Colorado Physical Therapy Program Health Promotion Symposium. (9/16/22).
Draganich C, Weber KA, Thornton WA, Berliner JC, Sevigny M, Charlifue S, Tefertiller C, Smith AC. Academy of Spinal Cord Injury Professionals, Kansas City, MO USA 2021. Title of talk: “Predicting outdoor walking one year after spinal cord injury: clinical prediction rule validation.” (9/8/22).
Smith AC, Thornton W. Shirley Ryan Ability Lab 45th Interdisciplinary Spinal Cord Injury/Disease Course. “The Application of Imaging for Prognosis and Treatment of SCI.” (4/28/22).
Smith AC, Thornton W, Tefertiller C. APTA Colorado Rocky Mountain Annual Conference. “A review of foundational neuroscience for neuro-restorative clinical interventions.” (9/25/21).
Smith AC, Berliner JC. Academy of Spinal Cord Injury Professionals, Reno, NV USA 2021. Title of talk: “White matter tract imaging following SCI: predictors of future motor and sensory scores.” (9/8/21).
Smith AC. University of Colorado Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Aurora CO, USA 2021. Title of talk: “Pushing protons for prognosis: can MRI improve clinical management of individuals with spinal cord injury?” (5/5/21).
Smith AC. University of Colorado Department of Integrated Physiology Colloquium, Boulder CO, USA 2021. Title of talk: “Spinal cord injuries: what can conventional MRI offer us?” (3/22/21).
Tefertiller C, Rozwood M, Smith AC. Academy of Spinal Cord Injury Professionals, USA 2020. Title of talk: “Transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation in combination with massed practice training in spinal cord injury.” (9/13/20).
Abstract and Poster
Smith AC, Morey C, Thornton WA, Connor J, Pfyffer D, Will K, Tefertiller C. Responding to transcutaneous spinal stimulation for upper extremity recovery: a midsagittal tissue bridge case series. American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) Annual Scientific Meeting, Scottsdale, AZ, USA 2025.
Thornton WA, Smulligan K, Smith AC. Lesion characteristics are associated with bowel, bladder, and overall independence following spinal cord injury. APTA Combined Sections Meeting, Boston, MA, USA 2024.
Thornton WA, Smith AC. The presence or absence of midsagittal tissue bridges and walking recovery in spinal cord injury. APTA Combined Sections Meeting, Boston, MA, USA 2024.
Bogard AT, Hembree TG, Pollet AK, Lattanzio L, Buard I, Smith AC, Tan AQ. Increases in corticospinal excitability after acute intermittent hypoxia are coupled with improvements in sensorimotor adaptation. Society for Neuroscience, Washington DC, USA 2023.
Bogard AT, Hemmerle MR, Marzloff GE, Ryder SC, Smith AC, Tan AQ. Acute intermittent hypoxia mediates the reduction of net metabolic power during motor learning and motor savings. Society for Neuroscience, Washington DC, USA 2023.
Thornton WA, Manago M, Tan AQ, Smith AC. Acute intermittent hypoxia and upper extremity strength and function changes in multiple sclerosis: a case report. 12th International Symposium on Gait & Balance in Multiple Sclerosis, Denver, Colorado, USA 2023.
Draganich C, Weber KA, Thornton WA, Berliner JC, Sevigny M, Charlifue S, Tefertiller C, Smith AC. Validation of a clinical prediction rule to predict outdoor walking one year after spinal cord injury. International Spinal Cord Society Annual Scientific Meeting, Vancouver, Canada 2022.
Smith AC, Angeli CA, Ugiliweneza B, Weber KA, Negahdar M, Mesbah S, Boakye M, Harkema SJ, Rejc E. Epidural stimulation-promoted standing ability and spinal cord lesion characteristics in motor complete SCI. American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) Annual Scientific Meeting, New Orleans LA, USA 2022.
Smith AC, Angeli CA, Ugiliweneza B, Weber KA, Negahdar M, Mesbah S, Boakye M, Harkema SJ, Rejc E. MRI Investigation of Standing Ability with Epidural Stimulation in Individuals with Motor Complete SCI. APTA Combined Sections Meeting, San Antonio TX, USA 2022.
Smith AC, O’Dell DR, Albin SR, Berliner JC, Dungan D, Robinson E, Elliott JM, Carballido-Gamio J, Stevens-Lapsley J, Weber KA. White Matter Tract Damage Following Spinal Cord Injury: Predictors of Future Motor and Sensory Function. APTA Combined Sections Meeting, San Antonio TX, USA 2022.
Smith AC, O’Dell DR, Dungan D, Thaker A, Gisbert R, Weber KA, Berliner JC, Albin SR. Spinal cord tissue bridges validation study: predictive relationships with sensory scores following spinal cord injury. Academy of Neurologic Physical Therapy Annual Conference, Virtual, USA 2021.
Smith AC, Albin SR, O’ Dell DR, Berliner JC, Dungan D, Elliott JM, Weber KA. The axial damage ratio: a MRI biomarker for prognosis of future walking ability. American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) Annual Scientific Meeting, St. Louis MO, USA 2021.
Smith AC, O’ Dell DR, Albin SR, Weber KA, Elliott JM, Sevigny M, Dungan D, Berliner JC. Can early MRI measures predict who will walk outside one year after spinal cord injury? American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) Annual Scientific Meeting, St. Louis MO, USA 2021.
Smith AC, Albin SR, O’Dell DR, Berliner JC, Dungan D, Elliott JM, Weber KA. The axial damage ratio may be a useful MRI biomarker for prognosis of future walking. APTA Combined Sections Meeting, (virtual meeting) 2021.
Smith AC, Albin SR, Wasielewski M, McPherson JG, Kim HE, Hoggarth MA, Hornby TG, Elliott JM. Incidence of reductions in leg muscle activation in severe whiplash associated disorders. APTA Combined Sections Meeting, Denver CO, USA 2020.
Smith AC, Weber KA, Wasielewski M, Elliott JM. Machine learning to automatically measure muscle fat infiltration of the deep cervical spine extensors following whiplash injury. APTA Combined Sections Meeting, Denver CO, USA 2020.
