D
SPINAL CORD INJURY
NETWORK INTERNATIONAL
IN THE NEWS
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2002 Newsletters
October 2002
The International Disability News Ticker features breaking news stories from the disability field of work and study from around the world.
The National Center for the Dissemination of Disability Research (NCDDR)'s online monthly focus group for October 2002 concerns specific disabilities.
Spinal Cord Specialist Shanker Nesathurai, MD, has been named chair of the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences in Buffalo, NY. Nesathurai, a specialist in spinal cord injury and rehabilitation, is principal investigator on a $1.5-million, 5-year grant from the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) to develop national strategies to increase employment of people with disabilities. He received his medical degree and residency training at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. He served at Boston University from 1995 until this year.
A bibliography of recent research by the biopharmaceutical company Maas BiolAB on Cyclosporin A can be found at: http://www.maasbiolab.com/braintrauma.html.
September 2002
The Ontario Neurotrauma Foundation (NOF) has awarded for 2002 the following grants:
Differential Gene Expression Profiling Following SCI. Paul Gris, John P. Robarts Research Institute, London. Studentship: $40,000 over two years
The Role of Serotonin in Pain After SCI. Mark Oatway, John P. Robarts Research Institute, London. Studentship: $40,000 over two years
The Effect of Early Body-Weight Support Treadmill Training on Functional Walking Ability and Health Outcomes in Persons with SCI. Audrey Hicks, Maureen MacDonald, Kathleen Martin, Neil McCartney, Stuart Phillips, Joanne Bugaresti and Melanie Adams (Studentship), McMaster University, Hamilton. Operating Grant: $57,000 over one year, Studentship: $40,000 over two years.
Immune Function and Secondary Complications in Patients with SCI. Keith C. Hayes, P. Popovitch, G. Reid, M. Fehlings, D. Dekaban, N. Duggal, A. Krassioukov, P. Potter and K. Smith, Lawson Health Research Institute, London. Operating Grant: $100,000 over two years .
Telephone Peer Support Program for Women with SCI in Small Communities and Rural Areas of Ontario. Wendy Pentland, Jan Walker, Patricia Minnes, Mary Tremblay and Djenana Jalovcic, Queen’s University, Kingston, Operating Grant: $67,800 over two years
The National Library of Medicine has added a tutorial on spinal cord injury.
Fetal Stem Cells Repair Spinal Injury: Japanese scientists have shown for the first time that stem cells expanded from a single fetus can become specialized cells, called neurons, and improve movement in rats with spinal injuries.
On September 3, 2002, the Access Board published new guidelines that address access for persons with disabilities to a variety of recreation facilities. The guidelines specify the minimum level of accessibility required in the construction or alteration of amusement rides, boating facilities, fishing piers and platforms, golf courses, miniature golf courses, sports facilities, swimming and wading pools, and spas. The new guidelines are posted on the Board's website. To order a print copy or an alternate format, contact the Board at (800) 872-2253 (v), (800) 993-2822 (TTY), or mailto:pubs@access-board.gov (e-mail).
News from the The National Council on Disability (NCD) has created a new listserv to disseminate disability-related information on such issues as affordable housing, employment, transportation, health care, education, and assistive technology. NCD's new listserv will provide up-to-date information on issues affecting 54 million Americans with disabilities and their families. This will include NCD's monthly newsletter, NCD Bulletin, and news releases and media advisories on NCD activities and current issues before the Administration, Congress, and the Supreme Court. To subscribe, simply send a blank e-mail to add-bulletin@list.ncd.gov. There is no need to write anything in the subject line or body. Subscribers will receive approximately five e-mails a month from NCD. NCD is an independent federal agency making recommendations to the President and Congress on disability policy.
On August 5, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) operationalized its new aviation consumer disability toll-free hotline. The number is 1-866-266-1368 (voice) and 1-866-754-4368 (TTY).
The U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO) has published its SSA and VA Programs-Re-Examination of Disability Criteria Needed to Help Ensure Program Integrity (search for report number GAO-02-597). The report reviews the three largest federal disability programs, which provide cash assistance to about 10.2 million adults with disabilities-Social Security Disability Insurance, Supplemental Security Income, and Veterans Affairs (VA) programs. GAO concludes that the disability criteria used by the Social Security Administration and the VA are "out-of-step" and "have not been fully updated to reflect medical and technological advances." The GAO report makes corrective recommendations.
August 2002
Restoring Hand Function after Spinal Cord Injury is an article from the American Society for Surgery of the Hand and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons concerning tendon transfer surgery.A team of scientists led by neuroscientist Thomas Jessell at Columbia University have turned embryonic stem cells into nerve cells and transplanted them into the spinal cords of chicks, where they grew into motor neurons.
The Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation has awarded $257,500 in Health Promotion grants as part of its Spring 2002 funding cycle of the Quality of Life program.
July 2002
The Simplified Web Accessibility Guide is now available at: http://www.webaccessguides.org
Miami Project researchers Maria Amador, B.S.N., CRRN, Charles Lynne, M.D., and Nancy Brackett, Ph.D., have written a patient education booklet entitled, "A Guide and Resource Directory to Male Fertility Following Spinal Cord Injury/Dysfunction (SCI/D)." This booklet was funded by the Paralyzed Veterans of America SCI Education and Training Foundation (PVA-ETF). The Guide and Resource Directory can be viewed or downloaded via the Miami Project website.
The UAB RRTC on Secondary Conditions of Spinal Cord Injury has a new SCI InfoSheet on Sexuality for Women with SCI. This 4 page document is free. Call 205-934-3282 or send your request along with a self-addressed stamped business envelope to:
RRTC on Secondary Conditions of Spinal Cord Injury
UAB Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
619 19TH STREET SOUTH - SRC 529
BIRMINGHAM, AL 35249-7330
The document may also be viewed at the UAB Website.
A University of South Florida research team has found that human neurons grown as cells cloned from a tumor helped restore the function of severely injured spinal cords in rats.
The Access Board has released for public comment draft guidelines on accessible public rights-of-way. The guidelines cover pedestrian access to sidewalks and streets, including crosswalks, curb ramps, street furnishings, pedestrian signals, parking, and other components of public rights-of-way. The draft guidelines are based on recommendations from an advisory committee chartered by the Board. The draft guidelines and information on submitting comments are posted on the Board's website at http://www.access-board.gov/news/prow-release.htm
Scientists have found that injections of erythropoietin (EPO) (a protein) into rats with injured, but not punctured, spinal cords resulted in the animals having near-complete recovery. Read about their work in Blood Booster Could Help Treat Spine Injury
The National Center for the Dissemination of Disability Research (NCDDR) is conducted an online survey of personal assistance this month.
June 2002
NaturalPoint has a computer mouse, trackIR, that allows hands-free control of personal computers. It consists of a small infrared receiver that is attached to the computer monitor and an adhesive dot attached to the forehead or glasses of the user. To control the mouse, you move your head.
From May 22 to June 30, the Rick Hansen Man In Motion Campaign will roll out across Canada. Marking the 15th anniversary of his record-breaking Man in Motion World Tour, the campaign will raise awareness and funds for spinal cord injury research.
Donald Neumann, an associate professor of physical therapy in the College of Health Sciences at Marquette University, and a group of collaborators have created a video that analyzes and demonstrates kinesiologic principles with the assistance of 11 persons with quadriplegia. The video, Clinical Kinesiology Applied to Persons with Quadriplegia, was funded by a $75,000 PVA grant. Through the grant, the video will be distributed across the country to state PVA chapters, spinal cord injury rehabilitation centers, and occupational and physical therapy education facilities.
If you would like more information or would like to support the MiCASSA
(Medicaid Community Assistance Services and Supports Act which would allow long
term services and support in home and community settings rather than in
institutions, you can visit the following sites:
Life on Wheels
Liberty
Resources
The Memphis Center
for Independent Living
May 2002
Some of the research being conducted at NASA of relevance to SCI:
NASA robotics may soon
help spinal cord patients take first steps
NASA
interest fuels bone-loss research: Tests are being conducted in space, but
they'll have widespread application on earth. NASA is studying the effect of
bone loss and the risk of bone fractures in astronauts which may have
application for individuals with spinal cord injury.
The Paralyzed Veterans of America have published a set of consumer guidelines on pressure ulcers. You can read about this publication at http://www.pva.org/NEWPVASITE/newsroom/PR2002/pr02053.htm
Researchers at Johns Hopkins University Medical Center in Baltimore, MD led by Dr. Ronald Schnaar, professor of pharmacology and neuroscience, have achieved nerve regeneration in rat brain cells in the laboratory, which someday could lead to new therapies for human spinal cord injuries, multiple sclerosis and other neurological conditions.
UBC discovery reverses theories about spinal cord injury treatment: Researchers at the University of British Columbia laboratories of the International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries (ICORD) have shown that brain cells which send signals controlling movement down the spinal cord -- previously believed to be dead or dysfunctional soon after SCI -- are alive and capable of regeneration as long as one year post-injury, in animal models.
Renée Bondi: Parenting with a spinal cord injury describes the mothering role for a SCI individual.
The National Center for the Dissemination of Disability Research (NCDDR) invites you to participate in their monthly focus group. This month's topic is Legal and Policy Issues.
April 2002
The first Spinal Cord Injury Centre in Nepal opened in April 2002.
Spinal Network: The Total Wheelchair Resource Book is back in print. Here is
their press release:
Contact for free review copies: Kim Montgomery; Phone:
215-675-9133, x 109; kim@leonardmedia.com; Contact for excerpts: Jean Dobbs;
Phone: 310-392-1416; jean@newmobility.com
"Best Wheelchair Resource Ever"
Back in Print: When the first edition of Spinal Network hit the streets in 1988,
readers were amazed. Here was a book about disability that wasn't the least bit
depressing. It had style, it had sizzle--it had life. It also had an incredible
amount of practical information.
Now in its 3rd edition, Spinal Network: The
Total Wheelchair Resource Book is as vibrant as ever with 586 pages of profiles,
articles and resources on every topic of interest to wheelchair users. Subjects
include health, coping, relationships, sexuality, parenthood, computers, sports,
recreation, travel, personal assistance services, legal rights, financial
strategies, employment, media images and much more. Plus: Wire binding is
quad-friendly!
Make sure your readers know about this book that critics
love:
"Mindbendingly, breathtakingly comprehensive! I only wish there had
been a resource like this when I was newly disabled." (Quad cartoonist John
Callahan)
"Awesomely complete ... should be kept within reach of all
wheelchair users and their companions." (Los Angeles Times)
"A wonderful
reference book ... includes snappy inset features that bring each topic to
life." (Spinal Injuries Association)
"The most useful book ever for people
affected by paralysis or loss of function due to injury or disease." (The Center
for Disabilities and Development)
Readers can order Spinal Network at
888-850-0344, x 109, or online at http://www.spinalnetwork.net/. To pay
by mail, send checks for $49.95 plus $7.50 s/h to Nine Lives Press, PO Box 220,
Horsham, PA 19044.
The American
Association of Neurological Surgeons and the Congress of Neurological Surgeons
Joint Section on Disorders of the Spine and Peripheral Nerves have published
new National Guidelines for the care of patients with traumatic spine and spinal
cord injuries entitled "Guidelines for the Management of Acute Cervical Spine
and Spinal Cord Injuries."
Related Article: UI Health Care
physician helps write spinal cord injury care guidelines
Elizabeth Bradbury of King's College London and her team have shown that
the bacterial enzyme chondroitinase ABC clears a path through the scarred cells
surrounding damaged spinal cord nerves. This action may help clear a path for
growing nerves which may then help a damaged spinal cord to repair itself.
Related Articles:
Spinal cord recovery
hurdle cleared
Neuroscientists
regenerate severed spinal cord
The ABC of spinal
recovery
PVA 2002 Awareness Week in April 14-20.
The Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA) presented a gift of $250,000 on April 12 to the PVA/EPVA Center for Neuroscience and Regeneration at Yale University. PVA’s gift will fund research for spinal cord dysfunction and its cures.
The National Center for the Dissemination of Disability Research (NCDDR) invites you to participate in their monthly focus group. There will be a new question each month and the answers will help the Center decide where more information and research is needed. The April 2002 questions deal with housing issues.
Scientists divided on stem cells discusses the topic of stem cell research and granting scientists access to human embryos for such research as debated by the Council of Australian Governments.
Dr. Hans Keirstead, a professor at the University of California at Irvine College of Medicine and a neurobiologist at the Reeve-Irvine Research Center, showed the results of his research through videos at a recent California State Senate hearing. Dr. Keirstead first showed videos of a mouse with a spinal cord injury who, after being injected with human stem cells, could lift his tail and move about.
March 2002
The UAB Rehabilitation Research and Training Center is now offering an online playback of the March 4 teleconference, Pain Management following Spinal Cord Injury. This 1 hour consumer event can be heard in its entirety via RealAudio (free download of RealAudio available). A written summary transcript of this teleconference will be available in the Summer of 2002.
The Access Board is sponsoring a
project with the Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) to develop guidance
on certain types of construction tolerances for use with the Americans with
Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG). CSI is a technical society
whose core purpose is to improve the process of creating and sustaining the
built environment. A technical bulletin being developed under the project will
discuss exterior walk and ramp surfaces and how they are affected by ADAAG
specifications with respect to construction tolerances. Recommendations on
construction tolerances and measurement protocols will be provided for surface
flatness, slope, vibration, and rollability. ADAAG generally recognizes
conventional building industry tolerances for field conditions, but does not
specifically define accepted tolerances. The bulletin will provide guidance for
design professionals, contractors, and code officials in determining acceptable
tolerances. A revised draft of the
bulletin is available for review.
Through the Looking Glass (TLG),
the National Resource Center for Parents with Disabilities, a community-based
nonprofit organization, is studying families where parents with disabilities are
raising teens aged 11-17. Parents with spinal cord injuries and other
disabilities and their teens are invited to complete a survey.
Luba Vikhanski, an Israeli journalist at the Weizmann Institute of Science,
has written a new book:
In Search of the Lost Cord: Solving the Mystery of Spinal Cord
Regeneration chronicling the progress made, and the new techniques used, in
treating SCI.
The Roman Reed Spinal Cord Injury Research Laboratory
opened on March 1, 2002 at the Christopher
Reeve-Irvine Center. Roman Reed was paralyzed from the neck down in a Chabot
College football game nearly eight years ago. His father, Don Reed, lobbied to
get a $15 surcharge added to traffic violation fines to fund spinal cord injury
research (Roman Reed Bill, Assembly Bill 750). The Assembly revised the bill to
allocate money from the general fund for spinal cord injury research rather than
from traffic fines. The bill was signed into law by Gov. Gray Davis in 2000.
Since then, $3 million in funds has been administered by the Reeve-Irvine Center
for spinal cord injury research.
The fourth annual “Hope In Motion”, a dinner and
auction to benefit the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation (CRPF), will be
held on March 16, 2002 at the Park Hyatt Beaver Creek in Vail, CO. http://www.apacure.com/news/releases.cfm?storyID=361
Canadian Neurotrauma Research Program (CNRP) Update: After three
successful years in which it funded 56 operating grants and 22 fellowships, the
CNRP will not return in March 2002. The Canadian Institutes of Health Research
(CIHR)'s Institute of
Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction has been working with
stakeholders in the field including many of the CNRP partners, and has
identified Brain and Spinal Cord Repair as one of its key strategic initiative.
The Rick Hansen Institute, one of
the partners of the CNRP, is in the process of developing the Rick Hansen
National Spinal Cord Injury Cure Strategy. The strategy will accelerate the
discovery of cures for spinal cord injury by translating promising research
discoveries into proven therapies and treatments.
The Rick Hansen Institute, in partnership with
UBC researchers and Vancouver Hospital and Health Sciences Centre - known as
ICORD, International Collaboration of Repair Discoveries - has been awarded
almost $13 million in support of a new international spinal cord research
centre. The first of its kind in Canada, the research centre is unique bringing
together, under one roof, some of the best and brightest of Canadian and
international research talent, incorporating discovery research with clinical
and rehabilitation research and practices, in collaboration with people with
spinal cord injury. This strategic approach accelerates the pace of discovery
and development of treatments and therapies to benefit people living with spinal
cord injury. http://www.rickhansen.com/PressRoom/News2002/Funding013002.htm
PVA Praises State-of-the-Art Spinal Cord Unit in Tampa;
Facility Will Provide Advanced Care for Veterans: A new Spinal Cord Injury
(SCI) Unit at the James A. Haley Veterans Hospital in Tampa, Fla., was dedicated
on February 8. http://www.pva.org/NEWPVASITE/newsroom/PR2002/pr02012.htm
Researchers develop tube for spinal cord injuries: Plastic
tube could eventually lead to treatment for paralysis "U of T chemical
engineering professor Molly Shoichet and neurosurgeons from the University
Health Network's Toronto Western division have created a plastic tube that fits
around the spinal cord and restores some movement in paralyzed rats. Although
the research is in its early stage, the scientists hope developments will
eventually lead to a treatment for paralysis in humans." http://www.newsandevents.utoronto.ca/bin2/010912b.asp
RSNA Scholar Proves Merits of MR Imaging in Assessment
of Spinal Cord Injury: RSNA Scholar Adam Flanders, M.D.'s spinal cord
research, "Uses of Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Assessing Severity and
Forecasting Outcomes of Spinal Cord Injury," was one of the first to demonstrate
that MR imaging provides valuable diagnostic information for improving forecasts
of long-term functional recovery in SCI. http://www.rsna.org/publications/rsnanews/feb02/spinal-1.html
Weill Cornell Researcher Sees Promise in Use of Stem
Cells and Progenitor Cells for Brain Repair: Dr. Steven Goldman, Nathan
Cummings Professor of Neurology at Weill Cornell Medical College, will report at
the American Association for the Advancement of Science meeting several new
discoveries pertaining to the use of stem cells and progenitor cells for
treating the diseased human brain. This research holds great promise for other
diseases, including SCI. http://www.news.cornell.edu/releases/Feb02/stemcells.html
New Health Services Technology/Assessment Text report
available. Evidence Report/Technology Assessment: Number 27: Treatment of
Pulmonary Disease Following Cervical Spinal Cord Injury. AHRQ Publication No.
01-E013 Current as of June 2001. http://hstat.nlm.nih.gov/hq/Hquest/db/local.epc.ersum.spinsum/screen/DocTitle/s/33364
CenterWatch Launches New Clinical Trial
Directory for Public and Medical Libraries: Centerwatch is publishing a new
reference directory which lists information on clinical trials. This information
will assist consumers and health providers in identifying potentially useful
medical treatments for their ailments. The directory will be available in
libraries for individuals who prefer the printed source to searching
Centerwatch's online directory of clinical trials at http://www.centerwatch.com/
Research for the Cure in Spinal Cord Injury.
Research Review newsletter, Vol 4(1), February, 2002. RRTC on Secondary
Conditions of Spinal Cord Injury. Available from: UAB Department of Physical Medicine and
Rehabilitation. Reviews the progress research has made on finding a cure for
SCI and the current research taking place. A recent article in Spinal Cord, February 2002, vol. 40, no.
2 pp. 65-68 entitled Spinal cord stimulation facilitates functional walking in a
chronic, incomplete spinal cord injured. Herman R., He J., D'Luzansky S., Willis
W., and Dilli S. describes a treatment paradigm to facilitate functional gait in
a quadriplegic, spinal cord injured (SCI), wheelchair-dependent individual. The
treatment uses partial weight bearing therapy (PWBT) followed by epidural spinal
cord stimulation (ESCS). A Georgetown study has found that delaying treatment of
SCI may help recovery. A discussion of this article may be found at: http://www.apacure.org/news/releases.cfm?storyID=329
The report
suggests that the window of opportunity for treating spinal cord injury may be
wider than previously anticipated.
The abstract of the article (derived from the National Library of Medicine's
PubMed database) follows:
Axonal regeneration and functional recovery after complete spinal cord
transection in rats by delayed treatment with transplants and neurotrophins.
Coumans JV, Lin TT, Dai HN, MacArthur L, McAtee M, Nash C, Bregman BS.
Department of Neuroscience, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC
20007. Journal of Neuroscience 2001 Dec 1;21(23):9334-44
Little axonal regeneration occurs after spinal cord injury in adult mammals.
Regrowth of mature CNS axons can be induced, however, by altering the intrinsic
capacity of the neurons for growth or by providing a permissive environment at
the injury site. Fetal spinal cord transplants and neurotrophins were used to
influence axonal regeneration in the adult rat after complete spinal cord
transection at a midthoracic level. Transplants were placed into the lesion
cavity either immediately after transection (acute injury) or after a 2-4 week
delay (delayed or chronic transplants), and either vehicle or neurotrophic
factors were administered exogenously via an implanted minipump. Host axons grew
into the transplant in all groups. Surprisingly, regeneration from supraspinal
pathways and recovery of motor function were dramatically increased when
transplants and neurotrophins were delayed until 2-4 weeks after transection
rather than applied acutely. Axonal growth back into the spinal cord below the
lesion and transplants was seen only in the presence of neurotrophic factors.
Furthermore, the restoration of anatomical connections across the injury site
was associated with recovery of function with animals exhibiting plantar foot
placement and weight-supported stepping. These findings suggest that the
opportunity for intervention after spinal cord injury may be greater than
originally envisioned and that CNS neurons with long-standing injuries can
reinitiate growth, leading to improvement in motor function.
The UAB Rehabilitation Research & Training Center has new and
updated materials available on spinal cord injury (SCI). The following
information can be accessed at www.spinalcord.uab.edu or on the SCI Fax
Information Network. Call 205-975-8376 from your fax machine, follow the voice
menu and enter the FAX ID NUMBER of the document you wish to receive. Please
remain on the line until fax is complete. You may receive up to two documents
per call.
FAX ID: 116 SCI InfoSheet #16 - Spastic Hypertonia after SCI (2001)
FAX ID: 161 SCI InfoSheet #20 - Adjustment to SCI (2001)
Each InfoSheet is also available by mail. Contact: Office of Research
Services, RRTC on Secondary Conditions of Spinal Cord Injury, UAB Department of
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 619 19TH STREET SOUTH - SRC 529,
BIRMINGHAM, AL 35249-7330, PH 205-934-3283 FAX 205-975-4691
Mary B. Bunge Awarded $50,000 from CRPF: The Christopher Reeve Paralysis
Foundation (CRPF) has awarded Mary B. Bunge, Ph.D. of the University of
Miami School of Medicine and the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis
$50,000 for her research on spinal cord injury and paralysis. Dr. Bunge's research
involves development and repair of nervous tissue.
Website Focus: The
International Campaign for Cures of Spinal Cord Injury Paralysis as a "peak
body" consisting of affiliate organizations working to fund research into cures
for paralysis caused by spinal cord injury.
Website Focus: SpinLife.com is an
Internet resource for buying wheelchairs, scooters and accessories. They also
include articles on selecting the right equipment for your needs.
The International Campaign for Cures of Spinal Cord Injury (ICCP) has announced
the two winners of its 2001 Outstanding Young Investigator Award: Jeffrey C.
Petruska, Ph.D., from the State University of New York, Stony Brook, and Stephen
J. Crocker, Ph.D. of the University of Ottawa, were each awarded a $3500 prize
for their respective projects, “Development of in situ intracellular
electrophysical techniques to assess spinal cord synaptic plasticity” and “The
role of JNK signaling in a model of spinal contusion injury.”
Disaster Preparedness for Persons with Disabilities: National Organization on Disability President
Alan A. Reich met
with Office of Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge on November 9, 2001 to
discuss emergency planning for Americans with Disabilities. The National
Organization on Disability's website provides links to resources and guides on
this topic as does the U.S.
Access Board website. The American Red
Cross and the Federal Emergency Management
Agency (FEMA) have also developed materials on disaster preparedness for
people with disabilities. Website Focus: Association for the Advancement of Assistive Technology in
Europe: http://www.fernuni-hagen.de/FTB/aaate.htm
and International Rehabilitation Links: http://www.fernuni-hagen.de/FTB/ftb/links.htm Brain Areas Controlling Movements in Paralyzed Subjects: Dr.
Richard A. Normann, professor of bioengineering and ophthalmology at the
University of Utah in Salt Lake City, and colleagues have examined paralyzed
subjects with C5-C6 trauma-related spinal-cord damage and compared them to
healthy control subjects. They have found that attempted movement of paralyzed
limbs activates corresponding areas of motor cortex that differ little between
these two groups. This may mean that that an implanted electrode could bypass
damaged nerve and motor pathways and make it possible for SCI individuals to
move and perhaps even walk again. Read about this research at: Quadriplegics
Retain Ability To Activate Sensorimotor Brain Areas and An Early Step
Toward Helping the Paralyzed Walk: Despite Paralysis, Brain Areas Controlling
Movements Still Operate Recent Trends in Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Practices & Outcomes:
This research
project examined the NSCISC database to document recent trends in spinal
cord injury rehabilitation practices and outcomes. An analysis was done on data
from 3,082 patients with SCI who were treated and discharged by a Model SCI
Center between 1995 and 1999. They analyzed: the average length of
inpatient rehabilitation stay; the use of outpatient rehabilitation
services; and the treatment outcomes Medicaid Community-based Attendant Services and Supports Act of
2001: Read about this act and express your support if you wish at http://www.ncil.org/micassa1298.htm
Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Resource Center: The CRPF and the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) will open the Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Resource
Center (PRC) in the spring of 2002. The Paralysis Resource Center will be
a coordinating facility staffed with specialists, a library and a searchable web
site providing educational materials, referral services, and self help guidance
to those living with paralysis and their families and caregivers. If you wish to
participate in a survey and provide your opinions and recommendations concerning
the Center, go to http://www.edgeresearch.com/~esurveys/paralysis.htm
Fetal Spine-Tissue Transplant Found Safe in Humans: Researcher Dr.
Douglas K. Anderson and colleagues at the University of Florida in Gainesville Neuroscience Department
have written a pair of articles published in the September issue of the Journal
of Neurotrauma (2001;18:911-945) stating that the use of fetal tissue to repair
SCI appears to be safe and feasible. The researchers transplanted a small amount
of fetal spinal cord tissue into eight patients with syringomyelia. The
patients did not experience any serious side effects although it is still
uncertain is the treatment provides any benefits. UAB RRTC on Secondary Conditions of SCI: The RRTC has made available
several new/updated publications. For the SCI Fax Information System, call
205-975-8376 from your fax machine, follow the voice menu and enter the FAX ID
NUMBER of the document you wish to receive. Please remain on the line until fax
is complete. You may receive up to two documents per call. NEW MATERIALS: UPDATED MATERIALS: FAX ID: 102 Website Focus: CareCure is a
service provided by the Spinal Cord Injury Project of the W. M. Keck Center for
Collaborative Neuroscience at Rutgers University for the spinal cord injury
community. It has replaced the Cando/Spinewire website and forums. Thanks
to Rutgers for continuing this very valuable service! Spinal Cord Injury Peer Information
Library on Technology Project Update: They have recently
added 7 more consumer stories to the website, bringing the total to 28. They are
in the final stages of producing a printed version of the resource. The Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation has added a new Health Promotion
category to its Quality of
Life grants. Other fields of interest in these grants include
Accessibility, Advocacy, Arts, Assistive Technology, Children, Counseling,
Education, Employment, Independent Living, Practical Service, Sports and
Recreation, and Therapeutic Riding. Website Focus: Blvd.com is a resource
directory of products and services for the disabled, elderly, caregiver and
healthcare professional The Spinal Cord Injury Peer Information
Library on Technology Project has added six new stories describing consumer
experiences with assistive technology. Leading the way —
Life is a hands-on experience for spinal cord injury patient describes the
life of an individual who sustained a SCI as a teen. It describes the
tendon transfer surgery he received at the Shriners Hospitals for Children in
Chicago. The Access Board has supplemented
its web-based materials on Section 508 with information that clarifies each of
the technical chapters of the standards it issued last December. The Federal
Information Technology Accessibility Initiative, an interagency partnership
organized by the General Services Administration (GSA) that serves as a lead
resource on Section 508, recently launched a new on-line training program known
as the "508 Universe" on its website at http://www.section508.gov/. This
program provides a user-friendly introduction to the law, the standards, and
updated procurement regulations. It currently features a course that
focuses on accessible websites and developing web pages that meet the 508
standards. “Hope In
Motion” (Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation [CRPF])
Canadian Institutes
of Health Research (CIHR)
Canadian Neurotrauma
Research Program (CNRP)
Clinical
Trial Directory for Public and Medical Libraries
Delaying Treatment
of SCI, Possible Help in Recovery
MR Imaging in Assessment of SCI
Pulmonary Disease Following Cervical SCI, Treatment of
Rick Hansen Institute: New International Spinal Cord Research
Centre
Rick
Hansen National Spinal Cord Injury Cure Strategy
Roman Reed Spinal Cord Injury Research Laboratory
February 2002
Can be requested by Fax at: SCI
Fax Information Network at 205-975-8376; FAX ID: 135.
Some articles on this research available on the
Web:
Working on
walking: UAMS research produces device that has spine-injured man on his feet.
Paralyzed man
now walking with experimental stimulator
DARING NEW
SURGERY FOR PARALYSIS
January 2002
2001 Newsletters
December 2001
November 2001
October 2001
Here is the citation for
the article found in the MEDLINE database:
J
Neurotrauma 2001 Sep;18(9):931-45. Neurophysiological assessment of the
feasibility and safety of neural tissue transplantation in patients with
syringomyelia. Thompson FJ, Reier PJ, Uthman B, Mott S, Fessler RG, Behrman A,
Trimble M, Anderson DK, Wirth ED 3rd.Department of Neuroscience, University of
Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, USA.Thompson@ufbi.ufl.edu
The
feasibility and safety of a procedure involving fetal spinal cord tissue
transplantation in patients with syringomyelia was assessed using a
neurophysiological protocol designed to quantitate peripheral nerve
function, spinal cord reflex excitability, and spinal cord conduction pathways
essential for somatosensory evoked potentials. We report here data obtained
before and for 18 months following the transplantation procedure performed on
the first two patients in this study. The neurophysiological assessment
protocols included measures of cortical and spinal cord evoked potentials,
H-reflex excitability, and peripheral nerve conduction. Prior to the procedure,
both patients had significant deficits on some of the neurophysiological
measures, for example, lower extremity cortical evoked potentials. However,
robust measures of intact pathways, such as upper extremity cortical evoked
potentials, were also observed preoperatively in both patients. Thus, it was
anticipated that conduction in these intact pathways could be at risk either
from complications from the transplantation procedure and/or from
continued expansion of the syrinx. Following the transplantation
procedure,
no negative changes were observed in any of the neurophysiological measures in
either patient. In addition, patient 1 showed a decrease in the rate
potentiation of tibial H-reflexes on the right side and an increase in the
response probability of left tibial H-reflexes. The results of this
postoperative longitudinal assessment provide a first-level demonstration of the
safety of the intraspinal neural tissue transplantation procedure. However, the
consideration of safety is currently limited to the grafting procedure itself,
since the long-term fates of the donor tissue in these two patients remain to be
shown more definitively.
J Neurotrauma 2001 Sep;18(9):911-29. Feasibility
and safety of neural tissue transplantation in patients with syringomyelia.
Wirth ED 3rd, Reier PJ, Fessler RG, Thompson FJ, Uthman B, Behrman A, Beard J,
Vierck CJ, Anderson DK. Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida
College of Medicine, Gainesville, USA. wirth@ufbi.ufl.edu.
Transplantation
of fetal spinal cord (FSC) tissue has demonstrated significant potential in
animal models for achieving partial anatomical and functional restoration
following spinal cord injury (SCI). To determine whether this strategy can
eventually be translated to humans with SCI, a pilot safety and feasibility
study was initiated in patients with progressive posttraumatic syringomyelia
(PPTS). A total of eight patients with PPTS have been enrolled to date, and this
report presents findings for the first two patients through 18 months
postoperative. The study design included detailed assessments of each subject at
multiple pre- and postoperative time points. Outcome data were then compared
with each subject's own baseline. The surgical protocol included detethering,
cyst drainage, and implantation of 6-9-week postconception human FSC tissue.
Immunosuppression with cyclosporine was initiated a few days prior to surgery
and continued for 6 months postoperatively. Key outcome measures included:
serial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) exams, standardized measures of
neurological impairment and functional disability, detailed pain assessment, and
extensive neurophysiological testing. Through 18 months, the first two patients
have been stable neurologically and the MRIs have shown evidence of solid tissue
at the graft sites, without evidence of donor tissue overgrowth. Although it is
still too soon to draw any firm conclusions, the findings from the initial two
patients in this study suggest that intraspinal grafting of human FSC tissue is
both feasible and safe.
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Overview of pulmonary
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http://www.spinalcord.uab.edu/show.asp?durki=21479
FAX ID: 152
Research Update - September 2001
Annual review of UAB
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http://www.spinalcord.uab.edu/show.asp?durki=19805
SCI Health Education MultiMedia Series
The newest slideshow
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http://www.spinalcord.uab.edu/show.asp?durki=28921
FAX ID: 101
SCI InfoSheet #1 - Locating
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Source for locating organizations and agencies. (4 pp)
http://www.spinalcord.uab.edu/show.asp?durki=21479
SCI InfoSheet #2 - Locating Information About SCI
Source
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http://www.spinalcord.uab.edu/show.asp?durki=21479
September 2001
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