Universities to Study Wheelchair Transportation Safety
The University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI) and three other university partners have been awarded a $4.5 million five-year federal grant to continue research on transportation safety and usability for people in wheelchairs.
The U.S. Department of Education’s National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research has renewed funding of the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Wheelchair Transportation Safety (RERC WTS), a partnership headed by UMTRI that also includes the universities of Pittsburgh, Louisville and Colorado.
The partnership was originally formed in 2001 to advance the safety, usability and independence of the large proportion of 1.7 million wheelchair users who remain in their wheelchairs when traveling in motor vehicles.
The partnership of universities will conduct research and development in six project areas, ranging from developing solutions for forward-facing and rear-facing wheelchair passenger stations in large accessible transit vehicles, to investigating issues of school bus transportation for children in wheelchairs, to improving frontal- and rear-crash protection for wheelchair occupants in private vehicles. The RERC WTS will disseminate information, train future researchers, transfer technology concepts to manufacturers, and develop and revise voluntary industry standards.
For more information, contact Bernie DeGroat, 734-936-1015 or 734-647-1847, bernied@umich.edu.
Exercise Cycles Promote Exercise in Children with SCI
Shriners Hospital for Children in Chicago, Illinois has introduced three new stateof- the-art cycles that have not only helped young patients with spinal cord injuries improve cardiovascular health, but in some cases regain movement. The cycles work by electrically stimulating three muscle groups within the patients’ legs to interact in sequence causing them to contract and move the pedals. The cycles have been extremely popular among patients at Shriners. One cycle is even outfitted with a video game console that the patient can play while exercising. Researchers are studying whether the machines stimulate some regeneration of the spinal cord, but that has yet to be proven. Numerous patients, however, have credited the cycles with helping them regain movement. For more information, please visit abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=community&id=4315282.
Myelin Study Provides Hope in Treatment of MS and SCI
A study conducted by Jonah Chan, PhD, assistant professor of cell and neurobiology at the University of Southern California identified the mechanisms behind myelin formation in nerve development. Myelin is white matter that insulates nerve endings and helps nerves receive and interpret messages from the brain. When myelin is destroyed (also referred to demyelination) nerve endings can no longer function properly. This plays a significant role in diseases such as multiple sclerosis and even spinal cord injuries.
Chan discovered that the protein Par-3 is extremely important in bringing together other key proteins that are essential in forming myelin by creating an “organizing center” for this process. When the Par-3 pathway is manipulated, myelin is unable to form properly. Chan believes that manipulating this pathway in certain ways might lead to more efficient re-myelination (repair of myelin) of damaged or diseased nerves. For more information on this study, please visit uscnews.usc.edu/hscweekly/detail.php?recordnum=12943.
Common Antibiotic Reduces Cell Death in SCI
Harvard University researchers have found that Minocycline, an antibiotic used to treat arthritis and acne, has shown potential in limiting the severity of spinal cord and brain injuries. Rats were injected with the drug one hour after sustaining injuries that caused paralysis of their hind legs. After being injected, “the rats could walk with their hind legs supporting their weight and stand in a way that is close to normal.”
“We conclude that the anti-cell death, anti-scarring and anti-inflammatory effects of this drug are primary factors for reducing the secondary damage of spinal cord injuries,” says Yang Teng, a Harvard Medical School assistant professor of surgery who specializes in studying such injuries. “These results are exciting because they demonstrate a novel strategy in the form of a safe substance that could serve as a prototype drug for developing better treatments for people suffering from spinal cord injuries.”
Although approved by the Food and Drug Administration for other uses, minocycline has to be tested on humans with spinal cord injuries before it can be used as a treatment. Once approved, it might be given by emergency room doctors and field personnel, such as military medics and emergency medical technicians. To read the full article, please visit the Harvard University Gazette at www.news.harvard.edu/gazette/2004/03.25/01- spinalcord.html.
