THE DERBY CITY NSCIA NEWSLETTERFEBRUARY 2008 |
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The Derby City Chapter of the National Spinal Cord Injury Association Network- Serving Kentuckiana.
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Message From the President Dear Members & Friends- THIS MONTH’S MEETING IS CANCELED. March’s meeting is at Frazier Rehab Institute, - David Allgood
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The following articles from the Internet –ed Since it’s co-founding in 1985 by Dr. Barth A. Green and three families affected by spinal-cord injuries, The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis at the Miller School of Medicine has enjoyed a legacy of scientific and social developments. In 2004, The Miami Project published a breakthrough article regarding dramatic improvement in animal models of spinal-cord injury, utilizing a combination of cells and drugs. Now, they are trying to bring a treatment using Schwann cells, or cells particular to the peripheral nervous system that separate and insulate nerve cells, to clinical trial. This requires an FDA approved application and extensive process for approval, but could be a major advancement in spinal-cord injury research. Scientific Director for the Miami Project Dr. W. Dalton Dietrich is working to coordinate faculty members with consultants from the FDA. “Approval is being sought, and hopefully will be attained, from the FDA to begin phase one of trials and to begin clinical transformation,” says Maria Amador, director of education for The Miami Project. “The hope is to get approval by the end of 2008.” One of the project’s major goals is to use neurobiological science on a fundamental level and to apply these (Continue On Page Two)
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THE DERBY CITY NSCIA NEWSLETTER |
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Derby City Area Chapter ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION The Derby City Area Chapter of the N.S.C.I.A. is a membership organization for individuals with spinal cord injuries, their families, and health professionals. Founded in 1984 as a Charter Member of the N.S.C.I.A., it was incorporated under IRS Section 501 (c) 3 as a not for profit organization. The Board of Directors consists of the Officers, Past President and the Board Members At Large. *** PRESIDENT VICE PRESIDENT TREASURER LIAISON TO FRAZIER INSTITUTE FUNDRAISING CHAIR CORRESPONDING SECRETARY/WEB MASTER PAST PRESIDENT BOARD MEMBERS AT LARGE- Mike Perry NSCIA Editor- Barbara Davis Visit Our Website at The Derby City Area Chapter Newsletter is brought to you through the generous support of Frazier Rehab Institute |
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SCI RESEARCH, CONT’D findings on a clinical level. While the project is focused on spinal-cord injury, its developments can also carry over to other neurological disorders. For example, the study of remyelination of cells can potentially impact multiple sclerosis research. Multiple sclerosis is a neurodegenerative disease that affects muscle movements, coordination and balance, and has numerous symptoms, including spasms, problems in speech and vision problems. Nationwide, several other medical facilities are initiating their own spinal-cord research using The Miami Project as a guide. Dietrich said that research centers at the University of Louisville, University of Kentucky, The Ohio State University and University of California, Irvine, are developing large SCI research centers. “Some of these new centers have used the organizational framework of The Miami Project,” Dietrich said. “We are also very involved with training the next generation of scientists to continue this important work. These are truly exiting times.” LIFE IS EASIER IN WINTER IF YOU……
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THE DERBY CITY NSCIA NEWSLETTER |
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Refrigerator Calendar
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THE DERBY CITY NSCIA NEWSLETTER |
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SCIENTISTS RESTORE WALKING IN MICE AFTER SPINAL CORD INJURY Spinal cord damage blocks the routes that the brain uses to send messages to the nerve cells that control walking. Until now, doctors believed that the only way for injured patients to walk again was to re-grow the long nerve highways that link the brain and base of the spinal cord. For the first time, a UCLA study shows that the central nervous system can reorganize itself and follow new pathways to restore the cellular communication required for movement. The discovery could lead to new therapies for the estimated 250,000 Americans who suffer from traumatic spinal cord injuries. An additional 10,000 cases occur each year, according to the Christopher and Dana Reed Foundation, who helped fund the UCLA study. “Imagine the long nerve fibers that run between the cells in the brain and lower spinal cord as major freeways,” explained Dr. Michael Sofroniew, lead author and professor of neurobiology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. “When there’s a traffic accident on the freeway, what do drivers do? They take shorter surface streets. These detours aren’t as fast or direct, but still allow drivers to reach their destination. “We saw something similar in our research,” he added. “When spinal cord damage blocked direct signals from the brain, under certain conditions the messages were able to make detours around the injury. The message would follow a series of shorter connections to deliver the brain’s command to move the legs.” Using a mouse model, Sofroniew and his colleagues blocked half of the long nerve fibers in different places and at different times on each side of the spinal cord. They left untouched the spinal cord’s center, which contains a connected center of the spinal cord’s pathways. The latter convey information over short distances up and down the spinal cord. What they discovered surprised them.
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within eight weeks,” said Sofroniew. “They walked more slowly and less confidently than before their injury, but still recovered mobility.” When the researchers blocked the short nerve pathways in the center of the spinal cord, the regained function disappeared, returning the animal’s paralysis. This step confirmed that the nervous system had rerouted from the brain to the spinal cord via the shorter pathways, and that these nerve cells were critical to the animal’s recovery. “When I was a medical student, my professors taught that the brain and spinal cord were hard-wired at birth and could not adapt to damage. Severe injury to the spinal cord meant permanent paralysis,” said Sofroniew. Researchers feel this discovery could lead to the development of new strategies for restoring mobility following spinal cord injury. “Our study has identified cells that we can target to try to restore communication between the brain and spinal cord,” explained Sofroniew. “If we can use existing nerve connections instead of attempting to rebuild the nervous system the way it existed before injury, our job of repairing spinal cord damage will become much easier.” Spinal cord injury involves damage to the nerves enclosed within the spinal canal; most injuries result from trauma to the vertebral column. This affects the brain’s ability to send and receive messages below the injury site to the systems that control breathing, movement and digestion. Patients generally experience greater paralysis when injury strikes higher in the spinal column. The full research is published in the January edition of Nature Medicine. Sofroniew’s coauthors included Gregoire Cortine, Dr. Bingbing Song, Roland Roy, Huy Zhong, Julia Hermann, Dr. Yan Ao, Jinwei Qi and Reggie Edgerton, all of UCLA. The UCLA study was supported by grants from the National Institute of Neurological Disease and Stroke, the Adelson Medical Foundation, the Roman Reed Spinal Cord Injury Research Foundation of California and the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation. |
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THE DERBY CITY NSCIA NEWSLETTER |
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PVA’S 1ST VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION CENTER FOR VETERANS WITH SCI EXCEEDS EXPECTATIONS Paralyzed Veterans of America’s (PVA) first Vocational Employment Counseling Center for veterans with spinal cord injuries (SCI), which opened in July 2007 in partnership with Health Net Federal Services, LLC, the government operations division of Health Net, Inc. (NYSE-HNT), reports groundbreaking success. The Center was opened in Richmond, Va., to reduce the unemployment rates of veterans with SCI by bridging the gap between this unique veteran population and the resources that can help them to unleash their potential and pursue opportunities for substantive, gainful employment. The center currently provides rehabilitative and vocational rehabilitation services to 74 veterans with SCI, seven of whom are now gainfully employed as a result of the Center’s employment placement assistance. “Health Net Federal Services is extremely pleased with the remarkable success of PVA’s specialized rehabilitative counseling services for veterans with SCI,” said Steve Tough, president, Health Net Federal Services. “We look forward to our continued partnership with PVA to extend this unique program and continue to promote an equitable quality of life for many more veterans with SCI.” “It is important for the SCI veteran to be able to return to a normal life, and a very important part of that is employment and the self-worth and personal satisfaction that come with it. The ongoing successes that we are seeing with this program and the fact that we have almost ten percent employed in less than six months is cause for celebration,” said Randy L. Pieva, Sr., president, Paralyzed Veterans of America. “PVA looks for continued growth of this critical program and is grateful to Health Net for paving the way.” The success of the center is due to the design of the program, which allows vocational rehabilitation counselor, Rick Schiessler, the opportunity to meet with veterans easily and often during their medical rehabilitation. Shiessler is onsite at the Hunter Holmes McGuire Veterans Affairs Medical Center’s Spinal Cord Injury Center, allowing him to develop a rapport with veterans and their family members. This face to face contact is important in successfully providing mental, emotional and psychological support during the rehabilitative process. Developing interactive partnerships with local and worldwide employers interested in hiring veterans with SCI is critical to the center’s success. To date, Schiessler has successfully reached out and marketed to hundreds of employers who are interested in hiring veterans with SCI . As a result of this program growth and success, PVA will look at expanding this specialized program to other locations. For more information, call the PVA Veterans Benefits Department at 1-800-424-8200. |
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FOR SALE***
WC Lift; $7,000 new; only used 2 months; asking $3,000. Invacare Storm TDX 3 Power WC; full reclining; less that 1 year old; $12,000 new; asking $2,000. Quickie II manual chair; good cond.; $800. Call David 589-6620. NC topper; used; 3 E&J Manual chairs; used; 1 Quicksilver Action manual chair; Monarch hand controls. 93,000 miles. Price negotiable. Call Ruth @ 239-9754 after 5 p.m. *Shower Chair; 2 yrs old, negotiable; Invacare 900 Action Power Chair; 4 yrs. Old; $600. Call 448-5296. *Cookbooks for Sale: Recipes compiled by Chapter members; $10:00. Call David @ 589-6620. *Video tapes for sale. Various topics related to spinal cord injuries. Call David Allgood or Buddy Lawson. ***If assistance is needed to pay for any of the above items, contact Kentucky Assistive Technology Loan Corporation at 1-800-327-5287 for information on loans at 5% interest to qualified candidates.
DON'T FORGET ABOUT OUR SHIRTS!!
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THE DERBY CITY NSCIA NEWSLETTER |
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You are cordially invited to join us! The Derby City Chapter of the National Spinal Cord Injury Association We meet: WHEN- Third Monday of every month from 6:30 to 9:00 PM If you wish to be a member, donor, and/or be on the mailing list of the Derby City Chapter of the National Spinal Cord Injury Association please complete and mail the following form to the address below
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