DerbyCity Area Chapter of the National Spinal Cord Injury Association
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.
*** OFFICERS
PRESIDENT
David Allgood - (502) 589-6620
VICE PRESIDENT
Adam Ford - (502) 425-2206
TREASURER
Tom Stokes- (502) 957-5865
LIAISON TO FRAZIER INSTITUTE
Jill Farmer
FUNDRAISING CHAIR
Betty Perry—(502) 647-0368
CORRESPONDING SECRETARY/WEB MASTER
Michael Feger- (502) 647-0368
PAST PRESIDENT
Adam Ford- (502) 425-2206
BOARD MEMBERS AT LARGE-
Mike Perry
Kelly Young
NSCIA DERBY CITY CHAPTER NEWSLETTER
Editor- Barbara Davis
Contributor- David Allgood
Visit Our Website at www.DerbyCitySpinalCord.org
The Derby City Area Chapter Newsletter is brought to you through the generous support of Frazier Rehab Institute
SPINAL CORD INJURY
RESEARCH, CONT'D
vessels. When the researchers administered radiation alone, there was no detectable beneficial effect on the body's repair of the crushed cord. However, the researchers recalled findings from nearly a century ago by Alfred R. Allen showing that incision at the damage site along the midline of the cord (myelotomy) could drain the accumulated fluids and reduce tissue damage.
Kalderon and her colleagues at Sloan-Kettering then made longitudinal micro-incisions down the center of the injured cord within the first 24 hours after injury to release the fluid buildup. There was significant reduction in the size of Lesion site, confirming Allen's work. Then they combined the radiation treatment with the microsurgery. When a midline incision was performed at one hour after injury, followed by localized radiation therapy given for ten days starting on day ten after injury, there was nearly a two-fold improvement in the body's ability to heal the injured cord compared with untreated rats. This suggests that fluid accumulation and swelling must first be prevented if the radiation therapy is to be effective in promoting wound repair.
The researchers were able to show the improvements in wound healing both by post-mortem examination of the tissue three months after injury, as well as MRI on living rats. This indicates that the success of these therapies on humans could also be elevated using MRI technology.
The researchers also tested a third level of treatment. Recognizing that exercise may increase tissue repair, they added ten minutes of treadmill exercise five days a week to the radiation therapy, starting at the second week after injury. Again, the spinal cord's ability to repair itself was markedly improved. Rats treated with incisions to reduce the harmful fluid accumulation, followed by radiation therapy at the site to remove damaging cells and regular treadmill exercise saw a three-fold improvement in the body's ability to repair the severely crushed cord, going from 19% of cord tissue that was healthy in untreated rats to 56.3% of cord tissue that was repaired and saved from further damage.
"This research provides hope for spinal cord injury victims that paralysis can indeed be prevented or repaired with a combination of conventional therapies at the time of injury," says Kalderon.
Note: This story has been adapted from a news release issued by Public Library of Science.
