Michigan Medicine’s Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation received a federal research grant for spinal cord injury – reflecting its comprehensive care for patients with SCI and signifying the program as a national leader in the field. Michigan Medicine rejoins the Spinal Cord Injury Model System program, a network of health systems supported by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research.
Tag: Spinal Cord Injury
Mount Sinai Awarded Prestigious Designation and $2.3 Million Grant for Spinal Cord Injury Program
Only health system in New York State to receive this honor demonstrating exemplary patient care and dedication to advancing treatment
Grief and Loss Among Veterans With Spinal Cord Injury: A Qualitative Study
Abstract Purpose The objective of this study was to understand veteran perspectives of grief/loss associated with their spinal cord injury (SCI). Design/Methods Qualitative descriptive design using semistructured interviews with veterans with SCI (n = 15) was performed using interview questions informed…

Injectable Porous Scaffolds Promote Better, Quicker Healing After Spinal Cord Injuries
In APL Bioengineering, researchers have developed materials that can interface with an injured spinal cord and provide a scaffolding to facilitate healing. To do this, scaffolding materials need to mimic the natural spinal cord tissue, so they can be readily populated by native cells in the spinal cord, essentially filling in gaps left by injury. The researchers show how the pores improve efficiency of gene therapies administered locally to the injured tissues, which can further promote tissue regeneration.

New treatment allows some people with spinal cord injury to regain hand and arm function
University of Washington researchers helped six Seattle-area people with spinal cord injuries regain some hand and arm mobility.
BFFs: How Physical Exercise Impacts Brain Blood Flow, Memory after Paralysis
Thanks to advances in health care in the past several decades, more than 90% of people who have had a spinal cord injury survive beyond the first year. The focus now is managing the long-term impact of spinal cord injury…
How Does Intermittent Hypoxia Amplify the Functional Benefits of Task-specific Rehabilitation after Spinal Cord Injury?
Spinal cord injury impairs motor function, leading to chronic disability. Traditional exercise-based (task-specific) training alone is insufficient to restore motor function. An emerging rehabilitation strategy is to precondition the nervous system by breathing repeated episodes of low oxygen, a treatment…

Implanted Neural Stem Cell Grafts Show Functionality in Spinal Cord Injuries
Researchers at UC San Diego School of Medicine report successfully implanting specialized grafts of neural stem cells directly into spinal cord injuries in mice, then documenting how the grafts grew and filled the injury sites, mimicking the animals’ existing neuronal network.
Mouse Study Shows Spinal Cord Injury Causes Bone Marrow Failure Syndrome
Researchers at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and College of Medicine found that spinal cord injuries in mice cause an acquired bone marrow failure syndrome that may contribute to chronic immune dysfunction.
Time-saving high-intensity workouts can benefit people with spinal cord injuries, researchers find
Research from the Department of Kinesiology at McMaster University has found that the practical advantages of high-intensity interval training (HIIT), or short bursts of all-out exercise, could be especially beneficial for people who have experienced spinal cord injuries (SCI).

Scientists show MRI predicts the efficacy of a stem cell therapy for brain injury
Scientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute and Loma Linda University Health have demonstrated the promise of applying magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to predict the efficacy of using human neural stem cells to treat a brain injury—a first-ever “biomarker” for regenerative medicine that could help personalize stem cell treatments for neurological disorders and improve efficacy. The study was published in Cell Reports.
Spinal Cord Contributes to Post-injury Walking Recovery in Cats
Article title: Recovery of locomotion in cats after severe contusion of the low thoracic spinal cord Authors: Hugo Delivet-Mongrain, Melvin Dea, Jean-Pierre Gossard, Serge Rossignol From the authors: “The main findings of this study show that after a very large damage following…
Spinal Cord Injury Increases Risk for Mental Health Disorders
A new study finds adults with traumatic spinal cord injury are at an increased risk of developing mental health disorders and secondary chronic diseases compared to adults without the condition.

When Damaged, the Adult Brain Repairs Itself by Going Back to the Beginning
When adult brain cells are injured, they revert to an embryonic state, say researchers at UC San Diego School of Medicine. In their newly adopted immature state, the cells become capable of re-growing new connections that, under the right conditions, can help to restore lost function.
Synapse Biomedical receives FDA emergency approval to use temporary breathing pacing device for COVID-19
Synapse Biomedical, a spin out company from University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center (UH) and Case Western Reserve University (CWRU), has received FDA approval for emergency use of its TransAeris Diaphragmatic Pacing Stimulator System to help wean any patient off of the ventilator including COVID-19 patients. Diaphragm pacing has the potential of freeing up ventilators as patients could be moved off of ventilators and placed on the pacing system.

New Injection Technique May Boost Spinal Cord Injury Repair Efforts
Researchers at UC San Diego School of Medicine, with colleagues, describe a new method for delivering neural precursor cells to spinal cord injuries in rats, reducing the risk of further injury and boosting the propagation of potentially reparative cells.
Mayo Clinic research discovers a molecular switch for repairing central nervous system disorders
A molecular switch has the ability to turn on a substance in animals that repairs neurological damage in disorders such as multiple sclerosis (MS), Mayo Clinic researchers discovered.
A common drug could help restore limb function after spinal cord injury
Long-term treatment with gabapentin, a commonly prescribed drug for nerve pain, could help restore upper limb function after a spinal cord injury, new research in mice suggests.
Case report: Stem cells a step toward improving motor, sensory function after spinal cord injury
Stem cells derived from a patient’s own fat offer a step toward improving — not just stabilizing — motor and sensory function of people with spinal cord injuries, according to early research from Mayo Clinic.