Spinal cord injury persons enjoy scuba diving. Continue Reading »

ScienceDaily (Nov. 12, 2007) — Neurons die en masse when the spinal cord is injured or when a person suffers a stroke. Researchers of the Max Delbrueck Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) Berlin-Buch, Germany, and of Aarhus University, Denmark, have unraveled the molecular mechanism which causes the death not only of damaged neurons, but also of healthy nerve cells.

In animal experiments, they have now been able to demonstrate that neuronal cell death can be reduced when the gene of one the key players in this process is knocked out. The research results of Professor Thomas E. Willnow (MDC) and Professor Anders Nykjaer (Aarhus University) have been published online in Nature Neuroscience. Now they are working on the development of drugs to limit neuronal cell death after spinal cord injury. Continue Reading »

ScienceDaily (Nov. 9, 2007) — Neuroscientists have significantly advanced brain-machine interface (BMI) technology to the point where severely handicapped people who cannot contract even one leg or arm muscle now can independently compose and send e-mails and operate a TV in their homes. They are using only their thoughts to execute these actions.

Thanks to the rapid pace of research on the BMI, one day these and other individuals may be able to feed themselves with a robotic arm and hand that moves according to their mental commands.

“Our work has shown how important the learning process is when using brain-controlled devices,” says Andrew Schwartz, PhD, of the University of Pittsburgh. Continue Reading »

ScienceDaily (Nov. 9, 2007) — New experimental therapies are being — or soon may be — tested in clinical trials that could open the doors to a “golden era” for research to improve the treatments of people with spinal cord injuries, brain injuries, stroke, and other severe movement disorders, scientists say.

“The studies highlighted here reflect decades of basic science research that have led to some measure of understanding the events taking place in traumatic neural injury and disease, and how these events can be modulated to improve function,” says Aileen Anderson, PhD, of the University of California, Irvine. Continue Reading »

HAWTHORNE, N.Y.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Acorda Therapeutics, Inc.® (Nasdaq:ACOR) today announced that Ron Cohen, M.D., its President and CEO, has been inducted into the SCI Hall of Fame™ in the Corporate Executive category. Formed by the National Spinal Cord Injury Association (NSCIA) in 2005, the SCI Hall of Fame was created to recognize excellence and to honor individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions to quality of life and advancements toward a better future for all individuals with spinal cord injury.

“I am deeply moved and honored to be inducted into the SCI Hall of Fame,” stated Dr. Cohen. “Spinal cord injury is a devastating medical condition, but the scientific advances of the last 15 years have brought us closer than ever to bringing new therapies to clinical trials. My colleagues at Acorda and I are committed to achieving the company’s mission, to develop therapies that will treat SCI.” Continue Reading »

This is the second article in a three-part series about head and neck injuries in football and how prepared local sports programs are in preventing and responding to such injuries.

As loud as 70,000-plus screaming football fans can be, it’s the sound of silence that can be deafening. The roar of a home crowd is a cadence usually only interrupted when something goes wrong.

On Sept. 9, Ralph Wilson Stadium had 73,967 people watching the Buffalo Bills play host to the Denver Broncos in the opening Sunday of this year’s NFL season.

At the beginning of the third quarter, the game became a secondary concern as Bills’ tight end Kevin Everett lay still on the turf. Continue Reading »

A San Antonio woman has made a remarkable recovery from an accident that could have left her bedridden.

Her story of recovery is nothing short of a miracle and an inspiration to the medical professionals who nursed her back to health.

Ann Nelson’s story is one of hope, hard work and healing. Nelson was the outdoors type, a fishing buff and horsewoman. Last year, she was riding on a ranch west of San Antonio when she fell, breaking her neck and injuring her spinal cord. Continue Reading »

AS I SEE IT: This is about finding cures, not cloning humans

I am a bit perplexed as to who Cures Without Cloning is actually representing.

Missourians have already banned the cloning of human beings. They did this by voting yes on the stem cell amendment last November. Our state constitution now makes it a felony crime to even attempt to clone a human being, while ensuring that federally approved stem cell research can be pursued within strict, ethical boundaries. Continue Reading »

AFTER ACCIDENT, HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR SEES VICTORY IN SMALLER STROKES

VERSAILLES –For Dusty Hicks, senior year was going to be huge.

Other kids may get hyped about prom or graduation parties. In his final year of high school, Dusty was going to be all about the book.

By the time he was through, he was going to write his name in the front, the middle and the back of the Woodford County High swim team record book.

From the time he started swimming as a 3-year-old, when Dusty Hicks hit the water, good things — winning races; building a name — happened.

Until the day this past summer when Dusty hit the water and everything went stunningly wrong. Continue Reading »

The number of physically impaired athletes, who includes wheelchair athletes, amputees, and athletes with cerebral palsy, visual impaired and intellectually impaired athletes has substantially increased over the years.

Physically challenged athletes have similar injury rates and patterns as their able bodied counterparts, however, some injuries and illnesses are more common in certain Disability types than others.

The most common cause of disability for wheelchair athletes is spinal cord injury (SCI). For such athletes, noxious stimulus commonly precipitated by distended bladder, fecal mass, contact with sharp objects can leads to uncontrolled nervous response, which presents with headache, higher blood pressure, flushing, sweating profusely and increased heart rates. Continue Reading »