Quadriplegia News and Research

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People with disabilities hope autonomous vehicles deliver independence

Myrna Peterson predicts self-driving vehicles will be a ticket out of isolation and loneliness for people like her, who live outside big cities and have disabilities that prevent them from driving.

12 Dec 2023

Revolution in neuroscience: 2D nanomaterials propel advances in brain repair, treatment, and diagnosis

Review discusses the increasing importance of two-dimensional nanomaterials like graphene in neuroscience, highlighting their potential in nerve repair, creating brain-mimicking synaptic devices, and treating neurological disorders. It also considers the challenges and future prospects of these materials in this complex field.

11 Jun 2023

First-of-its-kind, innovative application for wheelchair users living with tetraplegia

Brooks Rehabilitation recently announced that the MagTrack study, a collaborative research endeavor with the Georgia Tech School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, has been successfully completed.

4 Mar 2022

Assistive magnetic skin system supports freedom of movement for people with quadriplegia

An assistive technology uses magnetic skin to support freedom of movement for people with quadriplegia.

18 Jan 2021

New method analyzes brain signals to assess how humans control everyday behaviors

An international research team has uncovered a new method that can analyse signals in the brain to assess how we control our everyday behaviours.

12 Nov 2020

Broader monitoring of patients needed to reduce post-hospitalization UTIs

Broader monitoring of patients is needed to reduce the number of people who develop a urinary tract infection after being discharged from the hospital, new research by Oregon State University suggests.

26 Jun 2019

Study evaluates relative importance of specific functional abilities after traumatic spinal cord injury

Independence in mobility is the single most important factor affecting quality of life in patients with traumatic spinal cord injury, reports a study in the American Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, the official journal of the Association of Academic Physiatrists. The journal is published by Wolters Kluwer.

30 Aug 2018

Children with disabilities endure long waits for life-changing medical equipment

Bev Baker-Ajene waited so long to get an adult-sized wheelchair for her teenage daughter, Savitri, that she eventually forgot she'd ordered it.

19 Jul 2018

Study reveals effects of drowning-induced brain injury in children

A new study indicates that children who develop brain injury due to non-fatal drowning often experience severe motor deficits but maintain relatively intact perceptual and cognitive capabilities.

1 Aug 2017

Double-booked: When surgeons operate on two patients at once

The controversial practice has been standard in many teaching hospitals for decades, its safety and ethics largely unquestioned and its existence unknown to those most affected: people undergoing surgery.

12 Jul 2017

Man with quadriplegia uses implanted technologies to restore arm and hand movements

Bill Kochevar grabbed a mug of water, drew it to his lips and drank through the straw. His motions were slow and deliberate, but then Kochevar hadn't moved his right arm or hand for eight years.

29 Mar 2017

Tendon transfer for quadriplegics greatly underused, article reveals

A surgery for quadriplegics called tendon transfer can significantly improve hand and elbow function, but the procedure is greatly underused, according to an article in the journal Hand Clinics by Loyola Medicine hand surgeon Michael S. Bednar, MD, FAAOS.

24 Aug 2016

Study compares aripiprazole and quetiapine for treatment of schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a common cause of incapacity and is ranked as the third-most-disabling illness subsequent to dementia and quadriplegia.

15 Jul 2016

Just think about it: Giving natural movement to a patient with quadriplegia

Paralysis is often the result of nerve damage that prevents commands from the brain being relayed to muscle to cause movement...

22 May 2015

Fecal transplantation cures C. diff infection, eliminates multi-drug resistant pathogens

A fecal microbiota transplant (FMT) not only cured a case of Clostridium difficile (C. diff) infection in a 66 year old man; it eliminated populations of multi-drug resistant organisms both in the patient's gastrointestinal tract, and several other body sites.

7 May 2015

Study provides insights into genetic underpinnings of childhood epilepsies

Technological advances in genetic analysis have uncovered changes in single genes that account for a surprising number of infantile and early-childhood epilepsies. Though some of the affected genes have been identified, the physical manifestations of these alterations remain largely uncharacterized.

7 Dec 2014

State highlights: Mass. health spending slows, but for how long?

Two years ago, Massachusetts set what was considered an ambitious goal: The state would not let that persistent monster, rising health care costs, increase faster than the economy as a whole.

4 Sep 2014

Bioengineer wins NIH grant to advance brain-computer interface technology

Less than two years ago, a brain-computer interface designed at the University of Pittsburgh allowed Jan Scheuermann to control a robotic arm solely with her thoughts. Using the arm to bring a chocolate bar to her mouth and taking a bite was a sweet victory for Scheuermann, who has quadriplegia.

19 Jun 2014

Experts in brain and spinal cord injuries to discuss treatment approaches at 23rd Annual Meeting of AMSSM

Post-concussion syndrome (PCS) and spinal cord injuries are complex problems that can present with a variety of symptoms or sequelae.

29 Mar 2014

$Johns Hopkins researchers find that diagnostic errors accounted for largest fraction of claims$

Johns Hopkins researchers find that diagnostic errors accounted for largest fraction of claims

In reviewing 25 years of U.S. malpractice claim payouts, Johns Hopkins researchers found that diagnostic errors — not surgical mistakes or medication overdoses — accounted for the largest fraction of claims, the most severe patient harm, and the highest total of penalty payouts.

23 Apr 2013