Spinal Cord Injury News and Research

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A spinal cord injury usually begins with a sudden, traumatic blow to the spine that fractures or dislocates vertebrae. The damage begins at the moment of injury when displaced bone fragments, disc material, or ligaments bruise or tear into spinal cord tissue. Most injuries to the spinal cord don't completely sever it. Instead, an injury is more likely to cause fractures and compression of the vertebrae, which then crush and destroy the axons, extensions of nerve cells that carry signals up and down the spinal cord between the brain and the rest of the body. An injury to the spinal cord can damage a few, many, or almost all of these axons. Some injuries will allow almost complete recovery. Others will result in complete paralysis.

Researchers identify new spinal oxygen sensors capable of protecting the body from hypoxia

University of Calgary researchers have identified a new oxygen sensing mechanism in a small population of spinal cord neurons capable of protecting the brain and other vital organs from low oxygen (hypoxia).

22 Apr 2022

Innovative imaging technique may pave the way for better understanding and treatment of spinal cord injury

A research team led by scientists from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology has developed an innovative technology for in vivo imaging of the important biological processes involved in the injury and repair of spinal cords, paving the way for a better understanding of the pathology and potential treatment of spinal cord injury (SCI).

12 Apr 2022

Domestic violence survivor, UK patient stands and walks for the first time in more than eight years

"Deep breaths, April. Deep breaths." April Ballentine nods, steeling herself. As she sits inside the lab of the University of Kentucky's Sports Medicine Research Institute (SMRI), her anticipation stirs up an incredible amount of pure nervousness.

1 Apr 2022

Study offers new hope for patients coping with spinal cord injuries

By employing artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics to formulate therapeutic proteins, a team led by Rutgers researchers has successfully stabilized an enzyme able to degrade scar tissue resulting from spinal cord injuries and promote tissue regeneration.

7 Mar 2022

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

People with spinal cord injuries most likely to develop psychological conditions, study shows

Adults living with spinal cord injuries have a near-80% increased risk of developing psychological conditions, such as depression and anxiety, compared to people without the traumatic injury, a new study shows. But chronic pain may have an equally large, negative effect on mental health.

8 Feb 2022

Winners of the first CERF Medical Engineering Prize for ALS Research announced

The Cullen Education and Research Fund announced the recipients of the first CERF Medical Engineering Prize for ALS Research: Dr. Leigh Hochberg, Dr. Conor Walsh, and Dr. Sabrina Paganoni.

8 Feb 2022

Mice study identifies ventral spinocerebellar tract neurons that control locomotion

For more than a century, scientists have known that while the commands that initiate movement come from the brain, the neurons that control locomotion once movement is underway reside within the spinal cord.

20 Jan 2022

Drugs that block mineralocorticoid receptor may help protect bone cells during aging

Drugs we take like prednisone can weaken our bones and so can aging, and scientists working to prevent both have some of the first evidence that the best target may not be the logical one.

5 Jan 2022

‘Moving molecule’ therapy for severe spinal cord injury

In this interview, News-Medical speaks to Dr. Stupp about his recent research into a therapy involving dancing molecules for the treatment of severe spinal cord injury.

7 Dec 2021

Tighter blood pressure management may lead to better spinal cord injury recovery

Patients with new spinal cord injuries whose blood pressure is maintained within a newly defined range during surgery may stand a better chance of regaining some mobility and functionality – even in patients with the most devastating injuries – according to a new study by researchers at UC San Francisco.

16 Nov 2021

Special bioactive scaffolds lead to greater functional recovery from spinal cord injury in mice

In mice with a spinal cord injury, mixing materials including bioactive sequences formed a polymer meshwork that improved axon regrowth, angiogenesis, and neuronal cell survival.

11 Nov 2021

New therapy harnesses "dancing molecules" to reverse paralysis, repair tissue after spinal cord injuries

Northwestern University investigators have developed a new injectable therapy that harnesses "dancing molecules" to reverse paralysis and repair tissue after severe spinal cord injuries.

11 Nov 2021

Exercises using virtual reality to relieve COVID breathlessness

A recent study evaluates an immersive virtual reality-based digital intervention to alleviate refractory breathlessness in patients recovering from COVID-19.

31 Oct 2021

FDA-approved drug encourages sensory neurons to regrow after injury

A spinal cord injury damages the lines of communication between the body and brain, impeding the signals that drive movement and sensation.

18 Oct 2021

Stringent lineage tracing is vital for nerve cell regeneration studies

UT Southwestern stem cell scientists find that stringent lineage tracing is crucial for studies of nerve cell regeneration. Their results, which are published in Cell, show that this tracing is far from routine in the field and suggest that earlier studies reporting "striking" regeneration results must be reexamined.

29 Sep 2021

Study shows resilience as a character trait to overcome spinal cord injuries

September is Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Awareness month. According to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center, approximately 296,000 Americans are currently living with SCI, with around 17,900 new cases occurring each year.

25 Sep 2021

Small molecule drug can attenuate the triggers of neuroinflammation, preclinical study shows

Neuroinflammation can worsen outcomes in stroke, traumatic brain injury, or spinal cord injury, as well as accelerate neurodegenerative diseases like ALS, Parkinson's, or Alzheimer's. This suggests that limiting neuroinflammation may represent a promising new approach to treat neurological diseases and neuropathic pain that are driven by neuroinflammation.

24 Sep 2021

FB-EVAR is safe and effective for treatment of aortic aneurysms, study shows

A recent study revealed that endovascular repair of complex aortic aneurysms using fenestrated and branched endografts provides a safe and effective alternative to open surgical repair, with the lowest ever reported mortality rate in this patient population, according to researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston and Memorial Hermann Heart and Vascular Institute Aortic Center.

10 Sep 2021

Study assesses the use of complementary and integrative healthcare by people with spinal cord injury

In a cross-sectional self-report study led by experts from five Spinal Cord Injury Model Systems Centers, a survey of people with spinal cord injury revealed that 80 percent of participants were current or previous users of complementary and integrative healthcare approaches such as multivitamins, massage, and acupuncture.

26 Aug 2021