Wheelchairs News and Research

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Altered amino acid metabolism could contribute to diabetes-associated peripheral neuropathy

Approximately half of people with type 1 or type 2 diabetes experience peripheral neuropathy-;weakness, numbness, and pain, primarily in the hands and feet.

25 Jan 2023

Training can help tetraplegic users to operate mind-controlled wheelchairs in natural, cluttered spaces

A mind-controlled wheelchair can help a paralyzed person gain new mobility by translating users' thoughts into mechanical commands.

21 Nov 2022

Homelessness among older people is on the rise, driven by inflation and the housing crunch

On a recent rainy afternoon in this small town just outside Glacier National Park, Lisa Beaty and Kim Hilton were preparing to sell most of their belongings before moving out of their three-bedroom, two-bathroom rental home.

10 Nov 2022

Centuries-old mobility aids may be replaced by wearable exoskeletons

Exoskeletons -- motorized mechanical devices attached to an individual’s body to assist movement -- have been a popular feature in science fiction movies from Robocop to Iron Man as a means to give someone superhuman skills.

9 Nov 2022

Increasing Awareness Surrounding Ataxia

In this interview, we speak to Dr. Lauren Moore from the National Ataxia Foundation about the condition and the importance of raising awareness for ataxia.

31 Oct 2022

California patients fear fallout from third dialysis ballot measure

Toni Sherwin is actually looking forward to the procedure that will relocate her dialysis port from her chest to her arm, which will be easier to keep dry. Since she started dialysis in February — as part of blood cancer treatment — she has washed her hair in the sink and stayed out of her pool to prevent water from getting into the port.

31 Oct 2022

Second patient receives landmark fetal surgery and stem cell procedure

At Michelle Johnson's 20-week ultrasound, she received the distressing news that her developing baby was diagnosed with myelomeningocele, also known as spina bifida.

11 Oct 2022

Landmark clinical trial aims to treat spina bifida before birth

Three babies have been born after receiving the world's first spina bifida treatment combining surgery with stem cells. This was made possible by a landmark clinical trial at UC Davis Health.

7 Oct 2022

Physician bias, discriminatory attitudes may contribute to health disparities among people with disabilities

More than 30 years after the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), people with disabilities report having a difficult time accessing health care and often find that doctors' offices refuse to accommodate them.

3 Oct 2022

As state institutions close, families of longtime residents face agonizing choices

Mike Lee's way of life has faded away in most of the United States, and it soon will vanish from southwestern Iowa.

13 Sep 2022

Cancer drug helped delay progression of Duchenne muscular dystrophy in mice

Researchers at UBC’s School of Biomedical Engineering have discovered that an existing cancer drug could have potential as a treatment for muscular dystrophy.

1 Jul 2022

Existing cancer drug shows promise for treating patients with muscular dystrophy

Researchers at the University of British Columbia's School of Biomedical Engineering have discovered that an existing cancer drug could have potential as a treatment for muscular dystrophy.

29 Jun 2022

Health care startups turn to ‘coaches’ to help patients cope and monitor treatment

In 2011, Sean Duffy and Adrian James were sitting in San Francisco's Dolores Park debating what to call some workers at the company they founded, Omada Health.

24 Jun 2022

Despite a first-ever ‘right-to-repair’ law, there’s no easy fix for wheelchair users

Robin Bolduc isn't the type of person who takes "no" for an answer — particularly when it comes to fixing her husband's wheelchair.

2 Jun 2022

Refurbished walkers and wheelchairs fill gaps created by supply chain problems

Michele Lujan needed a wheelchair for her 52-year-old husband who had been hospitalized with covid-19. But she had lost her job, and money was tight.

11 Apr 2022

Study shows significant increase in survival rates of extremely pre-term babies

A new study co-authored by a University of Rochester Medical Center researcher has found that the survival rates of extremely pre-term babies has increased significantly in the past decade.

1 Apr 2022

Government announces £2.5 million package to improve transport accessibility for disabled people

The government has today (29 March 2022) announced a £2.5 million package to support disabled people travel more confidently on our transport network as it reopens after coronavirus (COVID-19).

28 Mar 2022

Using mRNA to introduce gene editor into human muscle stem cells

Mutations that lead to muscle atrophy can be repaired with the gene editor CRISPR-Cas9. A team led by ECRC researcher Helena Escobar has now introduced the tool into human muscle stem cells for the first time using mRNA, thus discovering a method suitable for therapeutic applications.

14 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

Study finds improved survival rates for extremely preterm infants born in NIH-funded research network

The survival rate of extremely preterm infants born from 2013 through 2018 in a large network of U.S. research centers improved to 78.3%, compared to 76% for infants born in the network from 2008 to 2012, according to researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health.

18 Jan 2022