Local Research
Projects 2000-2005
The U-M Model SCI Care System has five local research
projects and one that it is conducting in collaboration with
other Model Systems. Click here
for information on the collaborative project.
The Effect of Alcohol Use and Dependency on Spinal Cord
Injury
Predictors of Health and Quality of Life for Persons with
Ventilator Assistance after SCI
Health Promotion and Wellness: Application of Principles to
Persons with Spinal Cord Injuries
Strategies to Enhance Employment Following SCI: Knowledge
and Impact of Public Policy Changes on Employment
Determinants of Societal Participation Following Spinal Cord
Injury
The Effect of Alcohol Use and Dependency on Spinal Cord
Injury
Principal Investigator: Ronald Maio D.O.
This study is being conducted jointly with the Injury
Research Center of the Department of Emergency Medicine. Its
purpose is to determine if people who consumed alcohol have
more severe SCI, higher levels of gloval injury severity and
decreased improvements in function during inpatient
rehabilitation. Earlier studies that were conducted with
animals found that this was the case, regardless of how
small the level of alchol in the blood stream. If this is
found to be the case among people with SCI, it may influence
how alcohol prevention education programs are presented.
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Predictors of Health and Quality of Life for Persons with
Ventilator Assistance after SCI
Principal Investigator: Seth Warschausky PhD
This purpose of this study is to identify the secondary
conditions and general health status of ventilator assisted
people with SCI. It is also evaluating the relationship
between changes in health on quality of life within this
population. In assessing environmental factors, quality and
quantity of caregiving is given particular attention. To
evaluate the factors that are unique to ventilator assisted
people with SCI, three samples are included in the study:
ventilator assisted people with SCI; people with tetraplegia
who do not use ventilators, and people who are ventilator
assisted who do not have SCI. To evaluate changes, subjects
in the study are being evaluated twice, two years apart.
During the past year, a group of subjects from England have
joined this study.
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Health Promotion and Wellness: Application of Principles to
Persons with Spinal Cord Injuries
Principal Investigator: Denise Tate PhD
This purpose of this study is to assess the impact of
teaching people with SCI about fitness, stress management
and nutrition on their long-term health and well-being. It
is a continuation of a two-year study that was conducted
earlier, during which some people were provided with classes
that taught them about diet, exercise and stress management.
Members of a comparison control group did not receive this
educational intervention. Through that study, members of
each of the two groups were evaluated in terms of their
physical health and using in-depth surveys several times.
For this continuation, surveys were used to assess them
again, 18-months after the conclusion of the intervention.
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Strategies to Enhance Employment Following SCI: Knowledge
and Impact of Public Policy Changes on Employment
Principal Investigator: Martin Forchheimer MPP
This study has two purposes: 1) to evaluate how much people
know about various public policies and programs that are
intended to reduce disincentives to employment among people
with disabilities; and 2) to determine how people with SCI
use computers and what sort of access they have to them. The
potential benefit of employment-related public policies is
limited by the degree that people are aware of them. Also,
there have been increased efforts to provide information
this sort of information over the internet during the last
few years. While this is an inexpensive way of providing
information, it is only effective if people have ready
access to the internet. To date, these issues have not been
studied to date. This study will be conducted through a
large-scale confidential mail survey that will be done in
early 2004.
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Determinants of Societal Participation Following Spinal Cord
Injury
Principal Investigator: Martin Forchheimer MPP
The primary purpose of this study is to identify the factors
that influence societal participation following SCI. The
study is focusing on understanding the roles of knowledge of
Independent Living (IL) skills and environmental barriers.
The project is also exploring the various causes of these
environmental environmental barriers and their
interrelationships. Increasing our understanding of these
issues will help us to develop better programs to help
people become more active in their communities.
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