News and Events
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You can read the full contest rules.
Enhancing Collaborations on SCI Research and Education: The International SCI Data Sets
A team of researchers and scientists from the University of Michigan Medical School has developed research collaborations with faculty at the School of Medicine at the University of Sao Paulo (USP), the largest and most advanced in Brazilian medical research in Brazil. SCI research collaborations are led by Drs. Denise Tate, Co-Director of the University of Michigan (U-M) SCI Model System and Julia Greve, Director of the Movement Studies Laboratory, Medical Director of SCI Care at the Clinical Hospital/USP in Sao Paulo. The collaboration emphasizes the importance of standard datasets to guide clinical treatment and research in SCI. They have translated and completed psychometric studies of the SCI Bowel Function Basic dataset and are currently in the process of completing others for joint use in future clinical validation studies. Testing these datasets adds to the current studies being conducted at the U-M SCIMS which focus on examining the influence of bowel and bladder management on complications and quality of life after SCI. Comparing data cross culturally is another added benefit of this international collaboration. In an effort to increase the use of these datasets, Dr. Tate presented on the importance of collecting uniform data on SCI care to professionals at the Lucy Montoro Rehabilitation Hospital, a state of the art facility in the city of Sao Paulo.
U-M SCIMS Researchers Present at the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine (ACRM) Meeting
The 2012 ACRM annual conference was held this year in Vancouver, Canada, October 9-13. The organization presents cutting edge research every year on topics involving spinal cord injury, brain injury, stroke and neurorehabilitation. This meeting offered a nice opportunity for U-M SCIMS investigators to present their research on spinal cord injury. Tate, a former member of the ACRM board and Co-Director of the UM-SCIMS program presented results from the study on depression conducted during the past grant cycle. The presentation on the results of the study on treatment of mild to moderate depression in persons with SCI described the study itself, characteristics of participants, and changes from the pre to post-trial phases. The study honoring the life of MS. Julie Harrison, a former colleague and researcher assistant at the U-M SCIMS office who battled depression, was designed to examine the effectiveness of venlafaxine XR, a serotonin-norepinephrine re-uptake inhibitor- SNRI antidepressant, on the management of depressive symptoms and pain following SCI. Results showed that while both the treatment and placebo-control groups decreased their symptoms of depression over time, there were no differences between the two groups. Reasons for this lack of differences are now being explored including a possible large placebo effect. See more information on power point slides attached.
Tate also presented three posters
1) Follow up outcomes of a longitudinal study on secondary conditions and quality of life after spinal cord injury, a study funded also by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) and the Michigan Injury Center, funded by CDC at the University of Michigan;
2) Aging with spinal cord injury/disease: recommendations for future research, describing recommendations for aging research as proposed by the special interest group on aging and the State of The Science on SCI Research meeting conducted in Washington DC in June of 2011;
3) Factors influencing quality of life following a multisite trial for major depression disorder in SCI , a study conducted by the University of Washington with its collaborators including the University of Michigan SCIMS team.
Special thanks to Ms. Colleen Bouton, our administrator assistant for her skills and ability putting these posters together for this meeting.
The SCI Research Registry Shares Knowledge and Lessons Learned at Workshop
Claire Kalpakjian, Principal Investigator, and Rachel Hartwig, Registry Coordinator, were invited to speak at the “Registries for Research” workshop held September 21st, 2012. The workshop was hosted by the Registries and Cohorts Program of the Michigan Institute for Clinical and Health Research. Dr. Kalpakjian and Ms. Hartwig reached out to other Registries across the University and shared their expertise regarding the use of a Registry for recruitment. The presentation provided practical strategies for successful recruitment and retention, as well as lessons learned from the recent growth in the Registry. Please see the slides for an overview of the presentation.
UMMS-Brazil collaboration featured at Meetings of the International Spinal Cord Society
Collaborators from U-M Medical School and the School of Medicine at the University of Sao Paulo (USP) have recently returned from London where they presented at the 51st Annual Scientific Meeting of the International Spinal Cord Society (ISCoS) meeting.
Dr. Denise Tate, Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and Co-Director of the U-M SCI Model System Program, and her colleague, Dr. Rafael Yamauti, Chief Resident for Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at USP School of Medicine, reported on their teams’ work on developing a standardized dataset to allow for comparisons of clinical and research SCI (Spinal Cord Injury) data between Brazil and the US. Their specific presentation focused on the reliability of the English to Portuguese translation of the International Bowel Function Basic International Spinal Cord Injury Dataset. The presentation was well received and co-authors, which include Dr. Julia Greve, Associate Professor , Department of Orthopedics and Trauma from USP, have been invited to submit a corresponding manuscript.
The number of international SCI clinical trials seeking recovery has tripled recently, yet there are no standard methods to compare clinical trials outcome data across countries. In the US, the incidence is SCI is about 12,000 cases a year and will continue to increase as a large number of persons are growing older will acquire an SCI due to falls and motor vehicle accidents. In Brazil, the numbers are largely unknown but researchers report high numbers in Sao Paulo, related not only to falls and motor vehicle accidents, but also to violence. Regardless of the cause, SCI is a very costly condition to treat successfully given the need for comprehensive services.
Results generated from this reliability study showed an encouraging consistency of ratings and provided specific areas for improvement, both of which will help in standardizing the dataset and aid in clinician training. Researchers plan to translate and validate additional data sets to be used by both countries in collaborative research projects in the near future.
Spinal Cord Injury Research Discussed at International Meeting
Dr. Tate presents results from research onaging with SCI and secondary conditions.
This study was co-sponsored by the
UM-SCIMS and the Michigan Injury
Research Center, funded by CDC.
Investigators from the University of Michigan SCI Model System, Rehabilitation Outcomes and Assessment Research (ROAR), the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington and the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil presented their collaborations and studies at the 51st Annual Scientific Meeting of the International Spinal Cord Society in London, September 3-5th, 2012. Dr. David Tulsky, Director of ROAR and Co-Investigator of the UM-SCIMS delivered a keynote speech on the importance of measuring patient reported outcomes. Dr. Tulsky has extensive experience on patient reported outcomes measures. He is the Principal Investigator (PI) of two modular research studies currently being conducted by UM-SCIMS. Dr. Denise Tate, UM-SCIMS PI, discussed findings about secondary conditions, quality of life and depression for those aging with SCI. Not surprisingly life satisfaction is associated with the presence of secondary conditions such as urinary tract infections, pain and pressure ulcers. For a complete review of findings see link attached (power point slides). Dr. Tate co-chairs the quality of life interest group of ISCoS. From an international perspective, researchers at the UM-SCIMS are interested in comparing outcomes on neurogenic bowel and bladder issues with their colleagues in the University Sao Paulo Hospitals, Brazil. As a first step, researchers from both sites worked jointly in translating the international datasets for neurogenic bowel into Portuguese and results of a brief validation study were presented at ISCoS.
This project is part of the University of Michigan Global Reach initiative which links UM to USP. Dr. Julia Greve leads this effort in Brazil.
FDA GIVES MIAMI PROJECT TO CURE PARALYSIS GREEN LIGHT TO BEGIN HUMAN CLINICAL TRIAL
Study Represents New Hope for Treating Spinal Cord Injury
The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, a Center of Excellence at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, has received permission from the Food and Drug Administration to begin a revolutionary Phase 1 clinical trial to evaluate the safety of transplanting human Schwann cells to treat patients with recent spinal cord injuries.
Link for more info: http://www.miamiproject.miami.edu/announcement
U-M Spinal Cord injury program makes Olympic dreams come true
The University of Michigan Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation is being recognized for its relationship with an inspiring Olympic athlete.
The U-M’s innovative work in spinal cord injury rehabilitation has long been supported by the Fraternal Order of Eagles which honored the U-M in June during a statewide convention in Grand Rapids, Mich.
Local Area Organizational Group Activities
The Ann Arbor Center for Independent Living is a growing and dynamic community enrichment, learning, and advocacy center. Through individualized counseling, advocacy efforts, skill-building classes, recreation and arts programming, and more, they help individuals with disabilities to build their skills, advocate for what they need, find friends, and feel at home. Check out their Calendar of Events.
To locate a Center for Independent Living near you, try these helpful resources:
News
Remembering a Giant: Past U-M SCIMS Principal Investigator, Ted Cole M.D.
THEODORE M. COLE, Professor Emeritus of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and former Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation department chair at the University of Michigan, passed away peacefully on Saturday, March 26, 2011, after a brief illness. Dr. Ted Cole served as a Co-Principal Investigator with Dr. Tate of Spinal cord Injury Model System at UM from 1993 to 1995. Dr. Cole was known for his expertise in spinal cord injury care specializing with his wife Sandra Cole on issues of sexual well-being after SCI. He wrote many articles and book chapters on this topic. Dr. Cole also served on the board of the Ann Arbor Center for Independent Living and was Chair of the department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Michigan. He touched the lives of many people with disabilities and especially those with spinal cord injury. And as such he will be always be remembered.
The State of the Science (SOS) in Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Rehabilitation: Informing a New Research AgendaIn conjunction with the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) and the International Spinal Cord Society (ISCoS) meeting, SCI researchers and clinicians attended a two and half day meeting in Washington D.C. June 5-7 to discuss important issues for SCI research and care and develop an agenda for SCI rehabilitation research in the next decade by identifying research questions that must be answered to implement improved programs, practices, and policies for individuals with SCI. Representing the University of Michigan SCI Model Systems were Dr. Tate, Co-Director and Mr. Forchheimer, Senior Research Associate. They both served as group facilitators and Dr. Tate was part of the SOS Steering Committee. A temporary link to this conference is available here
International Data Sets in SCIInternational Spinal Cord Society (ISCoS) and ASIA have teamed up to develop international standards and datasets for SCI care and research. These standards serve as guidelines for appropriate care and datasets provide a consistent and unified way to collect basic information on SCI care across the world. Groups of SCI researchers have developed many of these datasets which are available at both organizations websites. We invite you to visit them and provide your comments! Having uniform datasets will allow us to better compare results from clinical trials from various countries and thus make better determination of what may be useful to you in the future in terms of treatment options.
Report on Stem Cell Therapy for Spinal Cord Injury (PDF)
