Work of an SCI Model System Highlighted by the National Spinal Cord Injury Association

The National Spinal Cord Injury Association (NSCIA) recently featured an online article about the work of the University of Pittsburgh Model Center on Spinal Cord Injury (UMPC-SCI). The article highlights the SCI Peer Support Groups at UPMC-SCI and represents a large piece of how they contribute to community reintegration and show support for their patients and families. Access the article here and visit the website for more information on the peer groups.

Model System Researchers Present at 52nd Annual International Spinal Cord Society Annual Meeting

Model Systems researchers from University of Michigan Spinal Cord Injury Model System (U-M SCIMS) and the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center (NSCISC) recently participate in the 52nd Annual International Spinal Cord Society (ISCoS) Annual Meeting in Istanbul, Turkey, from October 27-30, 2013. This conference promotes the highest standard of care in the practice of spinal cord injury for men, women and children throughout the world. Through its medical and multi-disciplinary team of professionals ISCoS endeavors to foster education, research and clinical excellence. ISCoS has a membership of over 1,000 clinicians and scientists from 87 countries. Each year the Annual Scientific Meeting is held in a different country and is continuously expanding in membership and new horizons. A list can be found below of the posters and presentations that were presented.

University of Michigan Spinal Cord Injury Model System (U-M SCIMS) presented:


Publications (abstracts):

· Tate D. G., Forchheimer M, Chiodo A, Rodriguez G, Pelletier Cameron A, Hartwig R, Pines C. (2013): Development of interview forms for the international spinal cord injury datasets for bowel and bladder; Final program and Abstract Book; International Spinal Cord Society 52th Annual Meeting, Istanbul, Turkey; p. 298

· Tate D. G., Forchheimer M, Rodriguez G, Pelletier Cameron A, Chiodo A, Kalpakjian C, Meade M (2013): The effects of bowel and bladder dysfunction on quality of life after SCI ; Final program and Abstract Book; International Spinal Cord Society 52th Annual Meeting, Istanbul, Turkey; p. 299

Oral Presentations and Posters:

· Tate D. G., Forchheimer M, Bombardier C, Fann J, Heinemann A. (2013) : Quality of life outcomes following a depression trial; Final program and Abstract Book; International Spinal Cord Society 52th Annual Meeting, Istanbul, Turkey; p. 151

· Tate D. G. (2013): Quality of Life and SCI: The American Perspective. Symposium title: Moving towards a common definition of quality of life for people with spinal cord injury. Final program and Abstract Book; International Spinal Cord Society 52th Annual Meeting, Istanbul, Turkey; p. 65

National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center (NSCISC) presented:

Publications (abstracts):

· DeVivo MJ, Chen Y, Krause JS, Saunders LL. Suicide in an aging spinal cord injury population. Presented at the 52nd Annual Meeting of the International Spinal Cord Society, Istanbul, Turkey, October 28-30, 2013.

· Chen Y, DeVivo MJ. Endocrine, Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases after Spinal Cord Injury: Mortality Risk and Trends. Presented at the 52nd Annual Meeting of the International Spinal Cord Society, Istanbul, Turkey, October 28-30, 2013.

Oral Presentations and Posters:

· Tang Y, Allen T, Chen Y. Vehicular crashes as a cause of spinal cord injury: descriptive statistics from the National Spinal Cord Injury Database in the US. Poster presented at the 52nd Annual Meeting of the International Spinal Cord Society, Istanbul, Turkey, October 28-30, 2013.


· DeVivo MJ, Chen Y, Krause JS, Saunders LL. Causes of death in an aging spinal cord injury population. Poster presented at the 52nd Annual Meeting of the International Spinal Cord Society, Istanbul, Turkey, October 28-30, 2013.

Take a look at Southern California Spinal Cord Injury Model System's Inaugural Issue of SCI on Rancho

The Southern California Spinal Cord Injury Model System recently introduced the inaugural issue of the newsletter SCI on Rancho. This newsletter will come out biannually bringing the latest information about living well after spinal cord injury and highlight the activities of the Southern California Spinal Cord Injury Model System at Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center.

Individuals with Spinal Cord Injury Needed for a Health Information Needs Study

Individuals with a Spinal Cord Injury (SCI), individuals with a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and Veterans with a Traumatic Brain Injury are invited to participate in a telephone interview about patients’ health information needs.

Participants must be over 18 and will be compensated $75.

 The study is funded by the National Institute for Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) and carried out by the Model Systems Knowledge Translation Center at the American Institutes for Research in collaboration with George Mason University. 

The goal of the study is to understand the patient’s information needs to help improve the quality, clarity, and relevance of information available to individuals with a spinal cord injury and traumatic brain injury, and other stakeholders. 

Contact: If you are interested, please call (202) 403-5600 or email msktc@air.org.

SCI Model Systems Seeks Participants for a Health Care Provider Survey

The New England Regional Spinal Cord Injury Center Model System (NERSCIC) has created a brief online survey to identify primary health care providers who provide an excellent healthcare experience for people with SCI. We would also like to find out if individuals with SCI have seen someone in family practice, psychiatry, mental health, internal medicine, or SCI-related specialty care. The survey is anonymous and will be active until September 3rd. Feedback from the survey will be used to create a list of clinicians in the New England area (MA, CT, NH, ME, RI, VT) who do a good job caring for people with SCI. The resulting list of “SCI-friendly providers” will be made available to consumers and providers in New England. For hard copies of the survey or for more information, please contact Judi Zazula M.S., OTR/L at judiz@bu.edu or 866-607-1804 (toll-free).

Model Systems Researcher Becomes Co-Project Director

Keith Tansey, M.D., Ph.D. recently became co-project director of the Southeastern Regional Spinal Cord Injury Model System. He replaces David F. Apple, Jr., M.D., who retired from that position in January. Dr. Tansey has also recently been named Secretary-Treasurer of the American Spinal Injury Association. He is also a member of the SCI Common Data Elements Working Group (NINDS/NIH) and is a member of the scientific review board for the Craig H. Neilsen Foundation. Dr. Tansey participated in a recent Spinal Cord Outcomes Partnership Endeavor (SCOPE) meeting in Zurich, Switzerland to share electrophysiological techniques currently being used in the Shepherd Center SCIMS research project entitled: "Evaluation of an Improved Method to Assess and Follow the Recovery of Motor Control in SCI." Dr. Tansey and SCIMS physical therapist LeslieVanhiel, DPT, are members of the Planning Group, Advanced Robotic Therapy Integrated Center (ARTIC), an international users group to facilitate research among Lokomat users. Furthermore, Dr. Tansey has received subspecialty certification in neural repair and rehabilitation.

Model Systems Researcher Receives the Prestigious Marian Williams Award for Research in Physical Therapy

The MSKTC congratulates Sara Mulroy, PT, Ph.D., co-director of the Southern California Spinal Cord Injury Model System for receiving the Marian Williams Award for Research in Physical Therapy. This award was established to recognize individuals who have performed sustained and outstanding basic, clinical, and/or educational research pertaining to physical therapy.

SCI Model System Researcher Appointed Endowed Chair of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation

Michael Boninger, MD; director of the University of Pittsburgh Model Center on Spinal Cord Injury (UPMC-SCI) was appointed Endowed Chair of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation at the University of Pittsburgh. This honor, one of the highest in academia, recognizes Boninger’s distinction in the field of medicine, particularly his research and outstanding contributions in the area of spinal cord injury.

SCI Model System Releases SCI Forum Presentations on Streaming Video

The Northwest Regional Spinal Cord Injury System Center recently added To Walk or Roll: The Controversy Over Walking and Research and SCI Research and the Hope for Cure: Where Are We Today? to their SCI Forum Video archive. The presentation titled To Walk or Roll: The Controversy Over Walking and Research was given by Michael Boninger, MD, director of the University of Pittsburgh Model Center on Spinal Cord Injury. In the presentation Dr. Boninger addresses SCI researchers’ focus on walking and the lack of emphasis on other issues that impact daily living. The presentation titled SCI Research and the Hope for Cure: Where Are We Today? given by Daniel Lammertse, MD , co-project director of the Rocky Mountain Regional Spinal Cord Injury System explains the complex issues involved in SCI recovery research, discusses the most promising avenues of investigation, summarizes the current state of SCI cure research worldwide today, and reviews the risks of participating in expensive experimental treatments outside the U.S.. These presentations are also available on YouTube.

Academy of Spinal Cord Injury Professionals 2013 Meeting is Soon Approaching

The Academy’s Annual Meeting will be held Sunday, September 1, 2013 - Wednesday, September 4, 2013 at Bally's Las Vegas Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. The meeting includes healthcare professionals representing a variety of specialties involved in the management of spinal cord injury/disorder (SCI/D). Professionals attending include, but are not limited to: physicians, basic scientists and clinical researchers, physician assistants, nurses, psychologists, social workers, rehabilitation counselors, physical and occupational therapists, as well as residents, fellows, and students from various professions. To learn more visit the conference website and register!

SCI Model System Hosts Grand Rounds on the State of Spinal Cord Injury

The Northern New Jersey Spinal Cord Injury System Center (NNJSCIS) hosted The State of Spinal Cord Injury: Latest News on Clinical Trials of Interventions to Promote Neurological Recovery, a Special Grand Rounds on April 17th at Kessler Conference Center. There were more than 200 spinal cord injury researchers, professionals, and consumers that attended the event, where presenters discussed a range of US-based and international research from stem cell studies to activity-based therapy. The Grand Rounds were presented in collaboration with the Spinal Cord Injury Project of the W.M. Keck Center for Collaborative Neuroscience at Rutgers University. For the next Grand Rounds announcement follow SCIResearch at Kessler on Facebook.

NERSCIC Seeks Individuals to Participate in Study

The New England Regional Spinal Cord Injury Model System Center (NERSCIC) is seeking individuals living with spinal cord injury (SCI) in Massachusetts (MA) to participate in a survey of health needs. The survey is also open to anyone with an interest in the health of people with disabilities living in MA. The survey is anonymous and will be active until May 31st. This survey is being conducted in collaboration with the Health and Disability Program of the Office of Health Equity at the MA Department of Public Health.

SCI Model Systems Co-Director Elected President of ISRN

Keith Tansey, from the Southeastern Regional Spinal Cord Injury Model System, was recently elected President of the International Society for Restorative Neurology (ISRN) through 2014. The MSKTC congratulates and thanks Dr. Tansey for his many contributions to the field of spinal cord injury.

Model System Researchers will Present at the American Spinal Injury Association 40th Anniversary Scientific Meeting

A host of SCI model systems researchers will participate in the 2013 ASIA 40th Anniversary Scientific Meeting  in Chicago, Illinois from May 6-8, 2013. Lesley M. Hudson, MA, of the Southeastern Regional Spinal Cord Injury Model System will receive the ASIA Lifetime Achievement for her professional achievement and contributions to the advancement of the field of rehabilitation. Keith Tansey, MD, PhD, also from the Southeastern Regional SCIMS will become the Secretary Treasurer at this year's meeting. Ralph J. Marino, MD, of the Regional Spinal Cord Injury Center of the Delaware Valley will receive The Apple Award at the 2013 ASIA meeting for the article Development of an Objective Test of Upper-Limb Function in Tetraplegia, published in the American Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation in 2012. The Apple Award is for excellence in publishing in spinal cord injury rehabilitation research. Additionally, numerous model systems researchers will present papers and deliver lectures to advance the field of spinal cord injury. Information about these presentations can be found in the conference program. A list of model systems researchers that will be participating in the conference can be found below:

Participating Spinal Cord Injury Model Systems

Midwest Regional Spinal Cord Injury Care System

Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago

·         Allen W. Heinemann, PhD, ABPP (RP), FACRM, will present Development and Evaluation of Environmental Factor Items for Persons with SCI.  Improving the Measurement Properties of Depressive Symptom Instruments for Use after Spinal Cord Injury, Patient-Reported Outcome Instrument Advances for Spinal Cord Injury Applications and Venlafaxine XR for Major Depressive Disorder after Spinal Cord Injury: Rationale, Results and Recommendations.

National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center

University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL

·         Amie Jackson McLain, MD, will present The Use of Neurologic Examination to Predict Awareness and Control of Lower Urinary Tract Function post SCI.

·         Danielle Powell, MD, will present Analysis of Neurological Level Effect on the Rate of Weight Gain in Individuals with Spinal Cord Injury.

·         Hwasoon Kim, MS, will present Modeling to Predict Loss to Follow-up in the Spinal Cord Injury Model Systems Database.

·         Michael J. DeVivo, Dr. P.H., will present Causes of Death Following Spinal Cord Injury: Trends and Competing Risks, Longitudinal Trends in Pediatric-Adolescent SCI – Injury Characteristics, Morbidity and Mortality, and Standardization in Reporting Data Related to the International SCI Core Data Set.

·         Victoria Allen, BS, will present Traumatic SCI Etiology Trends for African Americans.

·         Ying Tang, MS, will present Aging with SCI: Current Trends in External Causes.

Rocky Mountain Regional Spinal Injury System

Craig Hospital, Englewood, CO

·         Dan Lammertse, MD, will present SCOPE course titled Procedures, Products, and Pragmatism: The Evolution of Inclusive Human Study Protocols.

·         Susan Charlifue, Ph.D., will present in Course 4: International SCI Data Sets.

Southern California Spinal Injury Model System
Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center, Downey, CA

·       Lisa Lighthall Haubert, MPT, will present Factors Influencing Car Transfer Performance in Persons with Paraplegia.

·       Patricia Hatchett, DPT., will present Effect of Body Mass Index on Community Mobility for Adults with Paraplegia.

·       Ramzi Ben-Youssef, M.D., will present Sleep Disturbances in Paraplegics within a Large Urban Community: Prevalence and Associated Co-morbidities.

Southeastern Regional Spinal Cord Injury Care System

Shepherd Center, Inc., Atlanta, GA

·         Keith Tansey, MD, Ph.D., will present Course 3: Restorative Neurology of Upper Extremity Function in Tetraplegia: Neurobiology, Assessment, Clinical Research, and Novel Treatment and second course on Methods to Use the ISNCSCI Exam to Score “Central Cord-ness” and “Brown-Sequard-ness” in SCI. Dr. Tansey will also present posters on Improving Walking Metrics after Severe SCI using Sensory Electrical Stimulation: An Optimization Approach and Neurophysiological Assessment of Motor Control and Clinical Characterization after Spinal Cord Injury: Early Data from a SCI Model Systems Study.

University of Michigan Spinal Cord Injury Model System

University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI

·         David Tulsky Ph.D., will present Validation of the SCI-QOL and SCI-FI Measurement System for Persons with SCI.

·         Denise G. Tate Ph.D., will present Placebo Response with and without Placebo? Tales of a Depression Trial for Persons with SCI/D.

·         Martin Forchheimer, MPP, will present Subject Retention in a Clinical Trial of an Antidepressant for Treatment of Mild to Moderate Depressive Symptoms in People with SCI, as well as, The International SCI Data Sets for Bowel and Bladder: Development of Interview Forms.

Model Systems Researcher Appointed as Editor in Chief of the Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

Dr. Allen Heinemann from the Midwest Regional Spinal Cord Injury Care System (MRSCICS) was recently appointed as Editor in Chief of the Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. The MSKTC congratulates and thanks Dr. Heinemann for his many contributions to the field of spinal cord injury.

Model Systems Researcher Published in Physical Therapy

Dr. T. George Hornby, principal investigator from the Midwest Regional Spinal Cord Injury Care System (MRSCICS), recently published a paper in Physical Therapy titled Kinematic, Muscular, and Metabolic Responses During Exoskeletal-,Elliptical-, or Therapist-Assisted Stepping in People With Incomplete Spinal Cord Injury. Access the abstract here.

UAB-SCIMS Seeks Participants for Spinal Cord Injury Research

The University of Alabama at Birmingham Spinal Cord Injury Model System (UAB-SCIMS) is recruiting participants for a study titled Spinal Cord Injury Model System Virtual Walking for Reducing Spinal Cord Injury-Related Neuropathic Pain. This study investigates a 3D-video simulation as a cost effective home-base treatment option for neuropathic pain after spinal cord injury. Participants must have chronic neuropathic pain at or below the injury level, must be at least three months post-injury, must be 19 to 65 years old and must live in Alabama. Participates will receive payment for participating in study. For more information contact Juliette Galindo.

Webcast and Live Chat: Developing a Personal Emergency Preparedness Plan for Individuals with SCI

The NIDRR-funded New England Regional Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Center and the Spaulding-Harvard SCI Model System Center present Developing a Personal Emergency Preparedness Plan for Individuals with SCI, March 14th, 6:30-8:00pm EST. This webcast and live chat will discuss how consumers can prepare for emergencies by developing a plan that meets their specific needs, as well as state and national resources that can help individuals identify emergency support services in their own areas. Registration for the webcast is free but required. Register online or call 866/607-1804.

NERSCIC and Spaulding-Harvard SCI Model Systems offer a Free Webcast & Live Chat

The New England Regional Spinal Cord Injury Center Model System (NERSCIC) and the Spaulding-Harvard SCI Model System offer a free webcast titled Developing a Personal Emergency Preparedness Plan for Individuals with SCI on Thursday, March 14th, from 6:30-8:00 PM EST. This webcast and live chat will discuss how consumers can prepare for emergencies by developing a plan that meets their specific needs. State and national resources that can help individuals identify emergency support services in their own areas will also be presented. For more information visit the website and/or register online or call 1-866-607-1804 (toll free).

Southern California Spinal Cord Injury Model System Held the 3rd International Transformational Technology Summit

The Southern California Spinal Cord Injury Model System at Los Amigos Research and Education Institute will conduct the 3rd Annual International Transformational Technology Summit titled Robotics in Rehabilitation: The Future is Now! The conference will be held February 22-23, 2013 at Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center. This conference will feature experts in the fields of SCI, rehabilitation, robotics, and brain computer interface (BCI). Some of the topics that will be discussed are the latest evidence for the role of task specific practice in recovery, the impact of exoskeleton robots for paraplegic walking, and the role of BCI technology for individuals with tetraplegia. There will be a plenary session on October 23rd which will be available online. For more information about the Summit and agenda visit the website.

UAB-SCIMS Seeks Participants for Spinal Cord Injury Research

The University of Alabama at Birmingham Spinal Cord Injury Model System (UAB-SCIMS) is recruiting participants for a study titled Spinal Cord Injury Model System Virtual Walking for Reducing Spinal Cord Injury-Related Neuropathic Pain. This study investigates a 3D-video simulation as a cost effective home-base treatment option for neuropathic pain after spinal cord injury. Participants must have chronic neuropathic pain at or below the injury level, must be at least three months post-injury, must be 19 to 65 years old and must live in Alabama. Participates will receive payment for participating in study. For more information contact Juliette Galindo.

SCI Model Systems Research Featured in Current Issue of the Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine

The current issue of the Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine is devoted to the results of the SCIRehab Study, a large National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research-funded collaborative effort of the SCI Model Systems. Led by Craig Hospital, the project involved more than 1,000 clinicians from the Shepherd Center, Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, Carolinas Rehabilitation, Mount Sinai Rehabilitation, and National Rehabilitation Hospital. The clinicians document details of the rehabilitation process for 1,376 people with SCI receiving initial inpatient rehabilitation. They also recorded specific interventions following each of more than 280,000 treatment sessions and a broad range of outcomes at discharge and 1 year postinjury. Ten articles describe the Practice-Based Evidence research methodology used and present the relationships found between the interventions of each discipline and later outcomes after controlling for patient and injury differences.

Northwest Regional Spinal Cord Injury System Features a New SCI Forum

The Northwest Regional Spinal Cord Injury System (NRSCIS) has a new SCI forum presentation, It Happened to Both of Us: Conversations with Couples. The presentation features a panel of couples who were together before injury and are still together, talking about their experiences and how they stay connected to maintain a healthy relationship. The video can be found on the NRSCIS Web site.

SCIMS Highlights a opportunity to Win a New Power Wheelchair

University of Michigan SCIMS highlights the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation.

TheChristopher and Dana Reeve Foundation is presenting an opportunity for you to win a new power wheelchair provided by Tilt-A-Rack.

Just write a short essay of 200 words or less or make a video of two minutes or less and explain how winning this wonderful wheelchair will improve your health and well-being and enable you to give back to your family, your community, or the larger world.

Submit your entry online by January 18, 2013 for a chance to win.

You can read the full contest rules.

Work of a Model System Researcher and UMPC Researchers Appeared on 60 Minutes

Dr. Michael Boninger, director of University of Pittsburgh Spinal Cord Injury Model System, along with colleagues Dr. Jennifer Collinger and Dr. Andrew Schwartz of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) published research in The Lancet that was the focus of a CBS “60 Minutes” report. In their year-long research on brain computer interface, a 53-year-old woman with quadriplegia learned to control a robotic arm through her own thoughts. Brain activity was recorded through surgically implanted electrodes, and a decoder allowed signals to move the robotic arm exhibiting 7-Dimensional control and showing significant function gains on the Action Research Arm Test. She also used the robotic arm, wrist and fingers to feed herself chocolate, her project goal. The 60 Minutes episode that features this story aired on CBS Dec. 30th at 7:00pm ET.