Tag: Anatomy
Experimental therapy may ease spinal cord injury
An experimental body cooling treatment used on an injured National Football League player offers promise for preventing paralysis in people who sustain severe spinal cord injuries, experts said on Thursday.
But the value of “modest Hypothermia,” the treatment used on Kevin Everett of the Buffalo Bills after he was injured in a game on Sunday, remains controversial among some doctors who want to see more evidence it helps those patients.
The idea behind the treatment is to lower the body temperature — but not by too much in order to avoid other complications — to restrict damage to the spinal cord.
Scientist’s discovery of role of Aquaporin in spinal injuries recognized with research funding award
Dr. Olivera Nesic-Taylor, an assistant professor in biochemistry and molecular biology at the University of Texas, Galveston, was presented with the Erica Nader Award for ‘breakthrough research in spinal cord Regeneration.’
“Dr. Nesic-Taylor’s work in isolating proteins, such as aquaporin, that act to prevent tissue regeneration following spinal cord injury represents a major leap forward in our understanding of a problem that has long plagued orthopedic and neurological specialists,” said Marc R. Viscogliosi, a principal of Viscogliosi Bros. LLC., a New York investment firm that conceived and has been funding the award since 2004.
Mr. Viscogliosi was addressing the 33rd Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) today in Tampa, FL. The $10,000 research grant award is the largest of several awards administered by ASIA.
What is the spinal cord and the vertebra?
The spinal cord is about 18 inches long and extends from the base of the brain, down the middle of the back, to about the waist. The nerves that lie within the spinal cord are upper motor neurons (UMNs) and their function is to carry the messages back and forth from the brain to the spinal nerves along the spinal tract. The spinal nerves that branch out from the spinal cord to the other parts of the body are called lower motor neurons (LMNs).
Los Angeles Man Working To Beat Comeback Odds After Spinal Cord Injury Leads To...
According to the diagnostic scans, Leon Smith would never be able to reach out with his arms, grasp with his hands or take another step.
But the X-rays and MRIs were completed last August after Smith suffered a devastating injury to his spinal cord. Today, the Los Angeles resident is working toward resuming a normal life after two operations at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center gave him a chance to beat overwhelming odds.
“This is a one-in-a-million case,” said Justin D. Paquette, M.D., neurosurgeon at the Cedars-Sinai Institute for Spinal Disorders. “He was quadriplegic and Ventilator-dependent (unable to breathe on his own). A patient who is in this condition, with persistent spinal cord compression for even 24 hours, has essentially zero chance of recovery. Mr. Smith had been like this for almost a week before he came to Cedars-Sinai.”
Los Angeles Man Working to Beat Comeback Odds After Spinal Cord Injury Leads to...
Newswise — According to the diagnostic scans, Leon Smith would never be able to reach out with his arms, grasp with his hands or take another step.
But the X-rays and MRIs were completed last August after Smith suffered a devastating injury to his spinal cord. Today, the Los Angeles resident is working toward resuming a normal life after two operations at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center gave him a chance to beat overwhelming odds.
“This is a one-in-a-million case,” said Justin D. Paquette, M.D., neurosurgeon at the Cedars-Sinai Institute for Spinal Disorders.
An Oregon Tale
RECENTLY MY OLDEST son, Noah, graduated from the University of Oregon. He wore the traditional cap with tassel as a concession to his mother’s prodding. The gown, however, bothered him. Where the hell did the long flowing folds belong? He opted to go without, etiquette be damned. In its place he put on a bright pink shirt with striped tie. If you are going to draw attention, you may as well shine. As he proceeded forward amidst the other students draped in black, he glowed like an orchid in a bed of coal.
When the Provost announced Noah’s name, a loud cheer interrupted the decorum. The ovation celebrated an effort occurring parallel to the academics. These were his fans. They rightfully claimed a moment of brazen discourteousness. My resistance to the incessant urge for a feel good moment, about a story that has never felt very good, wavered. I allowed myself a smile.
Fast and slow – How the spinal cord controls the speed of movement
Cornell research may have implications for treating human
ITHACA, N.Y. — Using a state-of-the-art technique to map neurons in the spinal cord of a larval zebrafish, Cornell University scientists have found a surprising pattern of activity that regulates the speed of the fish’s movement. The research may have long-term implications for treating injured human spinal cords and Parkinson’s disease, where movements slow down and become erratic.
The study, “A Topographic Map of Recruitment in Spinal Cord,” published in the March 1 issue of the journal Nature, maps how neurons in the bottom of the fish’s spinal cord become active during slow movements, while cells further up the spinal cord activate as movements speed up.
Why is my spinal cord important?
Your Spinal Cord is important because without a spinal cord your brain and your body couldn’t communicate with each other.
The spinal cord is the pathway for impulses from the body to the brain, and from the brain to the body. These impulses are different signals our brain sends and receives from our bodies.
The effects of Spinal Cord Injury depend on the type of injury and the level of the injury. SCI can be divided into two types of injury – complete and incomplete.
‘Lord of the Rings’ director makes donation to UCI stem cell research
Gift will support next generation of stem cell scientists
Irvine, Calif., July 14, 2006, Peter Jackson, Academy Award-winning director of the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy, and writer/producer Fran Walsh, have donated $311,000 to UC Irvine to fund the work of up-and-coming stem cell scientists. The funds will be directed by Hans Keirstead, associate professor of anatomy and neurobiology and a pioneer in the use of human embryonic stem cells in the treatment of spinal cord injuries.
Regeneration After Spinal Cord Injury
Newswise — More than 250,000 people in the U.S. are suffering from long-term spinal cord injuries, with more than 11,000 new occurrences taking place each year. One study appearing in the July 12th issue of the Journal of Neuroscience appears to be on the right track towards providing evidence that a combination of treatments could lead to Regeneration of nerve endings in spinal cord injured patients. The result would be a return of Functional activity.
