Spinal cord perfusion pressure is the difference between mean arterial pressure and cerebrospinal fluid pressure. Continue reading
Blog Archives: biology
Finding a biomarker for acute SCI
| 0 commentsWhat is a biomarker? A biomarker is any measurable indicator in the body that represents a certain condition. Having a biomarker is helpful in assessing an illness, and sometimes in selecting the most effective treatment for the illness.
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How bowel, bladder, sexual dysfunction can affect health
| 1 commentWhat is bowel, bladder and sexual dysfunction? Persons with a spinal cord injury (SCI) can experience changes to their bladder, bowel, and sexual function secondary to the spinal cord damage. Problems can occur due to a lack of voluntary control over urination and defecation, possibly leading to complications like urinary tract infections. Continue reading
Arterial stiffness after SCI and interventions
| 1 commentWhat is “central arterial stiffness,” and why is it important? Arterial stiffness is the consequence of many modifiable and non-modifiable factors that include age, gender, physical activity levels, family history, diet, body composition, and blood pressure level. An increase in arterial stiffness is directly correlated with cardiovascular (CV) disease and the hardening and loss of elasticity of the arteries in the heart and brain. Continue reading
Progression of cardiovascular impairments after spinal cord injury
| 4 commentsLisa Liu This is a summary of a research study done by Dr. Christopher West and his colleagues at ICORD. Dr. West’s research interests are focussed on understanding cardiovascular adaptations after spinal cord injury, and the benefits of exercise to Read More…
Studying skin-derived cells for experimental SCI treatment
| 0 commentsThis is a summary of a paper published in the Journal of Neuroscience. Schwann cells generated from neonatal skin-derived precursors or neonatal peripheral nerve improve functional recovery after acute transplantation into the partially Injured Cervical Spinal Cord of the Rat Read More…
New Innovations in Stem Cell Tissue Engineering
| 0 commentsBy: Reanne Li Original Article: Ko, J., Mohtaram, N.K., Ahmed, F., Montgomery, A., Carlson, M., Lee, P.C.D., Willerth, S. M., Jun, M.B.G. (2013). Fabrication of poly (e-caprolactone) microfiber scaffolds with varying topography and mechanical properties for stem cell-based tissue engineering Read More…
Electrical stimulation of the spinal cord enables voluntary muscle movements in people with chronic spinal cord injury.
| 3 commentsDamian Feldman-Kiss Original Article: C. A. Angeli, V. R. Edgerton, Y. P. Gerasimenko and S. J. Harkema (2014). Altering spinal cord excitability enables voluntary movements after chronic complete paralysis in humans. Brain, 137(5), 1394-1409. Find the original article here. Summary: Complete paralysis is the Read More…
Dietary restriction started after spinal cord injury improves functional recovery
| 0 commentsRuth Lin Original article: Plunet, W. T., Streijger, F., Lam, C. K., Lee, J. H., Liu, J., & Tetzlaff, W. (2008). Dietary restriction started after spinal cord injury improves functional recovery. Experimental neurology, 213(1), 28-35. Find the original article here. Summary: In Read More…
Changes in the structure of the spinal cord after surgical decompression
| 0 commentsBy Jennifer Pisarek This is the summary of a paper published by a researcher from the Departments of Mechanical Engineering and Orthopaedics, ICORD researchers, and a researcher from the Combined Neurosurgical and Orthopaedic Spine Program. Original article: Jones et al. Read More…
