Research Studies – ICORD
type: channel
date: 2023-01-26T18:18:33Z
update period: hourly
update frequency: 1
update base: 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00
items: Peer mentorships and benefits for individuals with SCI
items: Residual pelvic floor muscle activation following SCI
items: The effect of adverse events on patients during lumbar spine surgery
items: Physical activity, chronic pain, and subjective well-being among individuals with SCI
items: Intermittent catheterization in wheelchair athletes with SCI
items: Osteoporosis after spinal cord injury
items: Developing and testing an E-learning program to increase physical activity among people with SCI
items: Individualized training for powered wheelchairs results in greater satisfaction with prior set goals
items: How different variables affect wheelchair tipping probability
items: The Neuroscience of Pain

Peer mentorships and benefits for individuals with SCI
type: item
creator: Jocelyn C.
date: 2022-05-01T17:00:24Z
subject: Blog
subject: community
subject: participation
subject: Research Studies
subject: SCI
subject: mentorship
subject: reintegration
description: Lay summary by Jasleen Dhaliwal Edited by Crystal Han This is the lay summary on the original article by iCORDians Robert Shaw, Emily Giroux, Dr. Heather Gainforth, and Dr. Kathleen Martin Ginis. Read the original article here. Why is this Read More...
encoded: Lay summary by Jasleen Dhaliwal Edited by Crystal Han This is the lay summary on the original article by iCORDians Robert Shaw, Emily Giroux, Dr. Heather Gainforth, and Dr. Kathleen Martin Ginis. Read the original article here. Why is this study important? Individuals with SCI who are transitioning from a hospital setting to community living can face challenging circumstances, such as feeling overwhelmed and learning how to cope, all while dealing with physical impairment. The process as a whole can be overwhelming and complex. The implementation of peer mentorship can facilitate a smooth transition. Peer mentorship programs pair a mentor with a mentee based on their similarities and interests. Overall, the authors of this study believe that the process of peer mentorship can help individuals with SCI in overcoming and coping with certain challenges associated with SCI, such as reintegrating back into society. What is the purpose of the study? The purpose of this study was to understand how the relationship between a mentor and a mentee differ between telephone call and video conference interactions. The results of this study allowed the authors to deduce the optimal conditions to best form strong mentor and mentee relationships. How was the study conducted? Mentors and mentees either met with each other over video chat or had a telephone conversation. Individuals with SCI were the mentees, whereas others were mentors. Volunteer mentors were recruited from a non profit organization, SCI British Columbia (SCI BC). This organization provides peer mentoring services for individuals with SCI. What do these findings mean for people with SCI? There are two major findings of this paper: Removal of barriers for individuals with SCI: The relationships formed between mentors and mentees did not differ based on mode of contact. These findings mean that individuals with SCI are able to access the necessary help to overcome certain challenges in a remote setting. Moreover, a sup…

Residual pelvic floor muscle activation following SCI
type: item
creator: Jocelyn C.
date: 2021-06-11T18:54:19Z
subject: Blog
subject: participation
subject: Research Studies
subject: SCI
subject: activation
subject: mSCI
subject: muscle
subject: pelvic floor
subject: pelvic floor muscle
subject: TMS
description: Lay summary by Alison Babichuk Edited by Rona Herzog, Crystal Han This is a lay summary of the original article by ICORD researchers Dr. Tania Lam, Dr. Mark Carpenter, and their colleagues Alison Williams, Gevorg Eginyan, Emily Deegan, and Mason Read More...
encoded: Lay summary by Alison Babichuk Edited by Rona Herzog, Crystal Han This is a lay summary of the original article by ICORD researchers Dr. Tania Lam, Dr. Mark Carpenter, and their colleagues Alison Williams, Gevorg Eginyan, Emily Deegan, and Mason Chow. Read the original article here. Pelvic floor muscles are crucial for everyday living, as they are involved activities such as coughing, postural adjustments, and controlling our bladders. In those diagnosed with a motor-complete spinal cord injury (mcSCI), movement is thought to be lost below the level of the injury, which would impact the function of the pelvic floor muscles. However, previous studies in people with mcSCI have shown that they are able to voluntarily control abdominal and leg muscles to below their injury level to some extent, and stimulation of certain brain regions using a method called transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) can result in slight motor activity in the trunk and leg muscles. These previous findings indicate the presence of some motor function in the lower limb regions after an mcSCI. However, this study was the first to examine if people with mcSCI also have motor activity in their pelvic floor muscles. What was the purpose of the study? This study set out to determine if there was remaining innervation to the muscles in those with mcSCI. The researchers focused on investigating if the pelvic floor muscles were able to be activated on their own, in addition to being co-activated along with other muscles. Finally, researchers also investigated if pelvic floor muscles showed motor activity in response to TMS over certain brain regions of participants. How was the study done? Participants all had mSCI, and were between the ages of 19-60. To see if the participants could voluntarily activate their pelvic floor muscles, they performed various physical tasks which included: abdominal exercises, hip extensions, pelvic floor exercises- known as “Kegel Exercises” To see if the participants ret…

The effect of adverse events on patients during lumbar spine surgery
type: item
creator: Jocelyn C.
date: 2021-03-16T16:43:21Z
subject: Blog
subject: physiological
subject: Research Studies
subject: SCI
subject: adverse events
subject: AE
subject: lumbar spine
subject: surgery
description: Lay Summary by Fatima Waqar Edited by Rona Herzog This is a summary of research conducted by ICORD PI Dr. John Street and his fellow colleagues. To access the full article click here. What are Perioperative Adverse Events? Why is Read More...
encoded: Lay Summary by Fatima Waqar Edited by Rona Herzog This is a summary of research conducted by ICORD PI Dr. John Street and his fellow colleagues. To access the full article click here. What are Perioperative Adverse Events? Why is it important to study their effect on long-term patient outcome? For the purposes of this study, adverse events (AEs) are defined as incidents that happen during a patients’ initial operation or throughout their hospital admission prior to their discharge. AEs are further categorized as minor and major depending on how much of a threat they may impose on an individual’s life or overall health. AEs have been associated with patient disappointment, as they have the potential to negatively impact an individual’s physical function. It is important to note that the financial burden of AEs after spinal surgery is well identified in research, but very little is still known about how these events affect the well-being and quality of life of patients. One factor that may impact the lack of significant research on AEs and patients’ quality of life is the generalizability of the findings. Because many studies have smaller and less diverse sample sizes, using a single approved definition of AE can make it easy for the researchers to generalize their findings to the greater community. What is the purpose of the study? The purpose of this study is to determine how AEs that occur during lumbar spine surgeries affect patients’ satisfaction and quality of life at three distinct time intervals after surgery. Researchers followed up with patients at 3, 12, and 24 months after their surgeries. How was this study conducted? Patients included in the study were individuals undergoing elective surgery for degenerative lumbar spine conditions (lumbar disc disease, degenerative spondylolisthesis, spinal stenosis, and isolated lumbar degenerative deformity). A total of 3556 adult patients (18 years and older) enrolled in the Canadian Spine Outcomes and Research Netwo…

Physical activity, chronic pain, and subjective well-being among individuals with SCI
type: item
creator: Jocelyn C.
date: 2021-02-26T18:41:44Z
subject: mobility
subject: muscle
subject: pain
subject: rehab
subject: Research Studies
subject: SCI
description: Lay Summary by Nicholas Jo Edited by Rona Herzog and Crystal Han This is a summary of research conducted by ICORD researchers Kendra Todd, Sarah Lawrason, Robert Shaw, Dr. Kathleen Martin Ginis, and their colleague Dr. Derrick Wirtz. Click here Read More...
encoded: Lay Summary by Nicholas Jo Edited by Rona Herzog and Crystal Han This is a summary of research conducted by ICORD researchers Kendra Todd, Sarah Lawrason, Robert Shaw, Dr. Kathleen Martin Ginis, and their colleague Dr. Derrick Wirtz. Click here to access the original article. 65% of patients with a spinal cord injury (SCI) endure some form of chronic pain (e.g neuropathic or muscle-related). Post-SCI pain can be debilitating to an individual’s overall well-being and daily function. This can have adverse impacts on their psychological health, which has the potential to lead to an increased risk of anxiety and depressive symptoms. This highlights the urgency to investigate methods that may reduce chronic SCI pain and improve an individual’s well-being, while understanding the relationship between these two factors. Purpose of the Study: This was a scoping review, which means the researchers extracted and compiled findings from other studies in order to answer their research question. The purpose of this scoping review was to investigate the impact of leisure time physical activity (LTPA) on chronic pain and subjective-wellbeing among individuals with SCI. How was this review conducted? An inclusion criterion was created to filter relevant studies in order to investigate the effects of LTPA on both chronic pain and subjective well-being among individuals with SCI. For clarity purposes, chronic pain was defined as any pain lasting longer than twelve weeks. Subjective well-being measures included positive/negative affect, life satisfaction, and satisfaction in different areas of life (i.e. social relationships, employment, etc.). Based on the inclusion criterion the scoping review analyzed 15 published articles. The articles chosen all included: experimental or quasi-experimental designs (designs where the researcher deliberately uses an intervention to see if it has an overall effect) participants 18 years or older, who had sustained a SCI for more than one year the eff…

Intermittent catheterization in wheelchair athletes with SCI
type: item
creator: Jocelyn C.
date: 2021-02-05T22:48:20Z
subject: Blog
subject: community
subject: intermittent catheterization
subject: participation
subject: physiological
subject: Research Studies
subject: SCI
subject: sports
subject: bc wheelchair sports
subject: krassioukov
subject: paralympics
subject: urinary bladder health
subject: wheelchair
description: Lay Summary by Alanna Shwed Edited by Rona Herzog, Tiffany Fong, and Alyssa Chong This is a summary of research conducted by ICORD researchers Matthias Walter, Ian Ruiz, Jordan Squair, ICORD PI Dr. Andrei Krassioukov, and their colleagues Luis Rios Read More...
encoded: Lay Summary by Alanna Shwed Edited by Rona Herzog, Tiffany Fong, and Alyssa Chong This is a summary of research conducted by ICORD researchers Matthias Walter, Ian Ruiz, Jordan Squair, ICORD PI Dr. Andrei Krassioukov, and their colleagues Luis Rios and Marcio Averbeck. Click here to access the original research paper. After suffering a spinal cord injury (SCI) many people are unable to control their lower urinary tract (LUT), so they are unable to urinate voluntarily and/or they urinate when they do not want to. A catheter is commonly used to help a person with a SCI empty their bladder. Catheters can either be left in place (i.e., indwelling) or be inserted and removed several times a day (i.e., intermittent catheterization). Catheters that are left in place can increase an individual’s risk of developing a urinary tract infection (UTI). Intermittent catheterization is considered the better option because this preserves LUT function and reduces the risk of complications. However, despite developments and improvements in catheters, UTIs and urethral injuries are still highly prevalent, impacting the wellbeing of people living with a SCI. What is the purpose of this research? Complications from intermittent catheterization can be detrimental to an individual’s health but they also bring another level of complication for athletes with a SCI. Although high levels of physical activity can lead to improved physical health, complications from intermittent catheterization can negatively impact sport performance. Therefore, this study aimed to identify how common complications associated with intermittent catheterization are among athletes with a SCI. How was this research conducted? A cross-sectional study (i.e., one-time analysis) was conducted with 130 competitive wheelchair athletes with SCI from the 2015 ParaPan American Games, the 2016 Summer Paralympics, the 2017 Prairie League Tournament, and the 2017 Invitational Wheelchair Rugby Tournament. A survey was given to p…

Osteoporosis after spinal cord injury
type: item
creator: Jocelyn C.
date: 2020-10-19T16:31:05Z
subject: Blog
subject: community
subject: mobility
subject: Research Studies
subject: SCI
subject: bone density
subject: community events
subject: osteoporosis
subject: rehab
subject: SCIRE
description: Infographic by Crystal Han, inspired by SCIRE community page. Edited by Rona Herzog If you are interested in learning more, take a look at SCIRE Community’s page on Osteoporosis after SCI. Osteoporosis commonly affects individuals with SCI, primarily occurring below Read More...
encoded: Infographic by Crystal Han, inspired by SCIRE community page. Edited by Rona Herzog If you are interested in learning more, take a look at SCIRE Community’s page on Osteoporosis after SCI. Osteoporosis commonly affects individuals with SCI, primarily occurring below the level of injury. This is termed sublesional (below the lesion) osteoporosis. As shown below, osteoblasts are cells that work to build bone, while osteoclasts are cells that break down bone. After SCI, osteoblasts are not able to build bone at the same rate as osteoclasts are breaking it down. High levels of bone breakdown, decreased bone mineral density (linked to strength of the bone) in the hip and/or knee area, and an increased likelihood of fracture can be associated with sublesional osteoporosis. Potential factors contributing to SCI and osteoporosis include: overall changes to the body after injury, e.g. changes to the immune, hormonal, circulatory and nervous systems decreased weight-bearing activities decreased muscle activity lifestyle changes after injury, e.g. amount of physical activity The infographic below examines bone formation, bone regulation and osteoporosis after SCI. <img decoding="async" data-attachment-id="46437" data-permalink="https://icord.org/2020/10/osteoporosis-after-spinal-cord-injury/osteoporosis-update/" data-orig-file="https://icord.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Osteoporosis-update.png" data-orig-size="1620,2160" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Osteoporosis update" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-large-file="https://icord.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Osteoporosis-update-768x1024.png" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-46437" src="https://icord.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Osteoporosis-update-768x1024.png" alt="" width="768" height="1024" srcset…

Developing and testing an E-learning program to increase physical activity among people with SCI
type: item
creator: Jocelyn C.
date: 2020-09-22T01:02:47Z
subject: Blog
subject: community
subject: Research Studies
subject: SCI
subject: E-learning
subject: LTPA
subject: motivation
subject: physical activity
subject: self-efficacy
subject: self-regulation
subject: social cognitive theory
description: Lay Summary by Matthew Ma Edited by Rona Herzog This is a summary of a research study by researchers at the University of Alabama. ICORD PI Dr. Kathleen Martin Ginis is a co-author. Click here to access the original paper. Read More...
encoded: Lay Summary by Matthew Ma Edited by Rona Herzog This is a summary of a research study by researchers at the University of Alabama. ICORD PI Dr. Kathleen Martin Ginis is a co-author. Click here to access the original paper. Despite reports showing that regular physical activity benefits both mental and physical health, most people with spinal cord injury (SCI) do not meet the recommended amount of physical activity (PA). A possible reason is that people with SCI face many barriers towards PA, such as a lack of transportation to and from exercise facilities, lack of motivation, and fear of injury. In the past, long term interventions employing social cognitive theory (SCT) have been successful in increasing leisure time physical activity (LTPA) for people with neurological disabilities. However, there is a need for short term programs that can be used in settings such as clinics and hospital waiting rooms. What was the purpose of this study? Previous research has suggested that using story-telling strategies to promote PA benefits may be especially effective. People with SCI tend to lean towards one of three different “narrative styles”, which refers to how they think physical activity impacts their lives: the “chaos narrative”, which views their SCI as preventing them from doing PA; the “restitution/cure narrative”, which seeks to restore their pre-SCI self through LTPA; the quest narrative, which views participating in LTPA as a means of enjoyment, socialization, and improving their health The purpose of the study was to develop and test a brief interactive e-learning program that shares PA information in a way that can be tailored towards an individual’s preferred narrative style. The title of the e-learning program is e-STORIES (Exercise Strategies Through Optimized Relevant Interactive E-learning Storytelling). How was this study conducted? The study was conducted in four phases: In the first phase, the researchers created a storyboard outlining the flow of the p…

Individualized training for powered wheelchairs results in greater satisfaction with prior set goals
type: item
creator: Cheryl Niamath
date: 2019-10-04T19:19:53Z
subject: Blog
subject: mobility
subject: participation
subject: rehab
subject: Research Studies
subject: SCI
subject: technology
subject: wheelchair skills
subject: goal satisfaction
subject: mobility-related skills
subject: powered wheelchair
subject: skills
subject: training
subject: wheelchair
description: The purpose of this study was to determine whether a powered wheelchair user’s ‘goal satisfaction’ improved after five sessions of individualized wheelchair skills training. The researchers also wanted to determine whether or not these changes in satisfaction were maintained 3 months after the training ended. Continue reading →
encoded: Lay Summary by Eric Hui Edited by Ana-Maria Oproescu This is a summary of a research study conducted with ICORD researchers Dr. Bonita Sawatzky, Dr. William Miller, and colleagues. Click here to access the original paper. What was the purpose of this study? The purpose of this study was to determine whether a powered wheelchair user’s ‘goal satisfaction’ improved after five sessions of individualized wheelchair skills training. The researchers also wanted to determine whether or not these changes in satisfaction were maintained 3 months after the training ended. What is ‘goal satisfaction’, and why are improvements in goal satisfaction important? Participants rated their satisfaction with each of their goals regarding mobility-related powered wheelchair skills, and this measure was termed ‘goal satisfaction’. The researchers decided that measuring changes in satisfaction with goals set prior to the training program would be most representative of increased capability and confidence in performing activities of daily living. Changes in satisfaction with goals were most representative of improvements in using powered wheelchairs because the goals could correspond with specific mobility-related skills, or the integration of skills into everyday life. Therefore, improvements in goal satisfaction are important because they reflect improvements in using powered wheelchairs. How was this research conducted? 17 powered wheelchair users were randomly assigned to different training interventions, which consisted of five 30-minute individualized Wheelchair Skills Training Program sessions. To measure the effect of the training interventions on goal satisfaction, participants were asked to self-report their satisfaction with each of their goals prior to the training, immediately after training, and 3 months after training. What did the researchers find? On a scale from 0 to 10 (with higher numbers corresponding to greater participant goal satisfaction), the participant’s mean sc…

How different variables affect wheelchair tipping probability
type: item
creator: Cheryl Niamath
date: 2019-09-23T01:02:18Z
subject: community
subject: Injury prevention
subject: mobility
subject: Research Studies
subject: SCI
subject: wheelchair skills
description: The tipping or falling of wheelchairs can cause an individual to sustain serious injuries, such as traumatic brain injuries, concussions, and bone fractures. The probability of wheelchair tipping can be heightened or reduced by a variety of factors and it is important that we understand these factors in order to increase wheelchair stability. Continue reading →
encoded: Summary by Grace Hu Edited by Ana-Maria Oproescu This is a summary of a research study that was conducted by ICORD researchers Dr. Jaimie Borisoff, Dr. Carolyn Sparrey, and colleague Dr. Thomas. Click here to access the link to the original study. Why is it important to study wheelchair tip probability? The tipping or falling of wheelchairs can cause an individual to sustain serious injuries, such as traumatic brain injuries, concussions, and bone fractures. The probability of wheelchair tipping can be heightened or reduced by a variety of factors and it is important that we understand these factors in order to increase wheelchair stability. What was the purpose of the study? The purpose of the study was to determine how adjusting different user variables and conditions affects the tip probability of a manual wheelchair during movement (ie. the ‘dynamic tip probability‘). The researchers examined the effects of seat angles, wheelchair speed, user position, user mass, and bump heights. How was this study conducted? The stability of a moving wheelchair was initially tested by using simulations on MADYMO software. The researchers then validated the simulation results by placing test dummies in a wheelchair and rolling them down a slope towards a small block. Each time the wheelchair was rolled down, different variables were adjusted to test the likelihood of the wheelchair tipping. The seat angles were set to values 0-20° below the horizontal, the wheelchair speeds were set to 0-20 km/ hour, the masses of the test dummies varied between 50-115 kg, and the dummy positions varied from 0-10 cm from where the backrest meets the wheelchair. In addition, different bump heights were added along the wheelchair path, varying from 0-4 cm in height. Statistical analysis revealed the effects of these variables on wheelchair tip probability. Different types of tipping included: backward tip, forward tip, rolling over a bump, and stopping due to a bump. What are the effects of diffe…

The Neuroscience of Pain
type: item
creator: Cheryl Niamath
date: 2019-03-30T02:21:59Z
subject: biology
subject: Blog
subject: neuropathic pain
subject: pain
subject: physiological
subject: Research Studies
subject: SCI
description: Jessica Archibald I am in the first year of my PhD program in Experimental Medicine at the University of British Columbia (UBC). My supervisor, Dr. John Kramer, is a principal investigator with ICORD (International Collaboration On Repair Discoveries), a spinal Read More...
encoded: Jessica Archibald I am in the first year of my PhD program in Experimental Medicine at the University of British Columbia (UBC). My supervisor, Dr. John Kramer, is a principal investigator with ICORD (International Collaboration On Repair Discoveries), a spinal cord injury research centre of VCH Research Institute and UBC. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="43152" data-permalink="https://icord.org/2019/03/the-neuroscience-of-pain/archibald-jessica_croppedheadshot/" data-orig-file="https://icord.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Archibald-Jessica_croppedheadshot.jpg" data-orig-size="600,526" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"3.5","credit":"Martin Dee","camera":"NIKON D750","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1537532108","copyright":"martindeephotography.com","focal_length":"105","iso":"1000","shutter_speed":"0.004","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="Archibald-Jessica_croppedheadshot" data-image-description=" headshot of Jessica Archibald " data-image-caption=" This is me! " data-large-file="https://icord.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Archibald-Jessica_croppedheadshot.jpg" class="wp-image-43152 alignright" src="http://icord.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Archibald-Jessica_croppedheadshot.jpg" alt="" width="210" height="184" srcset="https://icord.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Archibald-Jessica_croppedheadshot.jpg 600w, https://icord.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Archibald-Jessica_croppedheadshot-300x263.jpg 300w, https://icord.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Archibald-Jessica_croppedheadshot-228x200.jpg 228w" sizes="(max-width: 210px) 100vw, 210px" />My research focuses on understanding how pain works. Pain is common in spinal cord injury patients, affecting about 70% of this population. In this special blog post, I will discuss my research plans and share what inspires me to change current pain management strategies. The search to conquer pain: a contribution to human health A ground-breaking discovery occurred in …