rehab – ICORD
type: channel
date: 2021-09-21T00:21:13Z
update period: hourly
update frequency: 1
update base: 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00
items: Serum albumin may help predict neurological recovery after SCI
items: Exercise capacity and respiratory muscle training in athletes with cervical SCI
items: Acute effects of SCI on cardiovascular autonomic function via evaluating changes in low-frequency blood pressure variability
items: Time dependent gabapentinoid use for motor recovery after SCI
items: What is myelopathy? (Web Illustration)
items: Factors influencing the size of activity spaces for people who use mobility devices
items: Proprioception training protocol for people with incomplete SCI
items: Osteoporosis after spinal cord injury
items: Cardiovascular health during rehabilitation
items: Experimental treatment of SCI using transplantation of olfactory ensheathing cells with nerve bridging.

Serum albumin may help predict neurological recovery after SCI
type: item
creator: Jocelyn C.
date: 2021-06-11T19:04:36Z
subject: Blog
subject: community
subject: SCI
subject: albumin
subject: blog
subject: rehab
subject: serum
description: Lay summary by Frank Yeung Edited by Rona Herzog, Crystal Han This is a summary of a research study conducted by Lukas Grassner, Jan Schwab, Gale Whiteneck, Fred Geisler, and ICORD researchers Dr. John Kramer, Anh Vo, and Catherine Jutzeler. Read Read More...
encoded: Lay summary by Frank Yeung Edited by Rona Herzog, Crystal Han This is a summary of a research study conducted by Lukas Grassner, Jan Schwab, Gale Whiteneck, Fred Geisler, and ICORD researchers Dr. John Kramer, Anh Vo, and Catherine Jutzeler. Read the original article here. What is albumin? Albumin is the most abundant protein in blood plasma. The function of albumin is to help transport things found in blood, such as hormones, vitamins and drugs. The other major function of albumin is keeping blood from leaking out of blood vessels. There are some situations where we may have low albumin levels: this is called hypoalbuminemia. Hypoalbuminemia refers to abnormally low levels of albumin. This can be caused by reduced production of albumin due to liver dysfunction, increased breakdown of albumin following an infection, or leakage of albumin from the blood vessels. It is also a risk factor associated with faster disease progression and worse outcomes in ALS, Guillain-Barré syndrome, and stroke. How does albumin relate to spinal cord injury? Spinal cord injury (SCI) results in a lot of trauma and is associated with a high rate of infection. As hypoalbuminemia can occur as a result of increased breakdown after infection, it is common to see hypoalbuminemia following an SCI. A previous study has demonstrated that hypoalbuminemia predicted poor neurological recovery. This suggests that serum albumin has the potential to act as a predictive molecule, specifically helping us to predict neurological recovery after SCI. Since this finding was based on older data, the current study was done to confirm the results by using newer data that reflects updated medical practices. What was the purpose of this study? There were two goals in this study: The primary goal: to see if serum albumin levels can help predict neurological recovery after SCI. To use contemporary data that reflects more modern methods of SCI management. How was the research conducted? The researchers used data from…

Exercise capacity and respiratory muscle training in athletes with cervical SCI
type: item
creator: Jocelyn C.
date: 2021-04-13T16:43:59Z
subject: Blog
subject: cardiovascular
subject: SCI
subject: sports
subject: cervical SCI
subject: EMT
subject: rehab
subject: RMT
subject: West
subject: wheelchair
subject: wheelchair rugby
description: Lay Summary by Aleksander Walter Edited by Rona Herzog This lay summary is based on a research study conducted by ICORD researchers Cameron Gee, Alexandra Williams, Dr. William Sheel, Dr. Christopher West, and their colleague Neil Eves. To access the Read More...
encoded: Lay Summary by Aleksander Walter Edited by Rona Herzog This lay summary is based on a research study conducted by ICORD researchers Cameron Gee, Alexandra Williams, Dr. William Sheel, Dr. Christopher West, and their colleague Neil Eves. To access the full article click here. The researchers have also created a short video in collaboration with The Physiological Society, click here to access the video. Individuals with cervical spinal cord injuries (SCI) often experience reduced exercise capacity. This is based on a few important physiological factors, including: reduced blood redirection to exercising muscles limited maximum heart rate limited amount of blood the heart can pump with each beat impaired ability to return blood to the heart All of the above factors can result in blood pooling, which occurs when blood fails to return to the heart. When blood begins to pool during exercise, it further decreases the individual’s aerobic ability (i.e. their ability to exercise while oxygen is being utilized). Purpose of the study: The purpose of this study was to measure responses from the circulatory and pulmonary systems, and measure changes to overall exercise capacity in athletes with cervical SCIs following inspiratory and expiratory muscle training (IMT and EMT respectively). How the study was conducted: For this study, 6 wheelchair rugby players were recruited (5 male and 1 female). The participants took part in a 6-week intervention which consisted of RMT 5 days/week, with 2 sessions/day, and 30 breaths per session. During these sessions researchers measured the participants total lung capacity (TLC). TLC is the volume of air measured in the chest after a maximal inspiration (breath in). Researchers also measured: resting pulmonary (lung) function; measured while individuals were in a seated position resting heart function; measured via echocardiogram while participants laid flat on their back at a 45-degree head tilt maximal exercise output; this was tested by ath…

Acute effects of SCI on cardiovascular autonomic function via evaluating changes in low-frequency blood pressure variability
type: item
creator: Jocelyn C.
date: 2021-03-16T17:59:20Z
subject: Blog
subject: cardiovascular
subject: community
subject: physiological
subject: SCI
subject: autonomic dysreflexia
subject: cardiac arrhythmias
subject: cervical SCI
subject: orthostatic hypotension
subject: rehab
description: Lay Summary by Daman Dhunna Edited by Rona Herzog This is a summary of a paper by ICORD researchers Vera-Ellen Lucci, Dr. Jessica Inskip, Maureen McGrath, Dr. Brian Kwon, Dr. Victoria Claydon, and their colleagues Dr. Ian Ruiz and Rebekah Read More...
encoded: Lay Summary by Daman Dhunna Edited by Rona Herzog This is a summary of a paper by ICORD researchers Vera-Ellen Lucci, Dr. Jessica Inskip, Maureen McGrath, Dr. Brian Kwon, Dr. Victoria Claydon, and their colleagues Dr. Ian Ruiz and Rebekah Lee. To access the original article, click here. <img decoding="async" data-attachment-id="47296" data-permalink="https://icord.org/2021/03/acute-effects-of-sci-on-cardiovascular-autonomic-function-via-low-frequency-blood-pressure-variability/cvd-image-1-page-001/" data-orig-file="https://icord.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/CVD-image-1-page-001.jpg" data-orig-size="1275,1647" 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="CVD image (1)-page-001" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-large-file="https://icord.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/CVD-image-1-page-001-793x1024.jpg" class="wp-image-47296 alignright" src="https://icord.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/CVD-image-1-page-001.jpg" alt="" width="425" height="549" srcset="https://icord.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/CVD-image-1-page-001.jpg 1275w, https://icord.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/CVD-image-1-page-001-232x300.jpg 232w, https://icord.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/CVD-image-1-page-001-793x1024.jpg 793w, https://icord.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/CVD-image-1-page-001-768x992.jpg 768w, https://icord.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/CVD-image-1-page-001-1189x1536.jpg 1189w, https://icord.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/CVD-image-1-page-001-155x200.jpg 155w, https://icord.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/CVD-image-1-page-001-1080x1395.jpg 1080w, https://icord.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/CVD-image-1-page-001-400x516.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 425px) 100vw, 425px" />Our spinal nerves, depicted in the image on the right, innervate various organs/organ systems to modify their functi…

Time dependent gabapentinoid use for motor recovery after SCI
type: item
creator: Jocelyn C.
date: 2021-03-16T16:55:16Z
subject: Blog
subject: drug therapy
subject: mobility
subject: muscle
subject: neuropathic pain
subject: physiological
subject: SCI
subject: gabapentinoids
subject: motor
subject: motor function
subject: rehab
description: Lay Summary and Illustrations by Grace Hu Edited by Rona Herzog This is a summary of research conducted by ICORD researchers Dr. Freda Warner, Catherine Jutzeler, Dr. Jacquelyn Cragg, Lukas Grassner, Orpheus Mach, Doris Maier, Benedikt Mach, Jan Schwab, Marcel Read More...
encoded: Lay Summary and Illustrations by Grace Hu Edited by Rona Herzog This is a summary of research conducted by ICORD researchers Dr. Freda Warner, Catherine Jutzeler, Dr. Jacquelyn Cragg, Lukas Grassner, Orpheus Mach, Doris Maier, Benedikt Mach, Jan Schwab, Marcel Kopp, and Dr. John Kramer. To access the full article click here. What are gabapentinoids and what are they used for? <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="47155" data-permalink="https://icord.org/2021/03/time-dependent-gabapentinoid-use-for-motor-recovery-after-sci/344b67fc-322c-4dfa-a0cb-bb2482a068b8/" data-orig-file="https://icord.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/344B67FC-322C-4DFA-A0CB-BB2482A068B8.jpeg" data-orig-size="2409,2047" 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":"1"}" data-image-title="344B67FC-322C-4DFA-A0CB-BB2482A068B8" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-large-file="https://icord.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/344B67FC-322C-4DFA-A0CB-BB2482A068B8-1024x870.jpeg" class=" wp-image-47155 alignright" src="https://icord.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/344B67FC-322C-4DFA-A0CB-BB2482A068B8.jpeg" alt="" width="435" height="370" srcset="https://icord.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/344B67FC-322C-4DFA-A0CB-BB2482A068B8.jpeg 2409w, https://icord.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/344B67FC-322C-4DFA-A0CB-BB2482A068B8-300x255.jpeg 300w, https://icord.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/344B67FC-322C-4DFA-A0CB-BB2482A068B8-1024x870.jpeg 1024w, https://icord.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/344B67FC-322C-4DFA-A0CB-BB2482A068B8-768x653.jpeg 768w, https://icord.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/344B67FC-322C-4DFA-A0CB-BB2482A068B8-1536x1305.jpeg 1536w, https://icord.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/344B67FC-322C-4DFA-A0CB-BB2482A068B8-2048x1740.jpeg 2048w, https://icord.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/344B67FC-322C-4DFA-A0CB-BB2482A…

What is myelopathy? (Web Illustration)
type: item
creator: Jocelyn C.
date: 2021-03-12T18:42:29Z
subject: Blog
subject: cervical SCI
subject: myelopathy
subject: pain
subject: rehab
subject: SCI
description: Script and Art by Yasi Yaghoub This web illustration reviews spinal cord anatomy, and discusses the causes and symptoms of myelopathy.
encoded: Script and Art by Yasi Yaghoub This web illustration reviews spinal cord anatomy, and discusses the causes and symptoms of myelopathy. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="47257" data-permalink="https://icord.org/2021/03/what-is-myelopathy-comic/attachment/1/" data-orig-file="https://icord.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/1.jpg" data-orig-size="2048,2048" 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="1" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-large-file="https://icord.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/1-1024x1024.jpg" class="alignnone wp-image-47257" src="https://icord.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/1.jpg" alt="" width="337" height="337" srcset="https://icord.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/1.jpg 2048w, https://icord.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/1-300x300.jpg 300w, https://icord.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/1-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https://icord.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/1-150x150.jpg 150w, https://icord.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/1-768x768.jpg 768w, https://icord.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/1-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://icord.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/1-200x200.jpg 200w, https://icord.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/1-1080x1080.jpg 1080w" sizes="(max-width: 337px) 100vw, 337px" /><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="47258" data-permalink="https://icord.org/2021/03/what-is-myelopathy-comic/2-2/" data-orig-file="https://icord.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/2-1.jpg" data-orig-size="2048,2048" 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="2" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-large-file="https://icord.org/wp-content/uploa…

Factors influencing the size of activity spaces for people who use mobility devices
type: item
creator: Jocelyn C.
date: 2021-02-09T16:35:57Z
subject: Blog
subject: community
subject: mobility
subject: SCI
subject: access
subject: activity spaces
subject: bc wheelchair sports
subject: mobility devices
subject: rehab
subject: wheelchair
description: Lay Summary by Michael Limmena Edited by Rona Herzog This is a summary of research conducted by ICORD PIs Dr. Ben Mortenson and Dr. William Miller, and their colleagues Dr. Mike Prescott and Dr. François Routhier. Click here to access Read More...
encoded: Lay Summary by Michael Limmena Edited by Rona Herzog This is a summary of research conducted by ICORD PIs Dr. Ben Mortenson and Dr. William Miller, and their colleagues Dr. Mike Prescott and Dr. François Routhier. Click here to access the original research paper. People who use mobility devices such as wheelchairs, scooters, walkers, and canes, may find that travelling within their neighbourhood and city can be challenging. This is due to both physical barriers, including missing curb ramps, stairs, unsafe street crossings, etc.; and social barriers, such as fear of crime and feelings of stigma. As a result, these barriers have the potential to reduce the area of the activity spaces that people who use mobility devices utilize. Activity spaces are defined as the areas where people typically go in their daily lives, including grocery stores, restaurants, schools, and workplaces. Along with the barriers listed above, there are also many personal and environmental factors that have the potential to affect the area of activity spaces. There is currently very little research about how personal and environmental factors may influence one another and affect the area of the activity spaces of people who use mobility devices. Factors considered for people who use mobility devices include: age, type of physical disability, mobility independence, characteristics of where they live (e.g. urban/rural), walkability, and personal perception of the accessibility of their neighbourhood. With this information, city planners can make communities and cities more accessible for people who use mobility devices. What was the purpose of this study? The three purposes of this study were: to determine how personal and environmental factors affect the area of activity spaces for individuals using mobility devices to estimate how these factors might affect the activity space sizes of mobility device users to determine whether there are differences based on type of mobility device used How was …

Proprioception training protocol for people with incomplete SCI
type: item
creator: Jocelyn C.
date: 2021-01-14T17:54:45Z
subject: Blog
subject: Lokomat
subject: mobility
subject: muscle
subject: rehab
subject: incomplete SCI
subject: proprioception
subject: SCI
description: Lay Summary by Frank Yeung Edited by Rona Herzog This is a summary of a paper by ICORD researchers Taha Qaiser, Gevorg Eginyan, Franco Chan, and Dr. Tania Lam. To access the full article click here. In 2019, researchers from Read More...
encoded: Lay Summary by Frank Yeung Edited by Rona Herzog This is a summary of a paper by ICORD researchers Taha Qaiser, Gevorg Eginyan, Franco Chan, and Dr. Tania Lam. To access the full article click here. In 2019, researchers from ICORD studied a new passive training protocol that used the Lokomat robotic gait device. As opposed to many neurorehabilitation strategies that focus on active interventions, including inducing and strengthening motor function, the training protocol used in this study was passive. The passive intervention focused on the recovery of sensory function in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI). Specifically, this training protocol was designed to recover proprioception. Proprioception refers to our ability to recognize the position and movement of our body, and it plays a critical role in human movement control. What were the objectives of this study? The study had two objectives: The main objective was to test the effects of the researchers’ proprioception training protocol on lower limb proprioceptive sense in people with incomplete SCI. The secondary objective was to assess whether the benefits from training transferred to a precision stepping task for people with incomplete SCI. The Training Protocol: The training protocol used in this study focused on improving two aspects of proprioception, which were end-point discrimination and knee joint position sense. For the end-point discrimination task, the Lokomat moved one of the participant’s entire lower limb twice, resulting in a change in the participant’s heel position; the participant reported if the final position was either higher or lower relative to the starting position. For the knee joint position sense task, the Lokomat flexed or extended the knee, and the participant had to position the knee back to the starting position using a joystick to control the Lokomat. Visual feedback was provided for learning after each response in the proprioception training. After the proprioception train…

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 loading="lazy" 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" heigh…

Cardiovascular health during rehabilitation
type: item
creator: Cheryl Niamath
date: 2018-06-02T00:15:11Z
subject: Blog
subject: cardiovascular
subject: mobility
subject: physiological
subject: rehab
subject: Research Studies
subject: SCI
subject: sports
subject: exercise
subject: heart
subject: SCInfo
description: Cardiovascular disease is more prevalent within the SCI community than in the general population.The reason for this is because of the extensive amount of bed rest following traumatic spinal cord injury, which results in a low level of physical activity and cardiovascular fitness. Continue reading →
encoded: Sonya Kung Edited by Ana-Maria Oproescu This is a summary of a research study conducted by Drs. Andrei Krassioukov and Janice Eng at ICORD. To read the original article, please click here. Why is cardiovascular disease prevalent among individuals with SCI? Cardiovascular disease is more prevalent within the SCI community than in the general population. The reason for this is the extensive bed rest following traumatic spinal cord injury, which results in a low level of physical activity and cardiovascular fitness. However, physical training in individuals with spinal cord injuries has the potential to improve their cardiovascular health and to reduce the medical complications associated with being physically inactive. These potential benefits underscore the importance of participating in an exercise program after SCI. The objective of this observational study was to determine if vigorous exercise could help individuals recovering from a recent SCI reach their full potential during physical therapy. The researchers measured the amount of cardiovascular stress experienced by individuals with SCI during recovery. Researchers looked at how much activity was spent at 40% heart rate reserve which is considered moderate activity and the minimum level to improve cardiovascular fitness. How was data collected for this observational study? Participants were recruited as part of a larger study examining spinal cord injury admissions to inpatient care at two rehabilitation centres. Data for the present study were collected over two weekdays near the end of a patient’s rehabilitation stay. It was expected that at this point in time participants would be near their peak of inpatient recovery and would be able to maximally participate in rehabilitation activities. Participants took part in their regular physical therapy activities. Heart rate was then recorded and their level of physical activity was collected by self-reported spinal cord injury questionnaire. What did researchers …

Experimental treatment of SCI using transplantation of olfactory ensheathing cells with nerve bridging.
type: item
creator: Cheryl Niamath
date: 2015-02-20T19:51:27Z
subject: Blog
subject: SCI
subject: regeneration
subject: rehab
subject: repair
subject: stem cells
description: By: Dominik Zbogar This is a summary of a paper by researchers in Poland. Original article: Pawel Tabakow et al. (2014). Functional regeneration of supraspinal connections in a patient with transected spinal cord following transplantation of bulbar olfactory ensheathing cells Read More...
encoded: By: Dominik Zbogar This is a summary of a paper by researchers in Poland. Original article: Pawel Tabakow et al. (2014). Functional regeneration of supraspinal connections in a patient with transected spinal cord following transplantation of bulbar olfactory ensheathing cells with peripheral nerve bridging. Cell Transplantation. 23(12):1631-55. Find the original article here. Summary: Olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs) are found deep in the nose as well as in the olfactory bulb that is part of the brain inside the skull just above the nose. In animal experiments, these cells have been transplanted into the damaged spinal cord and have been claimed to promote the regrowth of severed axons (the ‘wires’ that transmit information from one cell to another) by an English group headed by Dr. G. Raisman. This paper describes the results of OEC transplantation into the spine of one patient with an AIS A injury (this is known as a complete injury where the patient has no measurable sensation or motor function at the lowest part of the spine). The patient was a 38 year-old man named Darek who was stabbed thirteen months earlier. His spinal cord was incompletely severed at the ninth thoracic level with a 2mm rim of spared tissue, i.e. it was anatomically incomplete. Despite spared tissue, functional testing indicated a “complete” injury by the AIS scoring system. Before the spinal surgery for OEC transplantation, Darek underwent 8 months of intense (5 hours per day, 5 days per week) physiotherapy consisting mostly of locomotor training. Two weeks before the surgery, one of Darek’s olfactory bulbs was removed from the brain and placed in a cell culture to produce OECs for insertion into the spinal cord. On the day of the spinal surgery, scar tissue was removed, the cells were injected above and below the injury site, and strips of nerve tissue obtained from the ankle were placed in the injury gap to provide a bridge for the OECs to grow over. There were no complications from the…