Jocelyn.Lovell@f415.n259.z1.fidonet.org (Jocelyn Lovell) (06/06/90)
Index Number: 8661
[This is from the Spinal Injury Conference]
Elizabeth,
As an afterthought and at the risk of being caught repeating myself,
I give you the following about some Spinal Cord Society research
projects.
There isn't quite enough space just here to type out all research
that is being done by the Spinal Cord Society and the Spinal Cord
Society Canada but I'll start with the media favorite, the computerized
walking project. This was a priority of the SCS in order to eliminate
one of the obstacles of cure, namely: "So what if you find a cure, your
muscle will be too atrophied and bone decalcified so as to make cure
useless anyway." This was disproved as bone and muscle was brought
back in to shape. One more obstacle out of the way. Agreed, while
F.E.S., fuctional electrical stimulation, is not a cure, it gave hope
where there was none before and paved the way for other projects.
R.E.S., regenerative electrical stimulation, is being successfully
used in accidently injured, paraplegic dogs at the SCS sponsored CPR,
Centre for Paralysis Research, in Indianna. An electrical stimulator
is implanted at the injury site and sends a weak electric current
through the cord which reverses polarity every few seconds. This has
been found to regrow both the sensory and motor neurons of in cord.
Good success is recorded with accute (new) injuries, while limited
success is noted in chronic (old) injuries. As research is just
largely nothing more than trial and error, more tests are planned with
variations in voltage, duration of current, timing of the reversal of
polarity etc. But here we have partial reversal of chronic injury,
something previously deemed "impossible".
I must emphasize that this work is funded by hard earned dollars
by the various SCS chapters across Canada and USA. It is money that
was hard come by from raffles, garage sales, this-a-thon and that-a-thon
etc., so the projects are well monitored by us. Researchers are directly
accountable to us, the paralyzed.
4-AP, 4-aminopyridine, used in patients with MS to re-mylinate or
reinsulate the spinal cord insulatory sheath, is going to be used in
SCI for the first time on humans in London, Ontario. Approval to do so
from the Canadian government has just come through (April 15th).
I urge anyone interested in cure for SCI or just wishing to be
kept up to date on current SCI cure research, to subscribe to the Spinal
Cord Society monthly newsletter. Cost is $30.00 (U.S.) and the address
is:
SPINAL CORD SOCIETY
WENDELL ROAD
FERGUS FALLS
MINNESOTA
USA 56537
218-739-5252
While none of this is cure, they are major breakthroughs and in the
direction of cure. I liken it to a many-pieced puzzle, as each piece is
found and fitted into place, it will eventually be the realization of
the goal.
.........................Jocelyn
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