A $48 million (USD$36.4) grant has been awarded to researchers at Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute (VCHRI) and the University of British Columbia (UBC) to investigate integrative and implantable technology that could revolutionize how patients recover from traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI).
“We are extremely excited to embark on this journey,” says team lead and VCHRI researcher Dr. Brian Kwon. “Never before has an agency committed funding of this magnitude for spinal cord injury and set such a high bar for not just incremental, but truly transformative solutions.”
Even the most seasoned weightlifters will feel the burn after pumping iron for a few sets. Their muscles cue their brain to take a break and relax, but for spinal cord and brain injury patients, that muscle-brain connection may be damaged or severed. This disconnect can lead to a painful condition called problematic spasticity, when muscles fire involuntarily and relentlessly.
Lab members put research in motion. (L-R) Alison Williams, Emily Deegan, Raza Malik, Gevorg Eginyan and Mason Chow
At the International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries (ICORD) research centre, members of Dr. Tania Lam’s laboratory are studying human locomotion and walking recovery in an effort to improve people’s functional health outcomes and quality of life following a spinal cord injury (SCI).
It seems like an automatic gesture—fastening your seat belt before you drive off. But for many people with spinal cord injury, buckling up can be one of the most challenging parts of getting behind the wheel. Now, a new prototype device could make driving, and the independence it offers, easier. The Accessibelt device is the latest innovation coming out of the University of British Columbia’s Engineers in Scrubs program.
A digital brain being designed by Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute (VCHRI) researchers could soon add another layer of precision to the challenging process of diagnosing and treating spinal cord injuries.
Around 60 to 70 patients with potentially life-altering spinal cord injuries visit Vancouver General Hospital (VGH) each day. Of these, 10 to 20 patients will have suspected injuries to their cervical spine (C-spine).
Dr. Patricia Mills, a Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute clinician-researcher, specializes in treating a condition that affects approximately 1 in 3 people who experience a traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI). The condition, called problematic spasticity, is experienced as persistent muscle spasms that can result in a dramatic reduction in quality of life.
“For people with a spinal cord injury, problematic spasticity can be the biggest health challenge that they face.”
When people think of spinal cord injury (SCI) they tend to focus on paralysis and body movement. But post-injury, the biggest health risk is actually cardiovascular disease— it’s the number one cause of disability and death in people with SCI. Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute scientists at ICORD (The International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries) are focusing on cardiovascular problems in SCI patients, in particular their inability to regulate blood pressure (BP). They’re especially interested in how BP dysregulation is linked to cognitive impairment.
Twenty-seven-year-old Jessie McDougall knows the value of health research. As a kinesiologist and research assistant at ICORD (the International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries), McDougall didn’t hesitate to help out with a new pain study at happening at the centre. Although the study involved some spicy discomfort—in the form of chilli pepper compounds applied to her skin—McDougall wasn’t fazed.
Aaron Coret was 20 years old when a snowboarding accident in Whistler changed his life forever. “I was big into freestyle skiing and snowboarding and was doing what I lived for at the time. When I took off this one jump, I lost control right away,” Coret recalls.
“As soon as I hit the ground, my whole body went numb. I remember lying there wondering how my life would be different now.”
Aside from being a good form of physical exercise, outdoor activities like hiking come with additional benefits from decreased stress levels to improved health and relaxation. However, physical impairments from conditions such as arthritis, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy and stroke can prevent some people from taking advantage of Canada’s many wilderness trails. This is why a team of researchers, led by Ben Mortenson of Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute (VCHRI), examined a longstanding program that helps people with disabilities go on hikes.
