General Announcements

FDA Approves First Human Test of Embryonic Stem Cell Based Therapy

On 7/31/10, the New York Times reported that the FDA has approved a clinical trial of a therapy derived from human embryonic stem cells. Geron Corporation and the University of California, Irvine have developed and will test the stem cells. Geron began this study in 2009, but it was stopped due to concerns in an animal study showing an increased frequency of small cysts within the injury site. Thomas Okarma, Geron's president and CEO, said that the FDA's decision strengthens the company's ability to start similar trials in the future.

Neilsen Foundation Awards Two New SCIM Fellowship Grants

The Craig H. Neilsen Foundation has announced that the new Nielsen foundation Spinal Cord Injury Medicine (SCIM) ACGME Fellowship grants will be awarded to Kessler Rehabilitation Center in New Jersey and MetroHealth Rehabilitation Institute of Ohio. Each grant is worth $75,000 and are intended to assist ACGME-accredited programs in the US attract the best and brightest to the specialty of SCI medicine. See www.chnfoundation.org for additional details.

Shepherd Center and Hocoma to Showcase Robotic Rehab Technology at Neurorehabilitation Symposium

Shepherd Center will co-host and serve as the conference site for the 2010 North American Neurorehabilitation Symposium organized with Hocoma, the medical technology company based in Switzerland that specializes in robotic rehabilitation therapy for neurological movement disorders, including Lokomat®, Armeo® and Erigo®.

The event will be held at Shepherd Center on Aug. 27-28, 2010. Topics include new information in neurorehabilitation, motor learning and motor control, robotic technology in rehabilitation, and motivating patients with virtual environments, as well as research in spinal cord injury, stroke, traumatic brain injury, cerebral palsy and other pathologies.

The conference is expected to bring together scientists and engineers from highly-recognized institutions worldwide and clinical users of innovative therapeutic methods and technologies.

The event is intended to offer clinicians and scientists a valuable platform to discuss trends, to share expertise, to exchange ideas and to gain knowledge to assess and use new technologies and therapy concepts in their daily practice.

For more information about the North American Neurorehabilitation Symposium 2010, visit nanrs2010.com.

Spinal Cord Leaders Council Celebrates Signing of Reeve Paralysis Act;
Pledges Continued Support

Attached is the final release from the Spinal Cord Leaders Council celebrating the signing of the Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Act and noting our continued support.

Thanks to all who provided input, and thank in advance to each of you for getting this out as widely as possible. We’d like to see it on as many of our member organization web sites as possible, and encourage you to share it with your own networks as well.

The release is live on www.spinalcordleaders.org with a photo of the signing ceremony (thanks to James Shepherd).

Click Here for the full article

March 25, 2009 - Patient Voices: Spinal Cord Injury

Life after a spinal cord injury is filled with the challenge of accepting your injury, coping with your limitations and adjusting to an entirely new way of seeing the world. Here, six men and women talk about their lives after a spinal cord injury.
Click Here for the full article

ASIA MEMBER MARIA AMADOR DIES IN DOMESTIC RAMPAGE

Word has been received of the death of ASIA member Maria Amador, BSN, CRRN, on February 25, 2009. Maria was the victim of her husband, who shot her to death in their home. Two of their daughters, ages 13 and 14, were also killed. A 16 year old son managed to escape the house, call 911, and seek refuge at the home of neighbor. Maria's husband then turned the gun on himself. A fourth child was away at college at the time of the shootings.

Maria was the education nurse at The Miami Project in Miami, Florida. She had been an active ASIA member for several years, and had attended a number of annual meetings. Her dedication to the field of spinal cord injury, her care for her patients, and her contributions to ASIA as an active member will be missed.

Please find attached the USBJD Newsletter.<--- (click here)

We encourage you to distribute this to colleagues and to society members.

Highlights:

• Bone and Joint Decade Global Network Conference 2009
• National Action Plan on Bone Health
• 1st Advances in Rare Bone Diseases Scientific Conference Report
• Experts in Arthritis Report
• Young Investigators Initiative Update

New Studies Recruiting Patients with Overactive Bladder

Is an overactive bladder causing you to live an under-active life?

If you have a spinal cord injury or have been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and suffer from an overactive bladder, you may want to learn if you qualify for one of the Dignity Studies.

The purpose of these studies is to determine the effectiveness and safety of an investigational medication for controlling symptoms of overactive bladder in patients with these conditions. In a previous medical research study, this investigational medication reduced the frequency of urinary incontinent incidents in spinal cord injury and multiple sclerosis patients.

Qualified participants will have had a spinal cord injury or have multiple sclerosis, experience frequent incontinent episodes due to an overactive bladder, may be using self-catheterization to control their bladder, and are looking for alternative treatment options. Potential participants will be evaluated to further determine their eligibility. Investigational study medication, medical exams, and lab tests will be provided to you at no charge.

If you are interested and want to learn about a study location near you, visit www.dignitystudy.com or call 1-888-61-STUDY (1-888-617-8839) to complete a questionnaire to determine if you might qualify to participate.

Drug Being Studied In Clinical Trials May Control Spasticity Without Causing Drowsiness for People With Spinal Cord Injuries

For more information, read the news release posted on Shepherd's Web site at: www.shepherd.org/news/media/press/28.asp.

THE BONE AND JOINT DECADE 2000-2010 INFOLETTER

The Bone and Joint Decade periodically publishes an infoletter about the latest achievements in SCI. Visit www.boneandjointdecade.org to read all about it.

2002-2011 PROCLAIMED NATIONAL BONE AND JOINT DECADE

On March 21, 2002, President George W. Bush proclaimed the years 2002-2011 as the National Bone and Joint Decade, recognizing the importance of promoting a healthy musculoskeletal structure for all people from childhood through adulthood. In 1997, ASIA was one of the first endorsing associations of the Bone and Joint Decade when it was first proposed for international celebration. ASIA is proud to see that this special decade has received Presidential proclamation.

The web site for the proclamation is:
www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/03/20020325-5.html.

The web site for information on the Bone and Joint Decade is: www.usbjd.org.

Read the December 2007/January 2008 Newsletter.

CERVICAL SPINE AND SPINAL CORD INJURY GUIDELINES

The American Association of Neurological Surgeons and the Congress of Neurological Surgeons have combined their efforts to produce clinical practice guidelines that are of interest to ASIA members. The document, entitled "Guidelines for the Management of Acute Cervical Spine and Spinal Cord Injuries", has been published as a supplement to the March 2002 edition of the journal Neurosurgery. (Neurosurgery 50(Suppl 3):S1-S199, 2002. The series of guidelines is published in 22 chapters on a variety of cervical spine and spinal cord injury topics, with recommendations stratified into "Standards", "Guidelines", or "Options" based upon the strength of the evidence. Editorial commentary is also included to present alternative viewpoints. In one of the more controversial chapters, the use of methylprednisolone in acute SCI was felt to be an "Option" for treatment of persons with acute SCI "that should be undertaken only with the knowledge that the evidence suggesting harmful side effects is more consistent than any suggestion of clinical benefit" (Neurosurgery 50(Suppl 3):S63-S72, 2002. The Comments section of the Supplement contains a rebuttal of this position by Michael Bracken, the Principal Investigator for the National Acute Spinal Cord Study Group, the authors of the NASCIS studies.