Category Archives: Spinal Cord Injury Treatment

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.(BUSINESS WIRE)InVivo Therapeutics Holdings Corp. (NVIV) today provided a clinical update, an update on patients in the INSPIRE study of the Neuro-Spinal Scaffold, and reported financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2017. The AIS grade improvement rate observed thus far in the INSPIRE study compares favorably to the natural history of spinal cord injury Clinical/Regulatory Update Mark Perrin, InVivos Chief Executive Officer and Chairman, said, In the first quarter, we continued to make significant progress at InVivo and with the INSPIRE study. By early April, we had enrolled four new patients into the INSPIRE study, with three patients enrolled within 30 days of each other. We also announced four new clinical sites for the INSPIRE study. In addition to progress with INSPIRE enrollment and sites, we achieved several regulatory milestones. Health Canada approved the companys Investigational Testing Authorization application to commence a clinical study of the Neuro-Spinal Scaffold in patients with acute, complete (AIS A) cervical (C5-T1) spinal cord injuries (SCIs), and we announced the opening of our first site for the cervical study, Toronto Western Hospital. We also announced the Medicines Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) approval of the companys Clinical Trial Authorization Application to commence … Continue reading →

Edmonton Journal University of Alberta discovery offers promise of new therapies for spinal cord injuries Edmonton Journal Neuroscientists at the University of Alberta have made a major discovery on the nature of spinal cord injuries that may unlock a number of new treatment possibilities for those suffering impairment. The researchers' work challenges previous assumptions ... and more » More: University of Alberta discovery offers promise of new therapies for spinal cord injuries - Edmonton Journal … Continue reading →

Thousands of patients are treated every year by the Spine Team at Rothman Institute. Led by Drs. Alexander Vaccaro and Alan Hilibrand, the Spine Team offers numerous surgical and non-surgical treatments to alleviate pain and loss of mobility in the neck and back. Both doctors are world-renowned experts and can be considered the best doctors in the field to answer any questions you may have on the topic. We will try to answer as many questions as time allows. Alexander R. Vaccaro, M.D., Ph.D., M.B.A., President In 2015, Dr. Vaccaro received his MBA (Master of Business Administration) from Temple University's Fox School of Business in Philadelphia, PA and graduated with honors. Dr. Vaccaro has served as the president of the Rothman Institute since 2014, and is the Richard H. Rothman Professor and Chairman in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, and Professor of Neurosurgery at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was the recipient of the Leon Wiltse award given for excellence in leadership and clinical research for spine care by the North American Spine Society (NASS) and is the past President of the American Spinal Injury Association and the Association for Collaborative Spine Research. He has over 650 peer … Continue reading →

Science Daily Oxygen improves blood flow, restores more function in spinal cord injuries Science Daily Published in Nature Medicine on May 1, 2017, the study demonstrates chronic ischemic hypoxia (lack of blood and oxygen) after spinal cord injury and how blood flow plays a key role in the cause and treatment of motor disorders. Simply put, this could ... Link: Oxygen improves blood flow, restores more function in spinal cord injuries - Science Daily … Continue reading →

Above: the start line of the Wings for Life World Run in Santa Clarita, Town Center Drive 2016 In a world full philanthropy and good will, there is one organization that I whole heartedly support and resonate with: The Wings For Life Foundation. This international group lead by the founders of theRed Bull sports drink are true to their nature and are progressively pushing spinal cord injury scientific research forward on a global scale. This not-for-profit foundation has a sole mission to find a cure for spinal cord injuries. The Wings for Life World Run is a global charity event with a unique, and one-of-a-kind fun format of which 100% of donations, entry fees and funds goes towards spinal cord research. Its a worldwide run where everybody starts simultaneously and the finish line chases you! Heres how it works: On one day each year, the Wings for Life World Run & Selfie Run (See App) takes place at event locations across the planet. Everybody starts at exactly the same moment, 11AM UTC. Whether its day or night, bright sun or pouring rain at your location youre running together with the world and sharing an amazing experience. Your name shows up … Continue reading →

The House of Representatives concurred in Senate amendments to H.3221 and enrolled the bill for ratification. The legislation establishes a statewide program for ADDRESSING UNSOUND SCHOOL DISTRICT FINANCES which affords the State Department of Education authority that extends beyond academic matters to include fiscal affairs. Under the legislation, the State Department of Education is to work with district superintendents and finance officers to develop and adopt a statewide program with guidelines for: (1) identifying fiscal practices and budgetary conditions that, if uncorrected, could compromise the fiscal integrity of a school district; and (2) advising districts that demonstrate these financial problems on the corrective actions that should be taken. The department must establish three escalating levels of fiscal and budgetary concern so that the State Superintendent of Education can declare a fiscal watch, a fiscal caution, and a fiscal emergency with regard to school district finances. The succeeding levels of budgetary concern carry increasingly stringent requirements for school district recovery plans, audits, and inspections as well as more intensive technical support from the state department. Should a school districts finances warrant the most severe level of concern prompting the State Superintendent of Education to declare a fiscal emergency, the State Department … Continue reading →

Studies show that more than 50 percent of older Americans struggle with urinary incontinence, but Houston Methodist San Jacinto Hospital urologist Olubayo Tojuola, MD, says current treatment options provide hope for patients seeking to improve their quality of life. A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report shows that nearly 51 percent of people over 65 experience some degree of incontinence defined as an involuntary leakage of urine. According to the National Association for Continence, about 25 million Americans have either chronic or periodic urinary incontinence. The condition is more prevalent in women than men. Women experience incontinence more than men for a variety of reasons, Tojuola said. Women who have had a hysterectomy or multiple vaginal deliveries are susceptible to this condition. Age is also a factor, as the pelvic floor muscles weaken over time and can begin to leak. In men, Tojuola says its not uncommon for incontinence to develop following prostate surgery, including a procedure called a transurethral resection, which seeks to address an enlarged prostate. The prostate may enlarge with age and become a source of obstruction. It may also afflict men who have had prostate cancer and undergone a prostatectomy (removal of all or part … Continue reading →

Perhaps without even realizing it, many Americans owe their health and even their lives to discoveries made possible by federal funding of biomedical research at academic institutions such as Georgia State University, where I work as a neuroscientist and professor. The government-funded National Institutes of Health and National Science Foundation provide the vast majority of the funds that support the innovative work of the talented professors, research staff and students working long hours in the lab. To be sure, there are many uses for federal dollars, and a need to be conservative with spending. But federally funded basic science research is critical to drive scientific progress so that we can one day treat, cure and eventually prevent devastating diseases and disorders. Because of the lengthy and complex research process involved in moving from basic science discovery to profitable treatment, the private sector cannot, and will not, conduct this basic science research. Rather, they use the knowledge and tools from federally funded basic research to develop, implement, and then profit from new medical treatments and devices. Congress has historically supported strong investment in scientific research, and biomedical research in particular, because of its value as an economic engine and the importance … Continue reading →

Autism, paralysis, and persistent, medication-resistant pain are among the challenges that emerging companies and organizations hope to alleviate through neuromodulation therapy. Neuromodulation therapy, sometimes referred to as bioelectric medicine or electroceuticals, is one of medicine's fastest-growing fields, driven by rising neurological disease in an aging population, and the need for non-pharmacological approaches to manage symptoms. The first use of spinal cord stimulation (SCS) to treat chronic pain of neuropathic origin was reported in 1967 by C. Norman Shealy, M.D., Ph.D. Neuromodulation devices, such as SCS and deep brain stimulation systems, leverage technology developed for cardiac pacemakers and cochlear implants to re-balance neural activity. Neuromodulation therapies help relieve chronic pain or restore function. Existing and emerging devices operate through targeted application of electrical, magnetic, chemical, or optical stimulation. Current or emerging neuromodulation therapies address deficits in vision, hearing, breathing, mobility, grasp or gait, motor function, mood, memory, and digestion. Three panels of innovators will present emerging therapies in a daylong preconference before the International Neuromodulation Society 13th World Congress in Edinburgh, Scotland. The Innovations Day preconference on May 28, 2017 also includes discussion by commercialization experts and financiers about capturing data to support reimbursement. Twelve participating start-up companies and research organizations … Continue reading →

Accidents involving those sent Spinal and neck injuries sent nine people to a hospital near Rehoboth Beach alone last year. Up the coast, hundreds are injured during the summer in the beach towns. Produced by Megan Raymond Kids play in the waves in Ocean City, Md., during Memorial Day weekend 2016.(Photo: Megan Raymond photo)Buy Photo On a recent sunny afternoon, Katie Workman, of Doylestown, Ohio, was watching her sonplay on the Ocean City sand by the ocean a body of water she won't even dip a toe in. "I have never been in it," she said. "I don't want to be swept away by a shark." But another danger lurks in the water, and it has nothing to do with fear of jaws: spinal and neck injuries. Accidents involving those sent nine people to a hospital near Rehoboth Beach alone last year. Up the coast, hundreds are injured during the summer in the beach towns. And some say the chances for injuries may be worse along the coast's replenished beaches. READ MORE:As Ocean City evolves, it shoots for the sky Trips to the emergency room occur in a variety of ways, such as diving into the water where it's too … Continue reading →