Archive for July, 2008
Creating Technology that Adapts to YOU
According to a recent Newswise article, the University of Washington’s Computer Science & Engineering department is working on personalizing computer interfaces based on an individual’s needs. This will take into account your disability and the limitations it imposes, unlike the pre-made devices you buy in the store.
In order to make sure you are properly matched to your computer, the university will administer a skills test that then allows them to generate a mathematical model geared towards your needs. An optimization program will then figure out how long it will take you to finish applicable tasks, measuring your accuracy and speed…
With the increasing number of research programs focusing on stem cell research and their application to brain injury and spinal cord injury, today’s facts will help you understand why they are so useful…
Professor Gerd Kempermann, speaking at the FENS2008, speculated that the newest stem cell hypothesis is operating from the premise that stem cells are used by the brain for maintenance, not regeneration.
This idea helps to explain why there are so many stem cells in the brain when their natural tendency doesn’t seem to be to replicate into needed cells (taking the place of damaged cells). Instead these cells help the brain compensate for the injured parts, supporting the brain’s ability to properly function…
Power Wheelchairs
There are a variety of powered wheelchair options available depending on what your specific needs and preferences are. You can chose from joystick, sip, puff, scanning and even head movement controls. There are options for power standing, power reclining, power tilt and power elevation – all configured to best serve your disability.
You can chose between tire types and powerbase options depending on whether or not you spend a good deal of time outdoors or more indoors. You can also pick by maneuverability and size, with some wheelchairs being able to turn on their own center. Speed is also something you can choose, as well as horsepower and types of charge.
For a good starting place to shop for the perfect wheelchair, try this link: SpinLife.com. (We claim no deliberate promotion of or affiliation with this business.)
The enzyme chondroitinase seems to have a beneficial effect on nerve damage. Plasticity, which allows the brain to make new connections after old ones are damaged, is crucial for recovery after a brain or spine injury, and scar tissue can interfere with this process…
Donald Stein is recognized by the Ladies Home Journal as one of four winners of the Health Breakthrough Award for 2008. Stein, the director of Emory’s Department of Emergency Medicine Brain Research Laboratory, has helped direct women’s health care.
It turns out that Stein has also discovered a way to lower the risk of death and disability after a traumatic brain injury through the use of progesterone.
Progesterone, a steroid hormone that helps with the development of the embryo, also works to protect injured brain tissue. Stein found that there was a 56% increase in brain function in the patients who took progesterone shortly after a TBI.
This study, available in the Annals of Emergency Medicine 2007 issue, pinpointed how critical progesterone is to the development of neurons.
Image credit here.
A variety of dolls with disabilities are creating quite a stir. Situated in wheelchairs or with leg braces, some with the almond eyes and protruding tongues of Down’s syndrome, these dolls have found a receptive market in progressive countries such as Britain. Here in the U.S. however, they are met with disgust and ridicule…
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The Importance of Exercise After a Paralyzing Spinal Cord Injury
While it may not be the first thing you think about when recovering from a spinal cord injury, exercise has many beneficial functions to help with healing and quickened recovery. It prevents some of the potential secondary conditions related to SCI such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, carpal tunnel syndrome, pressure sores, urinary tract infection and respiratory disease. It also helps prevent obesity while reducing stress…
Concussions, it would seem, are not gender neutral.
A study released from the Department of Orthopaedics at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center found that a patient’s recovery from a concussion varies greatly between men and women, with women recovering slower. A concussion, caused by a blow to the head through sports, car accidents, etc., affects various cognitive functions from memory to speech…
