VA SCI Research

[keeping on]

Is there any research at the VA's on spinal research to report? I know that there is work in other area on stem cell and rebuilding muscle and other things. Just curious. Supposedly, because of war injuries and the age of the recipients of those injuries, work is supposed progressing. I don't know enough or know where to look.

Thanks,
keeping on

[NHsciGuy]

I know where I was when I was first injured (Miami) had some top notch Dr.s always doing research. I'm not so sure about that now. When I go to White River Junction I have a Nurse Practitioner and not a Dr. Now he seems very knowledgeable, but I doubt any research is being done.

[SCI-Nurse]

The VA is engaged actively in promoting a lot of SCI research. The Model SCI Systems Centers and the VA are the leading institutional clinical research center in the USA, and publish the most research articles on SCI clinical care. Virtually all of this occurs at VA SCI Centers, not through support clinics or VA hospitals that do not have designated SCI centers, as they do not have either the resources or expertise. It is less involved in animal or basic/bench research as this does not generally meet the criteria of pateint-centered research in the VA's mission, although some VA physicians who also have academic appointments may be doing this in their academic time.

QUERI is one of the main offices that promotes SCI research across VA SCI Centers, and a number of centers are involved in multi-center students of things such as wound care, vocational rehabilitation interventions, and spasticity and pain management. You can find more about this on both the VA internet site and through periodical articles in PN, as well as peer reviewed journals such as the Spinal Cord or the Journal of Spinal Cord Rehabilitation.

I will post some links later as I am on the road right now and don't have access to all my "favorites" as easily as I do when I am in the office.

(KLD)