International Center For Spinal Cord Injury Awarded Three New Grants For Rehabilitation And Research

(Baltimore, MD) - The International Center for Spinal Cord Injury (ICSCI) at the Kennedy Krieger Institute recently received three grants that will further the promising research and treatment conducted by the world-renowned center. The grants will support the advancement of spinal cord injury research geared toward injury rehabilitation.

The Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DHMH) awarded a $200,000 grant to Dr. John McDonald, ICSCI Director, to fund a new rehabilitation research study. Dr. McDonald is one of four recipients selected by the DHMH to receive the 2007-2009 Maryland Spinal Cord Injury Research Grant. The money will fund his research project, Functional Electric Stimulation and Remyelination following Spinal Cord Injury.

As part of their initiative to fund innovative programs designed to improve the quality of life for those who have been paralyzed by a spinal cord injury, The Craig H. Neilsen Foundation awarded ICSCI a $50,000 Opportunity Program Grant to fund the purchase of a Digitimer Electrophysiology System and Magstim Rapid Transcranial Magnetic Stimulator. These exceptional pieces of clinical research equipment will be used to uncover and describe "inter limb reflexes" possibly linked to activation of central patterned generators in the cervical spinal cord.

The Christopher Reeve Foundation (CRF) awarded ICSCI a $5,800 Quality of Life grant due to the Center's dedication to improving the well-being of people living with spinal cord injuries. The Center will use the grant to help underwrite the purchase of a GameCycle as an exercise system for use in the ICSCI rehabilitation gym. The GameCycle will enable rehabilitation professionals to work with child and teenage patients who have been paralyzed. The system integrates upper extremity ergometer training and video gaming to maximize participation and compliance with the following goals: improved trunk control; improved upper extremity function, including shoulder, elbow, and hand grip; improved cardiovascular health; improved cooperation; maximum therapeutic benefits; increased self-esteem; and psychological benefits.

About the International Center for Spinal Cord Injury

The International Center for Spinal Cord Injury at Kennedy Krieger Institute is the first facility of its kind devoted to restoration and recovery of spinal cord injuries and paralysis in children - even for those with chronic injuries. The Center's Advanced Restoration Therapies have shown great promise in helping individuals with paralysis to recover function and independence, offering hope to those whose injuries occurred both many months and many years ago. Kennedy Krieger Institute helps more than 12,000 children each year with disorders of the brain and spinal cord, and is home to a team of investigators who are contributing to the understanding of how disorders develop and pioneering new interventions and earlier diagnosis. For more information, visit www.spinalcordrecovery.org or www.kennedykrieger.org.

Media Inquiries:

Corrie Allen
(202) 955-6222
callen@spectrumscience.com