- VA HAS THE LARGEST SINGLE NETWORK OF SPINAL CORD INJURY
CARE IN THE COUNTRY, TREATING ALMOST 26,000 VETERANS.
AT THE CENTER FOR NEUROSCIENCE AND REGENERATION RESEARCH
IN CONNECTICUT, DR. STEPHEN WAXMAN AND HIS TEAM ARE
STUDYING WAYS TO RECOVER FUNCTION AFTER INJURY TO
THE BRAIN AND SPINAL CORD.
- WE WANT TO DEVELOP NEW, EFFECTIVE TREATMENTS
FOR NEUROPATHIC PAIN.
- DR. WAXMAN'S LAB USES STATE-OF-THE-ART TECHNOLOGY TO
DISSECT AND RESEARCH MOLECULES ASSOCIATED WITH SPINAL CORD
INJURY AND MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS.
- WE BELIEVE THAT THE GOAL OF A CURE FOR SPINAL CORD INJURY
IS NOW A REALISTIC OBJECTIVE.
WE BELIEVE THAT REPAIRING THE NERVOUS SYSTEM HAS BECOME
AN ACHIEVABLE OBJECTIVE.
- THE ULTIMATE GOAL IS THE CURE, BUT MAYBE YOU CAN HAVE
THEM MAKE SMALL STEPS, MOVING THEIR ARMS A LITTLE BETTER,
OR MAYBE YOU CAN RECOVER THE USE OF THEIR HANDS.
WHILE THOSE MAY SEEM VERY MINOR GAINS, THEY'RE MAJOR
IN THE PATIENT'S LIFE.
- GOOD JOB, MR. MANTER.
- THANK YOU, SIR. - OK. IT'S GREAT.
YOU KNOW, THIS ALLOWS US TO LOOK AT DIFFERENT
REHABILITATION TECHNIQUES AND WHAT DO WE DO TO ACTUALLY MAKE
PEOPLE WALK BETTER.
- RESEARCHERS ARE ALSO STUDYING HOW TO MANAGE
SCI-RELATED PAIN.
- THE THINGS THAT WE'RE REALLY LOOKING AT AND FOCUSING
ON ON THE ASPECT OF SPINAL CORD INJURY IS THE DIFFERENT PAINS
THAT THE PATIENT HAS AND NOT ONLY HOW TO TREAT IT,
BUT WHAT'S CAUSING IT.
- AN SCI STUDY AT THE CLEVELAND VA MEDICAL CENTER IS
FOCUSING ON VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION.
- MY NAME'S SHAWN O'NEILL.
I WAS A LOAD MASTER ON C-130s.
I FLEW ALL THE TIME.
I FLEW JUST ABOUT ANY MISSION.
- UNFORTUNATELY, THOSE MISSIONS CAME TO AN ABRUPT END
WHEN A MOTOCROSS ACCIDENT LEFT SHAWN PARALYZED FROM
THE WAIST DOWN.
- AT FIRST, IT WAS VERY HARD TO SWALLOW.
I REALLY DIDN'T THINK I HAD MUCH OF A CHANCE OF HAVING
A GOOD LIFE AGAIN.
- WE KNOW FROM RESEARCH THAT BEING UNEMPLOYED WHEN YOU WANT
TO WORK IS A SOURCE OF GREAT UNHAPPINESS AND THAT PEOPLE
WHO ARE EMPLOYED AFTER A DISABILITY TEND TO BE
HEALTHIER AND HAPPIER.
THE SPINAL CORD INJURY VOCATIONAL INTEGRATION PROGRAM
IS A MULTI-SITE STUDY WITHIN THE VA.
- WHAT THE VA WANTS OUT OF THIS STUDY IS THEY'RE LOOKING
AT TRYING TO FIND OUT THE BEST WAY TO GET VETS WITH SPINAL
CORD INJURY INTO JOBS THAT THEY WANT AND THEN HELP THEM
KEEP THOSE JOBS.
NATIONWIDE, WE ARE RECRUITING ABOUT 362 PEOPLE, AND THAT
INCLUDES SAN DIEGO, HOUSTON, DALLAS,
AND ST. LOUIS.
- AND THE GOAL WAS TO ANALYZE HOW WELL IT WORKED, WHAT WAS
EFFECTIVE AND WHAT WASN'T.
- THE INFORMATION THAT THE VA GARNERS FROM THIS STUDY WILL
BE EXTRAPOLATED TO THE GREATER POPULATION.
- YOU'RE GONNA WANT TO JUST KIND OF PULL BACK SLIGHTLY
AND THEN PUSH FORWARD, OK?
I'M GONNA BE RIGHT BEHIND YOU.
- THERE'S 23, 24 CENTERS THAT ARE SET UP THE SAME WAY
WITH THE SAME STRUCTURE TO PROVIDE THE SAME SERVICES.
- VA RESEARCHERS IN CLEVELAND ARE DEVELOPING A FUNCTIONAL
ELECTRICAL STIMULATION-BASED WALKING SYSTEM, HAND GRASP
SYSTEMS, AND OTHER DEVICES THAT EXPAND THE ABILITIES
OF PATIENTS WITH SCI.
AND IT INCREASES THEIR OPPORTUNITIES FOR EMPLOYMENT
AND INDEPENDENCE.
- I'M AN OLD MAN. I'M 77 YEARS OLD,
AND I SEE A NEW LIFE IN FRONT OF ME.