Brain and Spinal Injuries in Georgia: A Needs Assessment and State Action Plan

PRNewswire -- The Brain and Spinal Injury Trust Fund Commission releases its 2008 report "Brain and Spinal Injuries in Georgia: A Needs Assessment and State Action Plan" which is in conjunction with the Trust Fund's 10th Anniversary that will be held at the Shepherd Center in Atlanta.

A Significant Public Health Problem

Brain and spinal injuries are a significant public health issue for the state of Georgia. These injuries affect an estimated 70,000 Georgians each year, resulting in substantial costs to the individual, the family, and the state in terms of decreased quality of life, lost wages, and need for services. While brain and spinal injuries can be devastating, it is possible for people with such injuries to live lives of independence and meaning within the community. To do so, however, requires a commitment at the local, state, and national level to develop a comprehensive, specialized, and coordinated system of care.

The Commission will begin the process of implementing the recommended goals in the State Action Plan during FY 2009. To assist with this process the Commission requests the assistance of the Governor, the General Assembly, state agency leaders, and the citizens of Georgia during this next year to learn more about the incidence, needs, and specialized service models available for Georgians with brain and spinal injuries.

The entire report can be viewed on-line at the Trust Fund's web site at www.bsitf.state.ga.us or to request a copy, email info-bsitf@dhr.state.ga.us

UGA Kinesiology Researcher Receives $1.7 Million NIH Grant to Explore Use of Electric Stimulation of Muscles as Tool Against Diabetes

University of Georgia researchers who have developed a treatment that improves blood sugar levels in paraplegics, reducing their risk of becoming diabetic, are now asking if the same method can help treat or even reverse the condition in paraplegics who already have diabetes.

Kevin McCully, a professor in the College of Education’s department of kinesiology, is principal investigator of the study which has received a $1.7 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to follow up on a discovery that may offer a solution to people with paralysis who developed diabetes as a result of their injury.

“We’re pretty excited about this. It’s an important health problem.” said McCully, director of the Exercise Vascular Biology Laboratory in the Ramsey Center.

The hopeful results were an unexpected discovery made by McCully and the late UGA Distinguished Research professor Gary Dudley. The scientists initially used electrical stimulation as a way of exercising leg muscles that their subjects could no longer flex, or even feel, believing that strength training can help people with complete paralysis—those who are completely unable to move their legs—improve their cardiovascular health.

“What we found was yes indeed, we could resistance train them,” said McCully. “Their muscle size increased and their blood flow improved.”

But while monitoring the subjects’ oral tolerance to glucose, using a simple test that can show whether a person is likely to develop diabetes, the researchers made an exciting discovery. They found that the strength training dramatically improved glucose sensitivity, greatly reducing the study participants’ chance of getting diabetes.

Improvements in medical care have made it possible for paraplegics to live much longer than they would have in the past. However, living longer lives means they also must wrestle with common health problems other populations often face.

Diabetes, the sixth leading cause of death in the United States, is related to the pancreas, an organ near the stomach that produces a hormone called insulin. In people with diabetes, the pancreas doesn’t produce enough insulin or their bodies aren’t able to use the insulin properly, which can lead to serious complications such as kidney failure, heart disease and blindness.

“People who are paralyzed are three to four times more likely to become diabetic,” said McCully. “So it’s an important health problem, and our continuation is to follow up on that.”

The high-tech treatment is surprisingly simple. By attaching electrodes to paraplegics’ thighs from small battery-operated current generators and sending a mild electric current into the legs, the nerve endings are stimulated, generating force and expending energy the same way a muscle would contract in a non-paralyzed person.

The upcoming study is part of a nearly decade-long collaborative effort between UGA and the Shepherd Spinal Center in Atlanta. College of Education faculty members Lesley White, an associate professor in kinesiology, and Stephen Olejnik, a professor of educational psychology, are co-investigators.

Dudley forged an alliance between UGA and the Shepherd Center in the late 1990s, where he himself was taken for rehabilitation following a catastrophic car accident in 2002. A year later, he was back in the classroom, defying predictions that he would live in a nursing home the rest of his life. Dudley worked at NASA and the University of Ohio before joining the UGA faculty in 1993, where he was named a Distinguished Research Professor and awarded the prestigious Creative Research Medal. He passed away in 2006 following a long battle with cancer.

McCully, who studies effects of aging and disease on muscle metabolism and functional capacity, was named a Fellow of the American Academy of Kinesiology and Physical Education in 2007. He joined the UGA faculty in 1999 from the Medical College of Pennsylvania and Hahnemann University. He received his Ph.D. in physiology from the University of Michigan.

By Catharin Shepard

Shepherd Center Hosts Brain and Spinal Injury Trust Fund Commission's 10th Anniversary and Annual Awards Reception

PRNewswire -- People with disabilities, families, state officials and health-care providers, will gather in Atlanta on July 24 to join in the festivities as the Brain and Spinal Injury Trust Fund Commission, the state's Lead Agency on Traumatic Brain and Spinal Cord injuries, celebrates 10 years of service to the state of Georgia. The Commission joins with millions across the country in observing and celebrating the 18th anniversary of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The 10th Anniversary and Annual meeting is being held at Shepherd Center, a center of Excellence in the treatment of brain and spinal cord injuries in the U.S. Shepherd Center co-founder Alana Shepherd will provide the keynote address to the invited guests. The Reception begins at 4:00 PM and the program concludes at 5:30 PM. The Commission annual meeting begins 2:00 PM and is open for public comment.

The Brain and Spinal Injury Trust Fund Commission has provided grants totaling over ten million dollars to over 2,000 Georgians with traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries. The Commission and its many collaborative committees have also created and released a new comprehensive Ten-Year State Action Plan that will guide the Commission and collaborating organizations to promote the most productive and independent lifestyles possible for Georgians with disabilities.

This year the Commission honors with its Pathfinder Award four individuals and one family whose dedicated efforts have helped advance the lives of Georgians with traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries.

Senator Don Thomas has provided his expertise and leadership to secure a Senate study committee to explore brain injury related neurobehavioral issues for people with traumatic brain injury. Senator Thomas has dedicated many years in the Senate to providing for the best health care possible for Georgians.

Senator Ronnie Chance sponsored legislation in the Senate to add additional revenue through new surcharges from traffic violations for the Trust Fund as did Representative Steve Tumlin in the Georgia House of Representatives.

Rusty Kidd is honored for his contributions as an advocate, donor, and leadership as the Commission's Chairman.

Ben, Charles and Kay Fuller are honored for their dedication and perseverance in a long and often difficult journey as Ben navigated the fractured landscape of services for care after his severe traumatic brain injury.

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