Research

Principal Investigator: Robert Irwin, M.D.

The aim of this study is to collect descriptive data on assistive technology (AT) used by individuals with SCI, including wheelchair make, model, failures and repairs. This data will enable us to track the impact of insurance market changes, find differences in wheelchair failures, and present this information to wheelchair users. All participants must be at least one-year post injury and have a traumatic SCI. Participation requires completion of a questionnaires during one study visit. In the second part of this study, there is a wheelchair maintenance app. You do not have to be a participant in the first part of this study to participate but you must have a SCI and predominantly use a wheelchair. For more information download the PITT Wheelchair app.

Inclusion Criteria

1. Traumatic SCI 
2. At least one-year post surgery.

If you are interested in participating in this study, please use the contact information below:

Sequoia Jackson: snj31@med.miami.edu or 305-243-3575

Michelle Rojas: Mpr78@med.miami.edu or 305-243-386

Principal Investigator: Dr. Elizabeth Felix, Ph.D.

The goal of this study is to assess the effectiveness of preemptive/early-intervention TENS to decrease the risk of chronic neuropathic pain after SCI.

Principal Investigator: Mark S. Nash, Ph.D.

The goal of this study is to determine and track the incidence of cardiometabolic syndrome risks in individuals with SCI across the first 2 years post-injury. 

Principal Investigator: Elizabeth Felix, Ph.D.

The purpose of this questionnaire-based study is to characterize different pain types in individuals with SCI, the location of pain, its intensity, its interference with mood, sleep, work, and daily function, and treatments that have been tried and their effectiveness.

Site Principal Investigator: Elizabeth Felix, Ph.D.

The purpose of this survey is to assess the aspects of spasticity that have the greatest impact on activities of daily living and the perceived value of available management strategies. 

Principal Investigator: Dr. Elizabeth Felix, Ph.D.

The objectives of this multi-site collaborative are to longitudinally track the development of neuropathic pain (NeuP) after spinal cord injury (SCI) and identify potential SCI biomarkers (i.e., somatosensory system function and psychosocial factors) for the diagnosis and prognosis of SCI NeuP. 

The aims of this study were to replicate findings that a home exercise program intervention improved shoulder pain and function and to assess changes in supraspinatus tendon pathology associated with the home exercise program in persons with chronic spinal cord injury. The study tested groups in an at-home intervention exercise program and an education-only control ground.  The at home exercise group demonstrated improvements in several of the measures of shoulder pain and function after the exercise program intervention. The education-only group showed changes in average unpleasantness after the intervention period. Significant changes in supraspinatus pathology were not detected with quantitative ultrasound metrics.

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Quantitative ultrasound (QUS) is an inexpensive and promising tool for sensitive measurement of tendon pathology. However, few studies have reported the psychometric properties of measurements obtained using this technique for assessments of the supraspinatus tendon. This study was undertaken to determine the variance contributed by several sources of error (participant, ultrasound operator, image analyst, analysis session) to QUS measures of the supraspinatus tendon. We found that the QUS measures of tendon/cartilage thickness, echogenicity, variance, and entropy may be the most promising metrics for use in studies aimed at comparing supraspinatus tendon pathology between subjects. The results suggest variability in QUS measures are higher when they are all taken by one ultrasonographer, but if various image analyst and other specialists analyze the data it can decrease measure variability. Developing valid and reliable measures for the assessment of tendon health with little variability is necessary because of the large impact on clinical decisions regarding interventions aimed at preventing injuries to the rotator cuff. Although traditional US imaging is the standard for diagnosing supraspinatus tears, QUS measures may be useful for diagnosing and tracking tendinosis to prevent the development of shoulder pain and dysfunction in individuals with SCI, who have an increased risk for developing shoulder pain. 

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The aim of this study is to compare the prevalence, intensity ratings, and interference ratings of neuropathic pain (NeuP) and nociceptive pain in people with chronic spinal cord injury (SCI). The study analyzed how pain interfered in the quality of life in individuals with SCI. This is particularly important regarding interference with activities and mostly sleep. This information will help when determining treatment strategies for meeting patient-centered outcome goals.

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The aim of this study is to identify the qualities that individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) associate with their experience of spasticity. Also, to determine the relationship between spasticity and quality of life and the perceived value of spasticity management. The experience of spasticity after SCI is complex and affects mobility, sleep, comfort, and quality of life. Stiffness, rather than spasms, appears to be the most problematic characteristic of spasticity. Physical therapeutic interventions to treat spasticity warrant in-depth investigation.

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The prevalence of obesity and of neuropathic pain are both estimated at above 50% in the population of people with chronic spinal cord injury (SCI). These secondary consequences of SCI have significant negative impact on physical functioning, activities of daily living, and quality of life. Investigations of relationships between weight or body composition and chronic neuropathic pain in people with SCI are lacking, but investigations in non-SCI cohorts suggest an association between obesity and the presence and severity of neuropathic pain conditions. In the present article, we present a review of the literature linking obesity and neuropathic pain and summarize findings suggesting that metabolic syndrome and chronic, systemic inflammation due to excess adiposity increase the risk for neuropathic pain after an SCI.

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Persons with spinal cord injury (SCI) are at high risk for developing neurogenic obesity due to muscle paralysis and obligatory sarcopenia, sympathetic blunting, anabolic deficiency, and blunted satiety. Persons with SCI are also at high risk for shoulder, elbow, wrist, and hand injuries, including neuromusculoskeletal pathologies and nociceptive pain, as human upper extremities are poorly designed to facilitate chronic weight-bearing activities, including manual wheelchair propulsion, transfers, self-care, and day-to-day activities. This article reviews current literature on the relationship between obesity and increased body weight with upper extremity overuse injuries, detailing pathology at the shoulders, elbows, and wrists that elicit pain and functional decline and stressing the importance of weight management to preserve function.

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The objective of the study was to identify the treatments that people with traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) used for their non-neuropathic pains (nonNeuPs) and to determine how helpful these treatments were. NSAIDs/aspirin, acetaminophen, opioids, and cannabinoids were the most used, but the helpfulness of treatments varied by pain locations. Results of the study may help guide clinicians in selecting pain-specific treatments for nonNeuPs. The self-reported helpfulness of heat therapy, exercise, and massage suggests a possible direction for clinical trials investigating these treatments of nonNeuP. 

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The three aims of this study include describing the prevalence of cardiometabolic disease (CMD) at spinal cord injury (SCI) rehabilitation discharge; (2) compare this with controls without SCI; and (3) identify factors associated with increased CMD. Participants with SCI have significantly higher diastolic blood pressure and triglycerides than those without SCI, with lower fasting glucose and HDL-C. Individuals with SCI have an increased CMD risk compared with the general population; obesity, IR, and low HDL-C are the most common CMD risk determinants; age is significantly associated with early CMD.

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