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Prev Med 2019 Feb 11. Epub 2019 Feb 11.

March of Dimes Inc., USA.

The People and Organizations United for Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus (PUSH!) Global Alliance created scorecards to rate country-level performance on spina bifida, including folate status among women of reproductive age; birth prevalence and mortality associated with spina bifida; prevention strategies; access to care; and the country's engagement in the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. A total of 187 countries were examined based on a criteria-based scoring system represented by stars (http://www.pu-sh. Read More

Birth Defects Res 2019 Feb 13. Epub 2019 Feb 13.

National Network of Congenital Anomalies of Argentina (RENAC), National Center of Medical Genetics, National Administration of Health Laboratories and Institutes, National Ministry of Health, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Background: In Argentina, birth defects are a leading cause of infant deaths. In 2009, the National Network for Congenital Anomalies of Argentina (RENAC) was established as a hospital-based surveillance system of major structural birth defects. To assess and enhance the system's data quality, we previously developed data quality indicators (DQI). Read More

FASEB J 2019 Feb 12:fj201800972R. Epub 2019 Feb 12.

Surgical Bioengineering Laboratory, Department of Surgery, University of California-Davis, Sacramento, California, USA.

We have established early-gestation chorionic villus-derived placenta mesenchymal stromal cells (PMSCs) as a potential treatment for spina bifida (SB), a neural tube defect. Our preclinical studies demonstrated that PMSCs have the potential to cure hind limb paralysis in the fetal lamb model of SB via a paracrine mechanism. PMSCs exhibit neuroprotective function by increasing cell number and neurites, as shown by indirect coculture and direct addition of PMSC-conditioned media to the staurosporine-induced apoptotic human neuroblastoma cell line, SH-SY5Y. Read More

J Urol 2019 Feb 7. Epub 2019 Feb 7.

J Urol 2019 Feb 7. Epub 2019 Feb 7.

J Pediatr Nurs 2019 Feb 8. Epub 2019 Feb 8.

Minnesota State University, Mankato, MN, United States of America. Electronic address:

J Pediatr Rehabil Med 2018 ;11(4):243-254

Human Engineering Research Laboratories, Veterans Affairs Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.

Purpose: To describe pulmonary function and determine the impact of neurological level, scoliosis, and obesity on pulmonary function in people with spina bifida (SB).

Methods: Participants with SB (N= 29) (15 females; age, 30 ± 12 years) completed spirometry and body plethysmographic lung volume testing. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses were used to describe the factors associated with pulmonary function in people with SB. Read More

J Vet Diagn Invest 2019 Feb 8:1040638719827626. Epub 2019 Feb 8.

School of Veterinary Science, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand.

A 4-mo-old French bulldog was presented with acute onset pain and reluctance to move. A tubular structure arising in the dorsal thoracic midline and extending from a cutaneous orifice into deeper tissues was palpated on physical examination. Computed tomography with sinography revealed a dermoid sinus associated with spina bifida at the level of T3-T4. Read More

J Urol 2019 Feb 5. Epub 2019 Feb 5.

Division of Nephrology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA.

Purpose: The lifetime risk of renal damage among children with spina bifida (SB) is high, but only limited baseline imaging data are available for this population. We therefore queried a large, prospective cohort of infants with SB to define their baseline imaging characteristics.

Patients And Methods: The Urologic Management to Preserve Initial Renal Function Protocol for Young Children with Spina Bifida (UMPIRE) is an iterative quality-improvement protocol that follows a cohort of newborns at nine US centers. Read More

PM R 2019 Feb 6. Epub 2019 Feb 6.

Public Health Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA.

Background: Pregnant women with congenital or acquired spinal cord injury face challenges due to compromised neurological function and mobility; factors that may also affect fetal/infant health. Few studies have examined pregnancy course and longer-term outcomes in this population.

Objective: To assess pregnancy outcomes among women with spinal cord injury, paralysis, or spina bifida using population-based data. Read More

Prenat Diagn 2019 Feb 5. Epub 2019 Feb 5.

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, USA.

Objective: Compare the performance of first trimester ultrasound biparietal diameter (BPD) screening for open spina bifida (OSB) when BPD is adjusted for crown-rump length (CRL) or abdominal circumference (AC).

Methods: For 63 OSB and 24,265 unaffected pregnancies, BPD was expressed as multiple of the normal median (MoM) based on CRL and on AC, and as the ratio BPD/AC. Screening performance was assessed by the Mahalanobis distance, the observed detection rate with normal 5 and 10 percentile cut-offs and the area under the receiver-operator characteristic curve (AUC). Read More

Disabil Health J 2019 Jan 21. Epub 2019 Jan 21.

Division of Urologic Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA. Electronic address:

Background: More children with spina bifida (SB) are surviving into adulthood. Unfortunately, little data exist regarding the economic implications of modern SB care.

Objective: We examined economic data from two national databases to estimate the annual nationwide hospital and emergency charges of SB from 2006-14. Read More

Birth Defects Res 2019 Feb 1. Epub 2019 Feb 1.

Department of Pediatrics, Selçuk University, Selçuklu Medical Faculty, Konya, Turkey.

Background: Additional congenital anomalies have often been found in patients with neural tube defect (NTD). We aimed to find out the clinical features, short term prognosis, treatment approaches, and systemic anomalies of NTD patients in the Konya region.

Method: A total of 186 newborn babies with NTD were retrospectively included in the study and all were assessed in detail for congenital anomalies and clinical features. Read More

Dev Med Child Neurol 2019 Jan 31. Epub 2019 Jan 31.

University College, London, UK.

Radiol Case Rep 2019 Mar 15;14(3):415-418. Epub 2019 Jan 15.

Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy.

Klippel-Feil syndrome is a congenital malformation characterized by the fusion of at least 2 cervical vertebrae. It may occur in association with other clinical syndromes and disorders. We describe a case of prenatal diagnosis of a Klippel-Feil syndrome with Dandy-Walker malformation, and spina bifida, proved by ultrasound examination. Read More

Medicina (Kaunas) 2019 Jan 27;55(2). Epub 2019 Jan 27.

Department of Neurosurgery, University of Health Sciences, Gulhane Education and Research Hospital, 06010 Ankara, Turkey.

Limited dorsal myeloschisis (LDM) is a rare form of spina bifida which is characterized by a fibroneural stalk between the inner part of the skin and the spinal cord. It may be associated with split cord malformation (SCM). Diagnosis and management of this complex malformation is challenging. Read More

Hum Mol Genet 2019 Jan 25. Epub 2019 Jan 25.

Departments of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

Mutations in IRF6, TFAP2A and GRHL3 cause orofacial clefting syndromes in humans. However, Tfap2a and Grhl3 are also required for neurulation in mice. Here, we found that homeostasis of Irf6 is also required for development of the neural tube and associated structures. Read More

Mol Genet Genomic Med 2019 Jan 28:e584. Epub 2019 Jan 28.

Department of Nutritional Sciences, Dell Pediatric Research Institute, University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School, Austin, Texas.

Background: Variants in planar cell polarity (PCP) pathway genes have been repeatedly implicated in the pathogenesis of NTDs in both mouse models and in human cohorts. Mouse models indicate that the homogenous disruption of the Ptk7 gene, a PCP regulator, results in craniorachischisis; while embryos that are doubly heterozygous for Ptk7 and Vangl2 mutations present with spina bifida.

Methods: In this study, we initially sequenced exons of the human PTK7 gene in 192 spina bifida patients and 190 controls from a California population. Read More

J Indian Assoc Pediatr Surg 2019 Jan-Mar;24(1):21-26

Department of Paediatric Surgery, Christian Medical College, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India.

Context: It is often a challenge to counsel parents with children operated for spina bifida aperta in developing countries. Data regarding the efficacy of simple measures and preventive are scarce.

Aims: The aim of this study is to study such children for the incidence, prevalence of bowel bladder dysfunction, and the quality of life (QOL) in children who are involved with a multidisciplinary team in India. Read More

Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2019 Jan 23. Epub 2019 Jan 23.

Rare Disorders and Health Outcomes Team, Division of Human Development and Disability, National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA.

Objective: To estimate differences in the length of stay and costs for comparable hospitalizations of patients with spina bifida (SB) with and without pressure injuries.

Design: Retrospective, cross-sectional, observational study.

Setting: Nationwide Inpatient Sample from years 2010 to 2014. Read More

Birth Defects Res 2019 Jan 25. Epub 2019 Jan 25.

Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatal and Developmental Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California.

Background: A recent study observed women's restricted carbohydrate diet in the year before conception was associated with increased risk of neural tube defect (NTD)-affected pregnancies. That study corresponded to the era of postfortification of folic acid. Because folic acid and carbohydrate measures would derive from similar foods, investigators of that study could not determine whether the increased risk with restricted carbohydrate intake was a consequence of lower folate intake. Read More

Disabil Rehabil Assist Technol 2019 Jan 24:1-7. Epub 2019 Jan 24.

c Department of Physical Therapy , Grand Valley State University , Grand Rapids , MI , USA.

Objective: To begin exploring use of the manual wheelchair versions of the Wheelchair Skills Test (WST) and the Wheelchair Skills Test-Questionnaire (WST-Q) in children with spina bifida who use manual wheelchairs.

Design: Cross-sectional, psychometric study.

Setting: A university-based laboratory setting. Read More

Dev Med Child Neurol 2019 Jan 23. Epub 2019 Jan 23.

School of Population Health and Environmental Sciences, King's College London, London, UK.

Aim: To describe trends in walking and living independently in a cohort of consecutive cases of spina bifida, followed-up over 50 years.

Method: From 1972 to 2017, a cohort of 117 (born 1963-1971, 50 males, 67 females) survivors and/or carers was surveyed approximately every 5 years by clinical examination and/or postal questionnaire/telephone interview. The Office for National Statistics provided details of deaths. Read More

Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol 2019 Jan 23. Epub 2019 Jan 23.

Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine & Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, United States.

Background: Fetoscopic myelomeningocele (MMC) repair has unknown effects on fetal growth. Fetal surgery itself and/or exposure to a CO environment during spina bifida repair may affect placental function and impair fetal growth.

Objective: To assess growth in fetuses and infants with MMC who underwent a prenatal fetoscopic or open repair. Read More

J Pediatr Psychol 2019 Jan 21. Epub 2019 Jan 21.

Psychology Department, Loyola University Chicago.

Objective: Examine friendship qualities (i.e., control, prosocial skills, positive affect, support, companionship, conflict, help, security, and closeness) and perceived self-efficacy in friendships of children with spina bifida (SB) and chosen peers over time through observed behaviors and self-report. Read More

Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol 2019 Jan 20. Epub 2019 Jan 20.

Fetal Medicine Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.

Objective: Parents faced with the choice between postnatal management and prenatal surgery for spina bifida need to have up-to-date information on the expected outcomes. The aim of this study was to report the long-term physical and neurological outcomes of infants with prenatally diagnosed isolated spina bifida that underwent postnatal surgical repair and were managed by a multidisciplinary team from a large tertiary center.

Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of all cases of fetal spina bifida managed in a tertiary unit between October 1999 and January 2018. Read More

Neurospine 2018 Sep 4. Epub 2018 Sep 4.

Department of Neurosurgery, Kovai Medical Center and Hospital, Coimbatore, India.

Epidermoid cysts of the spine are rare tumors. While majority of them occur spontaneously, very few occur following a previous surgery for spinal dysraphism. Such tumors tend to occur at the site of previous surgery. Read More

Pediatr Ann 2019 Jan;48(1):e30-e35

Certain rashes and cutaneous lesions in a newborn can be clues to more concerning diseases and conditions if recognized and evaluated promptly. Langerhans cell histiocytosis, cutaneous forms of cancer (such as leukemia cutis, neuroblastoma, and rhabdomyosarcoma), developmental abnormalities such as neural tube or spinal dysraphism, and aplasia cutis congenita, nutritional deficiency, and immunodeficiency all have a range of cutaneous findings that will be reviewed herein to guide diagnosis and management. [Pediatr Ann. Read More

World J Urol 2019 Jan 16. Epub 2019 Jan 16.

Urology, Cleveland Clinic Glickman Urological and Kidney Institute, 9500 Euclid Avenue, Q10-1, Cleveland, OH, 44195, USA.

Purpose: The lack of precedent in transitioning from pediatric to adult care poses a challenge to providers for patients with spina bifida (SB). The purpose of this study was to summarize perceptions about best practices for the care of adult spina bifida patients.

Materials And Methods: A national survey was electronically distributed to 174 urologists who are current members of the Spina Bifida Association Network and AUA Working Group on Urologic Congenitalism. Read More

J Neuroeng Rehabil 2019 Jan 14;16(1). Epub 2019 Jan 14.

Research Group Lifestyle and Health, HU University of Applied Sciences Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.

Background: Even though typically developing youth are already at risk for physical inactivity, youth with spina bifida may be even at higher risk as a consequence of their reduced mobility. No objective data is available for youth with spina bifida who use a manual wheelchair, so the seriousness of the problem is unknown. The purpose of this observational study was to quantify physical activity in wheelchair-using youth with spina bifida and evaluate the intensity of activities. Read More

BJOG 2019 Feb;126(3):329

Institute for Women's Health, UCL, London, UK.

J Ayub Med Coll Abbottabad 2018 Oct-Dec;30(4):520-523

Department of Neurosurgery, Ayub Medical College, Abbottabad, Pakistan.

Background: Myelomeningocele is a congenital anomaly of Central Nervous System (CNS) leading to serious sequels related to various systems and organs of the affected patient. Hydrocephalus is a common condition associated with myelomeningocele. Hydrocephalus is seen in 11. Read More

Birth Defects Res 2019 Jan 8. Epub 2019 Jan 8.

Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Sherbrooke University Hospital Research Centre, Sherbrooke, Canada.

Background: The relationship between childhood asthma and central nervous system defects in offspring is poorly understood. We assessed if childhood asthma was associated with the risk of having an infant with neural tube or other nervous system defects compared with asthma during pregnancy.

Methods: We analyzed a longitudinal cohort of 128,060 women who were 5 years or less at study entry and later delivered an infant in Quebec, Canada (1989-2014). Read More

Case Rep Obstet Gynecol 2018 28;2018:7058253. Epub 2018 Nov 28.

Department of Obstetrics, Perinatal Center, Fukuoka Children's Hospital, 5-1-1 Kashiiteriha, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 813-0017, Japan.

Sirenomelia is a rare congenital malformation characterized by varying degrees of fusion of the lower extremities. It is commonly associated with severe urogenital and gastrointestinal malformations; however, the association of sirenomelia with anencephaly and rachischisis totalis is extremely rare. To our knowledge, the prenatal sonographic images of this association have not been previously published. Read More

JMIR Mhealth Uhealth 2019 Jan 8;7(1):e202. Epub 2019 Jan 8.

Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States.

Background: A mobile health (mHealth) system called iMHere (interactive mobile health and rehabilitation) was developed to support individuals with chronic conditions and disability in their self-management regimens. The initial design of iMHere, however, lacked sufficient accessibility for users with a myriad of dexterity impairments. The accessibility of self-management apps is essential in ensuring usability. Read More

Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol 2019 Jan 8. Epub 2019 Jan 8.

Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine & Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, United States.

Objectives: To determine if fetal brain imaging in fetuses that underwent prenatal repair of neural tube defect (NTD) can predict the need for postnatal hydrocephalus treatment (HT) in the first year postpartum.

Methods: This was a prospective study of fetuses diagnosed with open neural tube defect that had in-utero myelomeningocele repair between April 2014 and April 2016. Independent variables were collected from four chronological sets of fetal images: pre-surgery ultrasound, pre-surgery MRI, 6-week post-surgery MRI and pre-delivery ultrasound. Read More

Childs Nerv Syst 2019 Mar 8;35(3):529-533. Epub 2019 Jan 8.

Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Seoul National University Children's Hospital, 101 Daehak-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, 03080, Republic of Korea.

Purpose: It is well known that the preoperative enlarged sac in occult spinal dysraphism, in which the spinal cord is attached to its dome, can be associated with neurological deficits by aggravation of spinal cord traction. We experienced a similar phenomenon during the early stage of untethering surgery for "lipomyelomeningocele in a strict sense (LMMC)."

Clinical Presentation: We report a case of a 3-month-old girl with LMMC, which showed decreased motor evoked potentials (MEPs) in the lower extremities during the early stage of untethering surgery. Read More

Appl Health Econ Health Policy 2019 Jan 8. Epub 2019 Jan 8.

Centre for Health Economics Research and Evaluation, University of Technology Sydney, PO Box 123, Broadway, Sydney, NSW, 2007, Australia.

Background: In 2009, mandatory folic acid fortification of bread-making flour was introduced in Australia to reduce the birth prevalence of preventable neural tube defects (NTDs) such as spina bifida. Before the introduction of the policy, modelling predicted a reduction of 14-49 NTDs each year.

Objective: Using real-world data, this study provides the first ex-post evaluation of the cost effectiveness of mandatory folic acid fortification of bread-making flour in Australia. Read More

Anaesthesiol Intensive Ther 2018 ;50(5):385-386

Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Therapy, Health Sciences University Medical School, Turkey.

Acta Neurochir Suppl 2019 ;125:89-95

Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, Division of Neurosurgery, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy.

Background: Chiari malformations (CM) represent a group of anomalies characterized by descent of the cerebellar tonsils or vermis into the cervical spinal canal. These malformations can be associated with abnormalities such as hydrocephalus, spina bifida, hydromyelia, syringomyelia, curvature of the spine (kyphosis and scoliosis) and tethered cord syndrome. Hereditary syndromes and other disorders that affect growth and bone formation-such as craniosynostosis, Ehlers-Danlos syndromes and Klippel-Feil syndrome-can also be associated with CM. Read More

Prenat Diagn 2019 Jan 4. Epub 2019 Jan 4.

Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine & Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA.

Objectives: To describe and compare placental and amniotic histology in women who underwent a fetoscopic myelomeningocele repair to those who underwent an open hysterotomy myelomeningocele repair. Also, we intended to compare findings from both prenatal repair groups to age-matched control pregnant patients.

Methods: Placental and membrane histopathology from 43 prenatally repaired spina bifida cases (17 fetoscopic and 26 open) and 18 healthy controls were retrospectively assessed. Read More

J Child Orthop 2018 Dec;12(6):575-581

Department of Orthopaedics, UZ Leuven Campus Pellenberg, Pellenberg, Belgium.

Purpose: Although non-idiopathic clubfeet were long thought to be resistant to non-surgical treatment methods, more studies documenting results on treatment of these feet with the Ponseti method are being published. The goal of this systematic review is to summarize current evidence on treatment of non-idiopathic clubfeet using the Ponseti method.

Methods: PubMed and Limo were searched, reference lists of eligible studies were screened and studies that met the inclusion criteria were included. Read More

Zhongguo Xiu Fu Chong Jian Wai Ke Za Zhi 2018 Oct;32(10):1255-1260

Department of Orthopaedics, Rehabilitation Hospital of the National Research Center for Rehabilitation Technical Aids, Beijing, 100176, P.R.China;Beijing Key Laboratory of Rehabilitation Technical Aids for Old-Age Disability, Beijing, 100176, P.R.China;Key Laboratory of Rehabilitation Aids Technology and System of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, Beijing, 100176, P.R.China.

Objective: To summarize the main methods and comprehensive effects of limited surgery combined with external fixation for the treatment of flail foot with sensory disorder of spina bifida sequela in adult.

Method: The clinical data of 22 cases (30 feet) of the adult spina bifida sequela who suffered from flail foot with sensory disorder and treated by limited surgery combined with external fixation were retrospectively analysed between January 2005 and December 2015. There were 14 males and 8 females with an age of 8-38 years (mean, 21. Read More

Zhongguo Xiu Fu Chong Jian Wai Ke Za Zhi 2018 Oct;32(10):1241-1248

Department of Orthopaedics, Rehabilitation Hospital of the National Research Center for Rehabilitation Technical Aids, Beijing, 100176, P.R.China.

Objective: To analyze the data of external fixation instruments (including Ilizarov instruments) used by QIN Sihe orthopaedic surgical team in the treatment of limb deformities in the past 30 years, and to explore the indications for the application of modern external fixation techniques in the correction of limb deformities and individual device configuration selection strategy.

Methods: According to QIN Sihe orthopaedic surgical team, the use of external fixator between January 1988 and December 2017 was analyzed retrospectively. The total use of external fixation and the proportion of different external fixators were analyzed in gender, different operation time, different age, different parts, and different diseases. Read More

Surg Neurol Int 2018 26;9(Suppl 4):S73-S84. Epub 2018 Nov 26.

Department of Paediatric Surgery, Hospital Universitario Austral, Pilar, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Objective: The aim of this study is to describe the surgical technique, obstetrical evolution, and perinatal outcomes of a cohort of fetuses undergoing intrauterine surgery to repair open spina bifida (OSB).

Methods: We performed a prospective analysis of 21 consecutive fetuses with OSB at our institution between 2015 and 2017. The surgical technique was similar to that described in the management of myelomeningocele study (MOMS) (Funded by the National Institutes of Health; ClinicalTrials. Read More

AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 2019 Jan 27;40(1):191-198. Epub 2018 Dec 27.

Academic Department of Development and Regeneration, Cluster Woman and Child (L.D.C., J.D.), Group Biomedical Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.

Background And Purpose: Fetal MR imaging is part of the comprehensive prenatal assessment of fetuses with open spinal dysraphism. We aimed to assess the reliability of brain stem and posterior fossa measurements; use the reliable measurements to characterize fetuses with open spinal dysraphism versus what can be observed in healthy age-matched controls; and document changes in those within 1 week after prenatal repair.

Materials And Methods: Retrospective evaluation of 349 MR imaging examinations took place, including 274 in controls and 52 in fetuses with open spinal dysraphism, of whom 23 underwent prenatal repair and had additional early postoperative MR images. Read More

J Urol 2019 01;201(1):169-173

Division of Pediatric Anesthesiology, Riley Hospital for Children, Indianapolis, Indiana.

Purpose: Concerns regarding anatomical anomalies and worsening neurological symptoms have prevented widespread use of epidural catheters in patients with low level spina bifida. We hypothesize that thoracic epidural placement in the T9 to T10 interspace is safe and decreases narcotic requirements following major open lower urinary tract reconstruction in patients with low level spina bifida.

Materials And Methods: We reviewed consecutive patients with low level spina bifida who underwent lower urinary tract reconstruction and received epidurals for postoperative pain control. Read More

Neurourol Urodyn 2018 Dec 21. Epub 2018 Dec 21.

CHU Rennes, Service des Maladies de l'Appareil Digestif, Université Rennes, INSERM, Institut NUMECAN (Nutrition Metabolisms and Cancer), Rennes, France.

Aims: Spina Bifida (SB) is a rare congenital condition that frequently impairs the neurological control of both fecal continence and defecation. Several therapeutic strategies have been proposed but impact assessment is lacking. Our objectives were to quantify the symptomatic improvement and to determine the optimal strategy in this rare condition where randomized controlled trials are difficult to conduct. Read More

IEEE Trans Neural Syst Rehabil Eng 2019 Jan 14;27(1):60-65. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

A rehabilitation program for wheelchair users should be based on a thorough understanding of shoulder muscle coordination patterns. The objective of the study was to quantify the extent to which the muscle electromyographic (EMG) patterns vary with propulsion speed. A total of 11 wheelchair-dependent participants with a diagnosis of spina bifida or T6-T12 spinal cord injury volunteered for the study. Read More