Tim Boerger We would like to take this opportunity to welcome Tim Boerger to the myelopathy.org team,he will be contributing to the blog by writing summaries of recently published research.Tim Boerger is a Ph.D. student in rehabilitation science at Marquette University in the United States. His dissertation research focusses on walking and balance function in patients with cervical myelopathy. He himself had an Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion in November 2016 for a cervica [...]
by Max Stewart Freddie Mercury immortalising the Queen song 'Under Pressure' One of the most perplexing things about DCM is the role of spinal cord compression in the disease. It easy to think that the picture is a simple one: as the spine degenerates (joints wearing out, ligaments hardening and bones shifting position) the spinal cord gradually becomes compressed. This compression damages the spinal cord, kills off nerves cells a [...]
Here are a few helpful things to get you started. Firstly you need to go the Social Security Administration page. You can apply online, or have the forms sent to your home. Social Security Benefits (SSI)As far as Social Security benefits, SSI is a set disability amount which is awarded for those who have not worked enough years or haven't paid enough social security tax into the system. For example, the maximum amount right now is $750/monthly. SSDI bene [...]
By Timothy BoergerReviewed by B.DaviesNeck Muscles and CSM– An Update Part 2 of 2This second of a 2-part mini-series on the properties of muscles in the neck and how they impact outcomes of surgery. We previously looked at this following an early piece of research from North America. This series will serve as an update on this research.Why was this study conducted?For a short recap of the previous 2 blogs related to this: how much fat there is within muscles has b [...]
By O.MowforthEdited by B.DaviesWe don’t really know what symptoms a “typical” patient with myelopathy has. In fact, the huge number of often quite subtle and non-specific symptoms is probably one of the main reasons why early diagnosis is so challenging (Davies et al., 2018). When medical students prepare for exams they tend to learn stereotypical descriptions of conditions. For myelopathy, this might be a patient with walking problems and clumsy hands.Howeve [...]
By Timothy BoergerReviewed by B.DaviesNeck Muscles and CSM– An Update Part 1 of 2 This will be the first of a 2 part mini-series on the properties of muscles in the neck and how they impacts outcomes of surgery. We previously looked at this following an early piece of research from North America. This series will serve as an update on this research. Why was this study conducted?As outlined previously, the amount of fat found within muscles has been linked [...]
By M StewartEditor: B DaviesIt’s a commonly held belief that you can’t grow new brain cells as adult; you’re born with one hundred billion neurons and that’s as many as you’re getting. However, this isn’t quite the case. While new neurons don’t form in most parts of the human central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord), there are two special areas where new neurons do indeed arise after birth. These areas are found in specific parts of the brain w [...]
By Timothy BoergerReviewed by B.DaviesReason for the studyThe number of times a paper is cited is a common metric of how meaningful that paper is to the scientific community. Generally, papers that are highly cited have a profound impact on their field. If scientists look at the trends of which papers are most cited, it can give us an idea of what topics within a scientific discipline are experiencing the most interest over time.MethodsThe prominent journals publishing resear [...]
By A.WillisonReviewed by B.DaviesHumans require many different repair and renewal strategies. At the earliest point in life, we need these pathways to grow and develop but in later life, we use these pathways to recover from disease and injury. For this, our bodies activate a unique type of cell known as a stem cell. Stem cells are a special form of cell, as they can make any cell type in the body, and so can provide building blocks for our organs and tissues. Over the past 20 year [...]
By T.BoergerReviewed by. BM DaviesReason for the StudyWalking impairments are a common feature of cervical myelopathy and can lead to falls. In elderly individuals such falls, even if minor, can lead to injuries, such as broken bones. Broken bones (‘fractures’) are more common as we get older, as aging affects bone strength, including conditions such as osteoporosis. Such fractures generally occur in stereotyped locations such as the wrist, shoulder, hip, and low b [...]
