The Kessler Foundation’s John DeLuca, PhD, Steve Kirshblum, MD, Trevor Dyson-Hudson, MD, Gail Forrest, PhD, Denise Fyffe, PhD, and Rachel Byrne will address a variety of research topics during the “Beyond Boundaries: the 2012 Conference of the Academy of Spinal Cord Injury Professionals (ASCIP)”, slated for September 3 to September 6, reports a news release. The event will be held at the Rio All-Suites Hotel and Resort in Las Vegas, Nev. Reported topics for the conference include new approaches to improving mobility and cognition, minimizing pain, determining prognosis, and addressing health disparities.

DeLuca, an expert in cognitive in rehabilitation research, serves as Kessler’s vice president of research and training and will be delivering the James J. Peters Memorial Lecture during the event. According to the West Orange, NJ-based organization, the lecture gleans its name from the executive director of United Spinal Association, an advocate for individuals with spinal cord injuries (SCI). During the lecture, DeLuca will discuss the cognitive issues that can often be under recognized in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). 

The release notes that Kirshblum’s topic for the Jayanthi Lecture will encompass pinpointing the prognosis of individuals with acute injuries. Dyson-Hudson is slated to discuss research yielding from the Northern New Jersey SCI Model System at Kessler Foundation, regarding the prevention of pneumonia following SCI. Dyson-Hudson will also discuss the results of a pilot study regarding the use of platelet-rich plasma for shoulder pain wheelchair users with SCI. Both Kirshblum and Dyson-Hudson serve as the co-directors of the model system.

Forrest’s presentations will center on the scope of her applications of technological advances for mobility after SCI, Kessler says. Together, Forrest and Kirshblum will also address their clinical research experience with robotic exoskeletal devices and the device’s potential to impact the long-term health and well-being among the SCI population.

Fyffe, an expert in health disparities, rounds out the speakers. Kessler notes that Fyffe is the author on two posters, which include “Quantative study of the impact of blood pressure dysregulation on quality of life in SCI,” and “Self-reported symptoms of blood pressure dysregulation in persons with SCI.”  

For more information, visit http://www.kesslerfoundation.org

Source: Kessler Foundation