Spinal cord injury clinical research report

Paratracks, November 2000. Publication of Canadian Paraplegic Association (Manitoba) Inc. RESEARCH
Spinal Cord Injury Clinical Research Report I believe a short explanation is needed, before loss. It would appear that the drug would need to be reading about the following research projects. In taken indefinitely. Please refer to footnote 1 at the clinical research, basic researchers work towards understanding the spinal cord and investigating ways Tizanidine Studies: Tizanidine (Zanaflex) is a drug
of curing an injury to the spinal cord. Clinical used for the treatment of spasticity related to SCI.
researchers investigate new treatments for the various Two trials were done here, one involved people with complications that result from an injury to the spinal SCI in 1993 and the other involved people with MS in 1995. Winnipeg was just one site among many in Four of the clinical research projects previously Canada and the United States. The results showed that completed at the Rehabilitation Hospital are described tizanidine is a safe drug and is effective in reducing below and involve treatments that were not available spasticity in people with SCI and MS.
prior to the studies, one for the prevention of bone The importance of these two studies is that they density loss and three for the treatment of severe resulted in the availability of this treatment in Canada and in the United States. Please refer to footnotes 2 Pamidronate Study: Osteoporosis (a decrease in the
density of bone) is a complication of SCI which Intrathecal Baclofen Pump Study: This study
results in increased risk for leg and hip fractures.
introduced to Manitoba a treatment for severe Several drugs have been studied in search of one that spasticity of spinal origin, a treatment which had will prevent the development of osteoporosis already been used in the United States for many years.
following SCI. Pamidronate (Aredia) is one such drug It involved the surgical implanting of a drug pump which was studied here between 1995-1999. The drug under the skin in the lower abdomen. The pump is was given intravenously once monthly for 6 months connected to the spinal canal by a catheter so the drug Baclofen (lioresal) is infused directly onto the spinal The results of the study showed that pamidronate cord where spasticity originates. This treatment was did prevent the development of osteoporosis as long found to be very effective in reducing spasticity in as the person was getting the drug. However, after the people with SCI or MS. Please refer to footnote 4 at 6 month treatment period, the bone density then decreased but not quite as much as if no pamidronatehad been given. Because pamidronate can only be Please contact Orpha Schryvers, SCI Clinical
given intravenously, the search is still on for a drug Research Coordinator, at 787-2725 if you would
that can be taken orally that will prevent bone density like a copy of one or more of these articles.
1 PW Nance, O Schryvers, W Leslie, S Ludwig, J Krahn, D Uebelhart. Intravenous Pamidronate Attenuates Bone
Density Loss After Acute Spinal Cord Injury. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 80:243-251,
1999.
2 PW Nance, J Bugaresti, K Shellenberger North American Tizanidine Study Group: Efficacy and Safety of
Tizanidine in Treatment of Spasticity in Patients with Spinal Cord Injury. Neurology, 44(11-Suppl 9):S44-S52,
1994.
3 PW Nance, WA Sheremata, SG Lynch, T Vollmer. S Hudson, GS Francis, P O'Conner JA Cohen, RT Schapiro,
R Whitman, MK Mass, JW Lindsey, K Shellenberger. Relationship of the anti-spasticity effect of tizanidine to
plasma concentration in patients with multiple sclerosis. Archives of Neurology 54:73 1 -6, 1997.
4 PW Nance, OI Schryvers, BJ Schmidt, HI Dubo, B Loveridge, HD Fewer. Intrathecal baclofen therapy for adults
with spinal spasticity: therapeutic efficacy and effect on hospital admissions. Canadian Journal of Neurological
Sciences, 22:22-29, 1995.

Source: http://www.scrc.umanitoba.ca/SCRC/articles/Paratracks.pdf