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Spinal Cord Injuries Model Systems Program
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Program Office: National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR)
CFDA Number: 84.133N
Program Type: Discretionary/Competitive Grants
Also Known As: SCI
Program Description
The Spinal Cord Injury Model Systems (SCIMS) program,
established in 1970, studies the course of recovery and outcomes following
the delivery of a coordinated system of care for individuals with spinal core injury (SCI).
Under this program, SCIMS centers provide comprehensive rehabilitation
services to individuals with SCI and conduct spinal cord research, including
clinical research. This includes the analysis of standardized data gathered
in collaboration with other SCIMS projects. The National Data and Statistical Center for Spinal Cord Injury
has maintained data collection for the SCIMS centers since 1984.
The project activities from these centers continued
to advance research knowledge in spinal cord injury to evaluating the
effectiveness of pushrim activated power assist wheelchairs (PAPAWs).
The leadership provided by the Model Spinal Cord Injury Centers has set
standards for assessment, treatment, and management of individuals with
SCI for the nation and the world. In cooperation with the
American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) ,
former and current project directors developed
standards for examination and neurologic classification of SCI, which was
adopted for use in the International Standards for the Classification of
Spinal Cord Injury. The Walking Index for Spinal Cord Injury (WISCI)
has
become the outcome standard for the measure of walking in clinical trials.
In 2003, the European Clinical Trials Group in SCI adopted the WISCI as the
major functional walking measure.
The Craig Handicap Assessment Reporting Technique (CHART)
is one of the first measures ofparticipation and the Craig Hospital Inventory of
Environmental Factors (CHIEF
), one of the first measures of environmental
factors in the disability literature. The CHART instrument is trademarked
and well-published in the premier rehabilitation journals with psychometric
data (validated with Rasch analysis). CHART has been adopted for use as an
outcome measure in numerous research studies as a measure of participation.
CHIEF has been adopted for use as an outcome measure in both the National Data
and Statistical Center for SCI
and TBI.
Both CHART and CHIEF have been
translated into Italian, Spanish, Turkish, Chinese, Japanese, Korean and
French and used in studies around the world.
Currently, 14 SCIMS centers conduct research activities designed to improve rehabilitative interventionsthat can help optimize levelsof community participation, employment, and overallquality of life forindividuals with spinal cord injury.
Types of Projects
- Neuro/Trunk Assessment:
Validation of the outcome measure, motor recovery of the lower extremities and incomplete spinal cord injury - AT Technology:
Several survey components on wheelchair mobility including emergency evacuation from home and public places, demographics, technical component of wheelchair skills, tracking employment of wheelchair users, wheelchair models—what causes disparity, wheelchair service delivery—whether provider’s prescription is appropriate. - Quality of Life:
Develop and validate a state of-the-art of activity limitations or functional ability measures. - Participation:
Identify the best measure of participation. No accepted standard method of measuring participation. - Labor Force Participation:
Assess work related issues, survey includes work related benefits, retirements, settlements, etc. - Depression:
Assess the natural history of depression within one year of SCI.
Additional Information
The Model System Spinal Cord Injury Program is one of three NIDRR Model Systems' Programs. The other two, the Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems and the Burn Injury Model Systems, are technically part of the Disability and Rehabilitation Research (DRRP) Program
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