Page 2 - The Current Spring 2005

Text Box: Steve also works with the National ThinkFirst (Canada) Injury Prevention Foundation, based out of Illinois, which is a coordinated effort with health care professionals to prevent brain, spinal cord and other traumatic injuries through the education of individuals, community leaders, and creators of public policy. Steve goes out to elementary and middle schools, high schools and even universities, now making two to three presentations per month.

Text Box: Steve’s volunteer work also involves supportive housing (attendant care) and he also likes to coordinate his high school’s alumni golf tournament (all proceeds go to the Canadian Paraplegic Association). Asked what advice he has for others who suffer from similar impairments, Steve answered “Live life to the fullest. Stay positive. Find something to do. Lots of people I know who have a disability - especially those with an acquired disability like me - feel sorry for themselves and they don’t do anything. There’s lots to do out there if you want it. Go for it!”

Text Box: The most significant challenge around getting a pacer is the expense, according to Steve. Surgery is required whether you use the ventilator or the pacing system, but the cost of maintaining a ventilator and all of its supplies is higher in the long run. For Steve, staying involved in life and making a difference are always key motivators. A recipient of the 1999 Outstanding Achievement Award for Volunteerism in Ontario, Steve is a founding member of Citizens for Independence in Living and Breathing (CILB), where he continues to serve on the board of directors. He has also played an important role in producing ground-breaking reports on housing initiatives for persons with disabilities and he is frequently called on as a speaker and educator.

Text Box: eating and drinking and even the sharpening of the sense of smell while using the system have made the device more aesthetic. With these benefits, users have reported an overall improvement in quality of life, a strengthening of the diaphragm and an improvement in fatigue resistance.

Text Box: Cough Assist Now that we have explored getting air into the lungs, we must look at getting air (and fluid) extracted from the lungs. Since pneumonia is a major threat to persons with disabilities, the ability to cough and clear the lungs is of great importance. An electrical stimulation system can provide a person the ability to cough and clear the lungs independently. The cough assist systems help to reduce the number of lung infections and undue dependence on trained assistants. There are currently two different types of cough assist systems. The first uses surface stimulation of the abdomen. To simulate a cough, the system creates a strong and brief contraction of the abdominal muscles. This lasts for the duration of one second. In coordination with an assistant, this technique may be repeated until the lungs are cleared. This technique uses stimulation, in effect, to create a “quad cough” which could also be produced for the patient by a trained assistant. The second type of cough assist system uses different pressures to clear the lungs. The second system applies pressure to the airway and then rapidly changes the pressure to create a high outflow from the lungs. This cough simulation has been reported to avoid damage to the airways and has been applied to a variety of disabilities.

Text Box: Sleep & Breathing From inducing a breath, to helping those who temporarily stop breathing during sleep, neurotechnological devices are providing solutions to those experiencing sleep disorders. This is not only a common issue for those using ventilators or those with weak respiratory muscles but, according to the National Institute of Health, sleep apnea affects as many as 18 million people in the US. Sleep apnea is a breathing disorder characterized by brief episodes when one stops breathing for at least 10 seconds while sleeping. Symptoms of apnea can include symptoms suggesting depression, irritability, sexual dysfunction or learning and memory difficulties. Although not really apnea, under-ventilation has the same symptoms as apnea. However, it occurs due to the decrease in oxygen saturation in the blood. When sleep apnea is suspected, a person needs to be evaluated by a pulmonologist and a sleep study conducted to determine a diagnosis. One problem with apnea is that it is not easy to diagnose. The first important step is to monitor a person’s sleep and collect vital information. To help with this, several neurotechnology organizations are developing monitoring and diagnostic systems. There is a wide array of existing monitoring and diagnostic systems available for use in the clinic. Some of the new laboratory equipment features a wireless ethernet link that transmits data to a computer. Others feature diagnostic sleep systems and cardiac records. Self-administering and home-use monitoring systems represent an exciting new area of treatment for sleep disorders. These monitoring systems measure the parameters of a wide range of information to determine the effects or the severity of a patient’s sleep disorder. These devices can monitor such information as airflow, breathing sounds, oxygen level, snoring, head position, and also the effort needed to breathe while sleeping. The information gathered by these monitoring systems is crucial to physicians and their patients seeking to treat sleep disorders. Links to resources addressing sleep disorders, breathing and cough assistance systems are available in the Educate section of the www.TheSTIM.org website.

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