I cannot believe I only have two more weeks left here in Louisville! This past week has been both exciting and interesting as I am continuing to learn and experience new things. We started the week with a meeting with the whole team to finalize the minor details of the study ahead; Validating the IMU, Xsens. During the meeting, we decided on what movements we would be using to make sure that the Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs), specifically Xsens, measure the same angle as our gold standard for motion tracking, the optoelectric system. Luckily we did not have any experiments so we went down to the lab to make sure our camera system was set up and would be ready for calibration once we have recruited our participants. This was especially tedious because, in order to track the marker balls, each marker on the person has to be seen by at least two cameras at all times. In order to do this, we set out a couple marker balls where the person would be standing and grabbed one to move around our segments to make sure each of the 14 cameras was being used to its utmost potential. As for the rest of the day, Mahima and I got some reading done and made sure that the team was on schedule.
Xsens Monitor
Tuesday started off nice and early with two back to back experiments form 7-12. We were attempting to make sure a participant in our pediatric spinal cord injury recovery program was up to date on all of his experiments, as they will be used to track his recovery. We started with a Supine FNPA which measures his reflexes and control of his upper extremities and then moved on to a Stand Step FNPA where we tracked his muscle activity during locomotor training, where Activity Based Therapists move the child’s legs in a stepping motion. After we wrapped up those experiments we got some lunch and headed back to get some reading done and to make sure our schedule was still up to date.
As for Wednesday, we began the day by attending a journal club in which, one of the grad students presents on a study he or she has been researching and then invites anyone inclined to discuss/ question the study. This proved to be far more intense than I prepared for as the grad student was presenting on the effectiveness of locomotor training and how it compares to other recovery techniques. What the study found was that locomotor training was no more effective than any other recovery technique, which proved to be controversial as he was presenting to the creator of locomotor training. After some heated debate, they all agreed that the study could have been done better and that the results were not trustworthy enough to become fact. After the presentation, we headed down to the lab for another Stand Step FNPA, which went very smoothly.
Nick with the electrodes
EMG Monitor
Thursday was an especially exciting day as we began with an RMCA SATco experiment, where we measure a child ability to control their midsection or trunk, which is always very interesting. After that experiment was up we got to observe and help out with a pilot experiment in which they were testing the effect of loud, surprising noises on muscle contraction. Our supervisor, Nick was the one being tested on as they were looking to see which tone caused the greatest amount of muscle contraction, which would help him decide on which one to use once his study has been approved. In order to track the muscle activity, we placed electrodes on his core, arms, and legs, in order to get an idea of its effect on both proximal and distal extremities, and how we can relate the reflex to spinal cord injuries in order to create a sort of objective scale on the level of injury. This was very informative and got me excited about the study we have planned. After the experiment, Nick, Laura, Mahima, and I went out to the farmers market to get popsicles and eat some lunch. Then we headed back so they could process data and Mahima and I could prepare for our meeting with Doctor Behrman, which was the next day.
Nick with more electrodes!
Friday was a relaxed day as we only had one experiment, a Supine FNPA, which ran a little long but overall went very well. Because the experiment ran long we missed another experiment we were invited to sit in on but luckily caught them just in time to get a rundown on the study they have planned. For this pilot experiment (which we will hopefully be sitting in on next week) involves sending a signal or shock up through the medial nerve in the wrist and tracking how fast the signal reaches the brain. By figuring out how fast, the signal moves in a person with an SCI so that we can get an idea of how bad the injury is, based on the speed of the signal. This will also be used to design a more objective assessment in leveling the level of injury. After lunch, Mahima and I met with Doctor Behrman to tell her what we have been doing for the past week and to make sure we are on track for our research study. She also let us know that next Wednesday or Thursday we would be presenting to one of her past students and current grad student about the work that we have been doing and will also be sitting in on other presentations about research going on within our program and our guest’s program.
As for outside activities Mahima, Noah, and I went to the movies Friday and Noah and I plan on heading to the swimming pool on Saturday and then going on a tour of Mammoth Cave Sunday. Overall, this week has been very fulfilling and exciting and I cannot believe I am leaving in two weeks. Nonetheless, I am more than excited for the time I have left!
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