Dr Elizabeth Felix

Dr Elizabeth Felix and her team received a 2020 SCI Collaboration Grant to attend ISCoS 2020:Virtual. The team comprises:

• Dr Elizabeth Felix, Clinical Researcher, University of Miami, USA
• Professor Thomas Bryce, Rehabilitation Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine, USA
• Ms Sara Mulroy, Clinical Researcher, Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Centre, USA
• Dr Trevor Dyson-Hudson, Clinical Research Scientist, Kessler Foundation, USA
• Dr Jeanne Zanca, Senior Research Scientist, Kessler Foundation, USA

The collaborative group is focused on the problem of chronic pain in persons with spinal cord injury (SCI). A recent North American Spinal Cord Injury Consortium report found that pain was the most frequently cited challenge faced daily by people with SCI. Thus, improvements in pain management for those with SCI is sorely needed. Currently, they are collaborating on a multisite study to evaluate the development of neuropathic pain during the first year after traumatic SCI. Results from this study will be used to inform the SCI clinical community with regard to risk factors for the development of debilitating chronic neuropathic pain, and lead to potential treatments and preventative methods for at-risk individuals. The group is interested in setting up long-term collaborations with national and international SCI research teams interested in pursuing funding to support development and testing of clinically-feasible, mechanism-directed, prophylactic interventions for chronic pain after SCI.

L-R: Elizabeth Felix, Thomas Bryce, Sara Mulroy, Trevor Dyson-Hudson, Jeanne Zanca

The research group share their experiences from the conference.

“Our group was delighted to receive support to attend the ISCoS 2020 virtual meeting and participate in the SCoRH meet-and-greet session at the beginning of the conference. It was interesting to hear about the work of other teams of SCI researchers across several nations (and time zones) during the meet-and-greet session.

Each of our team members accessed several of the presentations during and after the live conference. Of particular interest was a poster regarding non-pharmacologic treatments for pain after SCI (Tim Crul), as this was very similar to a study our collaborative group has also just conducted (Tom Bryce presented data from this study in two poster presentations), and the instructional course regarding complementary and integrative medicine for pain in those with SCI (Jennifer Coker, Marcel Post, Janneke Stolwijk). Both of these presentations were very informative for evaluating differences, and considerations of best-practices, with regard to methodology when assessing impact of treatments on SCI-related pain. In addition, these presentations also confirmed our findings that high numbers of people with SCI employ non-pharmacologic treatments for pain, and these types of treatments deserve more systematic study.

Beyond the immediate impact of the ISCoS conference, our team is looking forward to taking further advantage of our ISCoS membership and the SCoRH discussion platform.”