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Research
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| Currently there are no cures for Hydrocephalus
or Spina Bifida, and treatment is severely limited. The only treatment
for Hydrocephalus is surgical drainage of excess CSF from the
brain to the abdominal cavity, but the shunt is prone to infection
and blockage. The only treatment for Spina Bifida is surgical
coverage of the spinal defect and re-alignment of the spinal cord,
but these procedures are usually delivered too late after diagnosis
to be effective. Thus, the potential benefit of designing better
shunts, supplementing surgery with agents that protect the brain
or encourage repair, using endoscopic surgery during gestation
to repair the brain or spinal cord, and developing better diagnostic
and rehabilitation strategies, is extremely high. |
| For example, by inhibiting scar formation, neurons
may be better able to grow properly, make the appropriate connections
with other neurons and thereby function normally, and shunts may
work more effectively because the entire brain is more pliable.
The expertise available at Children's Hospital of Michigan, and
the large population of patients that are drawn to these centers,
make this an ideal setting for conducting these projects. Dr.
Ham has recently replaced Dr. Canady as Chief of Pediatric Neurosurgery
and has continued to increase the clinical and the basic neuroscience
research programs. Dr. Sood's interest and background in biomedical
engineering has led to new clinical projects in CSF mechanics.
Dr. McAllister is one of the leading researchers using animal
models of hydrocephalus. Together, they lead one of the most active
combined clinical and neuroscience Hydrocephalus research groups
in the world. |
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Hydrocephalus
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