Christopher B. Shields, M.D., FRCS(C)
Professor and Chairman, Department of Neurological Surgery
Norton Hospital Chair in Neurological Surgery
Clinical Director, Kentucky Spinal Cord Injury Research Center
Research Description
My area of research has focused on several aspects of spinal cord injury over the past 15 years. My interest in spinal cord injuries was kindled by the personal tragedy that I saw on a daily basis in clinical practice. All too often, individuals who are living normal productive and carefree lives one moment are changed instantaneously to living in a wheelchair. Although many of these people live active productive lives, it seemed that much good could be brought about by early, effective treatment of this condition. I embarked on this worthy quest in the mid 1980s when the spinal cord injury laboratory was developed through a generous financial donation from Norton Healthcare.
In 1988, we began our work toward finding a cure for spinal cord injury. Early research was focused on creating better methods of monitoring spinal cord motor function in humans and animals, utilizing rapidly alternating magnetic stimulation during surgery, following spinal cord injury, or in patients with intrinsic disease of their spinal cord. This work led to the development of transcranial magnetic motor-evoked potentials that has been utilized clinically and which continues to be used daily in our research laboratory.
Later research was focused on transplantation of cells into areas of spinal cord injury to study the effect of such injury on nuclei in brain stem nuclei, with and without transplanted cells. Currently, this work has taken on a further refinement in the use of stem cells (with Dr. Whittemore) and olfactory cells (With Dr. Roisen) as potential cell types that may be used in patients someday.
Currently, my laboratory is investigating certain solutions that have potential benefit for patients and animals with spinal cord injury. Such solutions have been shown to be effective in neuroprotection of the central nervous system following stroke. If this can be shown to be effective in the laboratory, soon these solutions may be investigated in patients with spinal cord injury.
Recent work includes characterization of various degrees of spinal cord injury with a precise sub-millimeter injury to the spinal cord using the vibra-knife, which has been developed in our laboratory.