Episode 16: Pediatric Spinal Cord Injury Research. A Conversation with Dr. Andrea Behrman

Dr. Maxwell Boakye
January 15, 2022

Happy New Year! We’re kicking off 2022 by shedding light on an area of research that isn’t talked about enough: pediatric spinal cord injury. Most spinal cord injury conversations revolve around adults, but children also suffer from injury and face unique challenges in both treatment and research. Thankfully, my guest, Dr. Andrea Behrman is leading the way for both! We discuss her work, her breakthroughs, the current state of pediatric spinal cord injury treatment, and what the future looks like for this vitally important field.

You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in…

Getting to know Dr. Andrea Behrman and her work [1:01]
Why Dr. Behrman’s work is so important [7:36]
The epidemiology of pediatric spinal cord injury [11:46]
The quality of life for kids with spinal cord injury [13:30]
Taking a closer look at initial care for pediatric spinal cord injury [21:43]
Dr. Behrman looks back at her accomplishments over three decades [25:19]
The challenges of pediatric spinal cord injury treatment and research [32:48]
Looking at the future of pediatric spinal cord injury treatment [38:13]
A message of hope for parents and physicians of kids with spinal cord injury [40:38]
Training the next generation and the magic wand question [43:42]

Understanding the sources of pediatric spinal cord injury

When trying to understand how best to tackle a pervasive medical issue, we need to first look at the epidemiology of that issue. Pediatric spinal cord injury is no different. While 50% of cases can be attributed to motor vehicle accidents, Dr. Behrman shared that many of her patients suffer from non-traumatic injury sources such as tumors, abscesses, hematomas, and spinal stroke. A major issue she shed light on is that often children will receive life-saving cancer treatment, but then be rendered paralyzed by the tumor without adequate direction for the next step in the healing process. “They don’t always go to a rehab program. In-patient rehab is really much more so made for adults than long term care for children.” To hear more of Dr. Behrman’s thoughts on pediatric spinal cord injury treatment, listen to this episode!

Novel tools for novel research

When thinking about pediatric spinal cord injury treatment and research, most would assume that the tools used for adults will also work for children. I learned from my conversation with Dr. Behrman that this isn’t the case. And it makes sense! Because children are smaller than adults, they need specialized equipment to properly conduct treatment and research for their injury. That’s why Dr. Behrman and her team have developed many novel tools such as a specialized treadmill and harness for pediatric spinal cord injury patients. Activity-based intervention is a game-changer in this field, and having the right tools for such treatments is crucial in improving patient outcomes.

Bridging the gap between research and clinical practice

One thing we always talk about on the podcast is how each of my guests are training the next generation. Dr. Behrman is committed to doing just that at the University of Louisville. A big part of which is training the next generation of physical therapists in the field of pediatric spinal cord injury. Dr. Behrman involves therapists in the research process to accelerate the time it takes for breakthroughs to go from the lab to the clinic. “By working with us in research, they’re preparing the path to fast track science into practice. And so they’re helping at times to say, “How are we going to be able to do this in the clinic?” Listen to our whole conversation for more of Dr. Behrman’s insight on the future of pediatric spinal cord injury care and research.