Participate in Research
• Project to Improve Symptoms and Mood after Spinal Cord Injury (PRISMS)
After SCI, some people experience a cluster of symptoms including poor sleep, low energy, little interest in usual activities, depressed mood and pain. These symptoms can affect quality of life and may be treatable. Researchers at the University of Washington are trying to determine whether a 12-week trial of venlafaxine XR (Effexor XR) is an effective treatment for these symptoms. You may qualify for this study if you have a SCI, are 18-64 years old, have some of these symptoms, are not taking venlafaxine XR and live within traveling distance to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, WA. If you would like to be considered for this study, please contact Christian Buhagiar at 206-341-4731.
• Cognitive Testing for the Pain Quality Assessment Scale (PQAS) Study
Researchers in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at the University of Washington are conducting a research study that is intended to test and improve a set of questions used to measure how pain feels to you. Participation in the study requires one visit to the University of Washington or Harborview Medical Center. You will complete a brief questionnaire (5-10 minutes), followed by an interview with our research staff to provide feedback about the questionnaire, and provide some basic information about you. The interview will take 60-90 minutes to complete. Compensation for participation and transportation will be provided.In order to participate, you must:
- Have a diagnosis of a spinal cord injury from a physician;
- Have shoulder pain you consider to be your worst or most significant pain problem;
- Be at least 18 years old.
For further information on this project, please contact research study staff at 206-616-9058 at painstdy@u.washington.edu. Please remember that we cannot guarantee the confidentiality of any information sent by e-mail.
• Cortical Modulation Study
Researchers at the University of Washington are conducting a new study comparing five different procedures to see how they affect pain and brain activity. The procedures include neurofeedback, self-hypnosis training, meditation, and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) procedures at two different levels. The tDCS procedure is considered experimental and is not currently approved by the FDA but has been studied previously in spinal cord injury patients. Before and after each of these procedures an electroencephalogram (EEG) will be performed to record brain activity. There will be six study visits over approximately two months.
We are looking for participants who have been diagnosed with a spinal cord injury and experience moderate to severe pain on a daily basis. You must be at least 18 years of age to participate. You will be paid $50 at completion of each study visit and an additional $100 for completing the whole study because of the substantial time commitment. Study visits may last up to 3 hours. You will also be reimbursed for parking or bus fare. For more information call Ann Gianas at 206-616-8744.
• Aging with a Physical Disability Survey Study
The University of Washington is looking for adults with late effects of polio (sometimes known as post-polio syndrome), muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, or spinal cord injury to take part in a research study. We are conducting a study to develop a better understanding of the natural course of aging with a disability. Your participation in this research would mean filling out two to four surveys, which will take approximately 60 minutes, over the course of four years. The survey asks about your experience with pain, fatigue, and other symptoms in addition to some questions about your participation in daily activities, mood and general outlook. You will be compensated $25 for returning the completed survey.
For more information on becoming a participant in this important research, contact research staff at (206) 221-5641 or toll free at 1(866) 928-2114. Or email us at agerrtc@u.washington.edu. (Although we make every effort to protect your privacy, please note that the confidentiality of email cannot be guaranteed.)
• Help improve the measurement of Quality of Life in people with Spinal Cord Injuries.
If you are an individual with spinal cord injury, are over 18 years old, and able to speak and read English, you may be eligible to participate in a survey conducted by the University of Washington Center on Outcomes Research in Rehabilitation. Participation involves completing up to three surveys and/or interviews about quality of life issues that are unique to persons with SCI over the phone or in-person with a member of our research staff. You will be compensated $35 for each interview completed. You will also be compensated $30 for completing one questionnaire, $40 for completing two questionnaires and $50 for completing three questionnaires. If you would like to know more about this study or are interested in participating, please contact Dagmar Amtmann, 206-221-2414, uwcorr@u.washington.edu. (Please note that confidentiality of email cannot be guaranteed.)