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ForwardJill Wecht, Doctorate of Education
Dr. Wecht has been investigating the impact of Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) on autonomic cardiovascular regulation for 20-years. She has published over 70 peer-reviewed manuscripts describing the impact of autonomic nervous system impairment on blood pressure regulation and the secondary consequences of hypotension and orthostatic hypotension on cognitive function and quality of life. Dr. Wecht’s laboratory was one of the first to document deficits in memory and information processing in hypotensive individuals with SCI, which may stem, in part, from dysregulation of cerebral blood flow. Funding from the Veterans Affairs Rehabilitation & Development Service, the National Institute for Independent Living & Rehabilitation Research, the Craig H. Neilsen Foundation, the New Jersey Commission for Spinal Cord Research, and the New York Spinal Cord Injury Review Board has helped Dr. Wecht establish a link between systemic blood pressure, cerebral blood flow velocity and cognitive performance. In addition, she and her colleagues at the University of Louisville and the Kessler Foundation are investigating the potential of spinal cord neuromodulation through invasive epidural implantation of an electrode array and non-invasive transcutaneous stimulation to increase systemic blood pressure and improve cerebral blood flow and cognitive performance. Preliminary evidence from these ongoing trials are very exciting as neuromodulation may offer a viable intervention to restore the underlying autonomic nervous system deficit to improve function and long-term health outcomes for individuals living with SCI.
Financial relationships
There are no financial relationships to disclose.
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