The Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago is currently conducting a research study that looks at physical and emotional symptoms after spinal cord injury. About one in five people with spinal cord injury (SCI) report problems with sleep, poor energy, low mood, loss of interest in things they used to enjoy, or changes in appetite. Some of these changes in basic biological functions may be attributed to the direct effects of SCI on life. On the other hand, we also suspect that the stress of experiencing and living with SCI may cause changes in brain chemicals that regulate these bodily functions, magnifying the negative effects of SCI. We are doing this study because throughout the US, medications are used thousands of times each day by people with SCI to treat some of these symptoms. Yet there is not a single well-designed study that proves how effective and well-tolerated these medications are in people with SCI.

If you are interested in participating in this study, you may contact the researchers using the information provided at the end of this article. The initial screening for the study can be done in a phone call that will take about 15 minutes, and after you complete this phone interview, we will send you $10 in cash by mail. In this 15-minute screening, you will be asked about your current symptoms and about other medical and psychological symptoms you may have had in the past. Any information you share is confidential and you may refuse to answer any question.

This 15-minute screening is being done to see if you would qualify for a larger study that examines how well Venlafaxine XR (more commonly known as Effexor XR) works on people who have had a spinal cord injury. If you qualify for this larger study, a researcher will contact you to discuss participation in the twelve-week study. Agreeing to participate in the 15-minute screening does not mean you agree to the larger study.

If you have had a spinal cord injury for one month or more and are 18 years or older, you may be eligible for the 15-minute screening interview. If you would like to participate, you may contact research staff at (312)-238-8165, or toll free at 1-888-264-0843 Monday through Friday from 9:00AM -5:00 PM, or send an email to prisms@ric.org.