Rachel P. Veraa

EDUCATION:

Ridgewood H.S. Ridgewood, N.J. 1958

Auburn University BME 1965 Mech Eng

U. of Illinois, Urbana 1972-74 grad. Physiology

U. of Miami Sch Med 1974-76 grad. Physiology

Universal Cast Stone Corp. 1961-2 architectural draftsman

Auburn Univ. 1962-65 Research Assistant (metallurgy)

U. of Illinois 1972-3 Research Assistant (rehab-ed)

U. of Illinois 1973-4 Research Associate (rehab-ed)

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Rehabilitation-Education Center

Oak Street at Stadium Drive

Champaign, IL 61830

National Spinal Cord Injury Assn. 1975-1986 Director, Research Division

National Spinl Cord Injury Association

600 West Cummings Park

Suite 2000

Woburn, MA 01801

American Association for the Advancement of Science

Society for Neuroscience

Delta Society (for Human-Animal Interactions)

National Spinal Cord Injury Association

Board of Directors, 1971-75

Vice President, Research, 1974-75

Miami Parrot Club

Mensa

Florida Governor's Advisory Commission on Spinal Cord Injury

Florida HRS District X Advisory Council

President's Advisory Committee on Spinal Cord Injury

1965 Traumatic quadriplegia C5-6 lesion

1984 developed small pressure sore

1985 three pressure sores, surgery on one, hospitalized most of time May-Nov.

1986 hospitalized some ten times with sepsis

1987 discovered osteomyelitis in left femur hospitalized Apr 87-Jul 88

Apr-Jun laparotomy to remove abcess, tracheotomy, 2 months comatose on respirator

1988 Girdlestone procedure Infected bone (left femur head) removed, Jul

1989 Developed 2 pressure sores

Dec 89 - Feb 90 4 operations to close sores & wound of earlier Girdlestone

1990 Fingers of left hand reconstructed.

Veraa RP, and Mendell LM;

Strategies for modifying axonal growth, synaptic function, and recovery of neural function after injury to the central nervous system: a conference report. National Spinal Cord Injury Association and the Society for Neuroscience. May 10-12, 1985, Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Exp Neurol 1986 Jul;93(1):1-56

Hayashi N, Green BA, Mora J, Gonzalez-Carvajal M, Veraa RP

Simultaneous measurement of local blood flow and tissue oxygen in rat spinal cord.

Neurol Res 1983;5(4):49-58

Measurement of local blood flow by hydrogen clearance is a useful technique and is compatible with simultaneous measurement of oxygen tension over long periods. However, existing methods present serious limitations of spatial resolution due to high diffusion rates and other factors. Improved methods permit local measurements in both gray and white matter of the rat spinal cord that correlate well with data from autoradiographic techniques, and indeed distinguish between individual gray matter laminae. Applications of similar methods should be useful in other systems where high spatial resolution is required.

Hayashi N, Green BA, Gonzalez-Carvajal M, Mora J, Veraa RP

Local blood flow, oxygen tension, and oxygen consumption in the rat spinal cord. Part 2: Relation to segmental level.

J Neurosurg 1983 Apr;58(4):526-30

Using a reliable and reproducible microelectrode technique, consistent simultaneous measurements of local spinal cord blood flow (SCBF), tissue oxygen tension, and tissue oxygen consumption were made at cervical, thoracic, and lumbar levels in the rat spinal cord. These observations showed that the metabolic state is maintained constant along the cord, despite significant variations in vasculature. The physiological and anatomical aspects of these findings are discussed.

Hayashi N, Green BA, Gonzalez-Carvajal M, Mora J, Veraa RP

J Neurosurg 1983 Apr;58(4):516-25

Local blood flow, oxygen tension, and oxygen consumption in the rat spinal cord. Part 1: Oxygen metabolism and neuronal function.

A reliable and reproducible microelectrode technique provided consistent simultaneous measurements of local spinal cord blood flow (local SCBF), tissue oxygen tension (TO2), and tissue oxygen consumption (TO2C) in the rat. Local SCBF was measured by the hydrogen clearance technique, local TO2 was measured polarographically, and local TO2C was calculated from the declining slope of local TO2 following temporary arrest of local SCBF. Mean local TO2 values varied only slightly between gray and white matter, while local TO2C and SCBF maintained a 3 to 1 ratio between gray and white matter areas. Measurements were also made of these parameters in specific white matter tracts and laminae of Rexed. Local white matter SCBF was relatively homogeneous throughout the ventral, lateral, and dorsal funiculi. Gray matter blood flow was more variable with topography. The highest local SCBF was recorded in areas rich in internuncial neurons. The somatic motor regions had values slightly higher than recorded in sensory regions.

Veraa RP, Grafstein B

Cellular mechanisms for recovery from nervous system injury: a conference report.

Exp Neurol 1981 Jan;71(1):6-75

Veraa RP, Grafstein B, Ross RA

Cellular mechanisms in axonal growth.

Exp Neurol 1979 Jun;64(3):649-98

Veraa RP

New hope for a paraplegia cure.

Occup Health Nurs 1972 Jan;20(1):9-11

Veraa, R.P.

Baby and Me

Bird Talk December, 1990, pp. 28-