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For Immediate Release: August 8, 2003

Contact: Robin R. Merrifield

1304 Perry Ave., Bremerton WA 98310

Phone: 800-343-0549 or 360-471-7837

Fax: 360-478-0834 E-mail: FCERedit@aol.com

Norwalk, Iowa—The primary purpose of the Foundation for Chiropractic Education and Research (FCER) is to fund research and future researchers for the advancement of the chiropractic profession through scientific inquiry and validation. FCER’s Fellowships program is designed as the first line initiative in building a chiropractic research infrastructure. By investing in chiropractic researchers, the profession will not need to rely on researchers from other professions—whose biases may influence results. The Research Fellowships are awarded to chiropractors who are pursuing advanced degrees and who have earned distinction in their academic and professional careers. Due to the stringent review process, FCER has been able to provide the profession with extremely diligent and committed researchers and educators.

FCER is pleased to announce the following commitments in funding.

Bernadette Murphy, D.C., Ph.D., Investigator
University of Auckland, New Zealand

This research proposes to evaluate the potential utility of somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEPs) in the study of somatosensory function. Its two objectives are to (i) develop the technique of measuring SSEP ratios elicited by the stimulation of two upper limb peripheral nerves both singly and by simultaneous dual peripheral nerve stimulation; and (ii) to carry out reliability studies to ensure that the various ratios obtained from dual peripheral nerve stimulation are consistent when measured on the same subjects several minutes and several weeks apart. Asymptomatic volunteers aged 18-50 are to be recruited from student and staff populations at the University.

With the long-range objective of determining the effects of spinal manipulation over time on SSEP, the characteristics (inherent stability/variability) of this measurement is critical. Since one of the principal limitations of studies of somatosensory function is that they are typically subjective in nature, the validation of objective outcome measures in this study would be an important contribution to this field. Ultimately, validated measurements such as these would be expected to contribute to our understanding of the clinical neurophysiological effects of spinal manipulation.

Fellows

Dr. Murphy is a great example of an FCER Fellow who has continued to contribute to the body of chiropractic knowledge. Her work has always been outstanding and FCER is pleased to have the opportunity to support her professional endeavors for the benefit of the entire chiropractic community. Like Dr. Murphy, a majority of FCER’s Fellows continue to serve the profession’s needs. The following individuals have earned financial assistance in pursuing the following goals:

• Bruce Symons, D.C., M.Sc.

Studying to earn his Ph.D. in Kinesiology/Human Biomechanics at the University of Calgary.

Largely due to the continuation of the Lana Lewis inquest in Toronto, plus a sensationalist press, the area in which Dr. Bruce Symons has been writing his thesis—cerebrovascular accidents, with particular attention to vertebral or carotid artery dissections—continues to receive a major portion of public attention. He has presented research at two major conferences, has had three papers published, with two further accepted for publication, and another manuscript submitted to a journal all within the past year. His demonstration that manipulative forces in a typical adjustment represent only 10% of the forces producing failures of excised cadaveric arteries has become a centerpiece of evidence presented in defense of the chiropractor involved in the Lana Lewis inquest and represents an extremely prolific year in research.

• Cornelius Myburgh, D.C.

Seeking D.Phil. in social science research methodology at the University of Stellenbosch.

Dr. Myburgh’s research goal—comparing the holistic (ethnographic) versus reductionistic (experimental) approaches in capturing the essence of back pain and other musculoskeletal complaints to practitioners—has been largely accomplished within the past year with the acceptance of a paper at the World Federation of Chiropractic, the writing of several chapters for his thesis, and the interviewing of several practitioners. He intends to complete patient interviews and develop a standardized response framework later this year. With this line of investigation, Dr. Myburgh will be providing an important contribution to a line of inquiry that has been addressed by Niels Nilsson and others as a critically under-researched area of high priority, in that the essence of clinical encounters appears to have been diminished or overlooked by current clinical research methodologies.

• Heidi Haavik-Taylor, B.Sc.

Seeking her Ph.D. in neurophysiology in the Department of Sport and Exercise Science at Auckland University.

Dr. Haavik-Taylor is attempting to validate the use of repetitive magnetic stimulation to energize specific upper limb muscles while recording somatosensory evoked potentials to observe possible changes in sensory processing—either with the head in various positions of extension and rotation or eventually following cervical spinal manipulation.

• Kathleen Linaker, D.C.

Seeking a Ph.D. in leadership foundations and counseling psychology at Loyola University.

Dr. Linaker has aptly directed herself toward a career in teaching and administration in higher education. She has already displayed, both at National University of Health Sciences and Northwestern University of Health Sciences, a great capacity to instruct and counsel students. FCER seeks to bolster relevant educational as well as research activities, and is therefore pleased to recognize Dr. Linaker’s potential value at a chiropractic college.

• Brian Enebo, D.C., M.S.

Seeking his Ph.D. in motor skill control and learning at the University of Colorado at Boulder.

Dr. Enebo wishes to expand upon his Masters thesis on the variability and accuracy of manual force production, comparing both experienced and inexperienced practitioners and gaining further insight into possible mechanisms of joint manipulation.

• James Graham, D.C.

Seeking a Ph.D. in rehabilitation science at the State University of New York at Buffalo.

While the strength and conditioning coach at the Lamar University in Texas, Dr. Graham became interested in performance and has since extended his interests to relating research to clinical practice. Letters of recommendation on Dr. Graham’s behalf indicate that he increased "hard research output by nearly 78%" at Lamar University so that the University of Texas Medical Branch offered a rotation to its medical residents in research under Graham’s supervision. It is apparent that he has already distinguished himself in bringing together practical and theoretical aspects of rehabilitation science while doing much to extend healthcare services into the community.

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