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The Neuroplasticity in Neurorehabilitation Lab

Pape_Laboratory_LogoThe Neuroplasticity in Neurorehabilitation (NNR) Lab at Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital was established in 2001 and it is a nationally and internally recognized facility for research in neural plasticity in neurorehabilitation of neurologic conditions emphasizing Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). The mission of the NNR Lab is to promote the overall well-being of veterans and active duty military personnel incurring TBI so they can live long and meaningful lives. Toward this end, the research focuses on advancing science that will allow practitioners to provide precision neurorehabilitation where treatments are selected according to each person’s unique brain injuries and according to the likelihood of treatment responsiveness.  To build this body of scientific knowledge, the research produces robust neurorehabilitation interventions that effectively induce, promote, and/or shape neural plasticity of the injured brain as well as evidence that moves the field closer to the ultimate goal of precision neurorehabilitation. The NNR lab focuses on TBI because this vulnerable patient population is understudied and has few to no treatment options to enable neural repair and recovery. While the focus is on TBI, study findings are applicable to many debilitating neurologic conditions (e.g., Stroke, brain damage from lack of oxygen, Parkinson’s disease, spinal cord injury etc.…).  Study findings provide new avenues for treatment development for TBI of all severities and all neurologic conditions, fundamentally advancing the field of neurorehabilitation. 

 

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