The emergence of new technologies has added fascinating new dimensions to MRRI’s research in translational neurorehabilitation. Using virtual reality in the treatment of phantom limb pain, noninvasive brain stimulation to improve stroke patients’ motor deficits, and iPhone apps to track concussion symptoms after a sports injury are some of the ways in which MRRI researchers are using tech in their work. Here’s an overview of the ways in which researchers Laurel Buxbaum, Amanda Rabinowitz, and Shailesh Kantak are using tech to push neurorehabilitation research into the future. Continue Reading
Tag: concussion
Rabinowitz Co-authors Study on Long-Term Effects of Concussion
Amanda Rabinowitz, PhD, director of MRRI’s Brain Injury Neuropsychology Lab, along with John Whyte, PhD, MD, and collaborators at University of Pennsylvania and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, contributed to a recently published study looking at the long-term effects of participation in high school football.
Amanda Rabinowitz, PhD
The study appeared in the journal JAMA Neurology. It was based on data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study (WLS), which has followed a random sample of Wisconsin class of 1957 high school graduates.
In a recent column in Scientific American, the study’s authors describe their results:
“We were surprised to find that playing high school football did not have a statistically significant harmful effect on later-life cognition and mental health in this sample. Moreover, it did not have an effect on anxiety, anger, hostility, or alcohol abuse later in life.” Continue Reading
Studying Concussions Using Smart Phone App
Physicians trying to manage concussion symptoms face a dual challenge – no way to identify which patients will go on to suffer from persistent concussion symptoms and a dearth of evidence-based treatments.
Amanda Rabinowitz, PhD, director of the Brain Injury Neuropsychology Laboratory at the Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute, is conducting a research study that uses mobile app technology to address this core issue.
In Dr. Rabinowitz’s study, recently concussed individuals use a smart-phone app to record their symptoms at multiple times throughout the day while they go about their daily activities.
As she explains in this video, the ultimate goal is to develop a method for planning individualized concussion treatments.