At the BRRC, unique teams of scientists conduct research to improve current treatments or to discover new forms of treatment to improve neurorehabilitation for impairments caused by stroke, incomplete spinal cord injury, and other neurological problems.
For over 100 years, it was thought that recovery from neurologic impairments was limited, that the only option was to find a way to compensate for lost abilities. New discoveries over the last 25 years, however, have shown that the brain has neuroplasticity, that is, an ability to grow new connections that make it possible to recover lost abilities.
Dedicated to making complete recovery one day possible for those impaired by neurologic illness or disease, the BRRC works to harness neuroplasticity. Because of the complexity of the human brain and the many forms of neurologic impairments, discovering treatments that are effective for as many people as possible—whether by improving current treatments or discovering new forms of treatment—will require the concerted effort of scientists and study volunteers and the vision of organizations like the VA that recognize the importance of this research by providing funding.
The Office of Rehabilitation Research and Development (RR&D) of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) provides funding to the BRRC as a Center of Excellence. VA RR&D Centers attract the brightest minds from academia, industry, and medicine into the VA to provide veterans with the best possible rehabilitation.
To improve the quality of lives of veterans affected by brain disease or injury, the BRRC develops and tests neurorehabilitation methods to maximize recovery from neurologic impairments affecting daily activities such as:
- Understanding speech
- Remembering words
- Speaking or expressing thoughts
- Understanding or expressing emotion in speech
- Reading
- Writing
- Gripping and using objects
- Reaching and lifting
- Walking
- Balancing while walking or standing
The BRRC brings together and coordinates the efforts of scientists and therapists from many different fields such as: bioengineering, communication sciences, computer programming, health psychology, kinesiology, medicine, neurology, neuroscience, occupational therapy, physical therapy, physiology, psychology, rehabilitation science, and speech therapy. These scientists are currently conducting research on a variety of approaches to treatment, evaluation, and measurement, including the following:
- Techniques in physical, speech, and cognitive therapies
- Drugs that may improve recovery of brain function
- Brain imaging to study changes associated with loss of function and with treatment
- Robotics to assist with relearning of motor abilities
- Computer simulation to precisely measure motor function
The BRRC is located at the Malcom Randall VA Medical Center in Gainesville, Florida.
Basic science research is conducted in BRRC laboratories at the Malcom Randall VAMC and at its university affiliate, the University of Florida.
Clinical studies with volunteers -- both veterans and non-veterans -- are conducted at the Gainesville VAMC and at the following additional locations:
- Gainesville, Florida
- University of Florida
- Shands at the University of Florida
- Jacksonville, Florida
- Brooks Center for Rehabilitation Studies
- Brooks Rehabilitation Hospital
- Shands Jacksonville
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