Below are submissions from hospitals seeking participants for studies about, or involving, brain injury. Call the contact number if you are interested in becoming involved.

Brain Injury Partners: Navigating the School System

Receive up to $100 to evaluate a program that teaches advocacy skills to parents of children with brain injury.

The Oregon Center for Applied Science (ORCAS) is looking for parents/guardians of a school-aged child with a brain injury to help us evaluate a web-based program on advocacy skills. The research begins in early 2007. You’ll receive up to $100.00 to spend approximately two hours viewing the program and completing three surveys. If you are interested in participating in this evaluation please click the link below and sign up on online. http://study.braininjurypartners.com

TBI Model Systems

In 2002, the JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Institute was awarded a Traumatic Brain Injury Model System (TBIMS) grant from the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR). This five-year grant will allow JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Institute to pursue research regarding innovative assessment and rehabilitation approaches for persons with traumatic brain injury (TBI).

What is a TBI Model System?

Since 1987, the US Department of Education, National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) has provided funding for establishing a research and demonstration program through model systems of care for persons with TBI. The model systems of care provide comprehensive, coordinated care for persons with traumatic brain injuries for emergency medical services, acute neurotrauma services, inpatient rehabilitation, and long-term follow up.

Currently, 16 model systems across the United States are supported by this grant program for the 2002-2007 period. Each model system contributes data to the Traumatic Brain Injury National Data Center which maintains a standardized national database for innovative analyses of TBI treatment and outcomes.

The objectives of the TBIMS are to:

Are you interested in participating in current research?

With the support of the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Institute is currently conducting two research studies as part of the TBI Model Systems project.

As part of the studies, they are interested in speaking with persons who have sustained a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), completed most of their treatment, and are currently living in the community. The purpose of this study is to understand and appreciate the perspective of persons who have sustained a TBI regarding their sense of well-being, and to understand the things most important to the quality of life after TBI. If you participate, you will be asked to fill out several questionnaires that ask about things you currently do in the community, and your satisfaction with different aspects of your functioning and your life. A smaller number of people will also be asked to participate in a personal interview.

They are also looking for people to participate in a study of brain injury rehabilitation. This study will compare the effectiveness of different forms of outpatient treatment for persons who have sustained a traumatic brain injury (TBI). Participants in the study will undergo neuropsychological evaluations and be asked to provide information regarding their functioning in the community. Participants will then be assigned to receive one of several possible types of rehabilitation. In both types of rehabilitation, participants will receive treatments based on their individual needs, which might include individual and/or group cognitive remediation, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, recreational therapy, vocational counseling, educational counseling, and psychological counseling. Participants are expected to attend treatment several days each week, for approximately four months.

To find out more information about how to participate in either study, please contact JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Institute’s Department of Cognitive Rehabilitation in Edison, NJ at 732-906-2640, or visit their website at www.njrehab.org/tbims/pat_fam.asp.

Brain Injury Treatment Study

Dr. Lana Tiersky of Fairleigh Dickinson University’s School of Psychology will do a “Brain Injury Treatment Study” at the University’s Center for Psychological Services. She is seeking qualified individuals to participate in this study. Subjects must be between the ages of 18 and 55, and have suffered a severe brain injury at least one year ago. They must be experiencing attention and/or memory problems and emotional distress. Furthermore, they must be medically stable with no history of active substance abuse. Individuals selected to participate in the program attend two hours of treatment two days a week for 16 hours. Interested persons should call (201) 692-2305.

Brain Injury & Memory Study

Dr. Jeannie Lengenfelder at the Kessler Medical Rehabilitation Research and Education Center (KMRREC) is currently running a study examining difficulties individuals with TBI have when encoding new information. She is seeking qualified individuals to participate in this study. Participants will complete paper and pencil tests and functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI). The total time required for study participation is 4-5 hours. Subjects will be compensated for their time and may be reimbursed for transportation.

If you are interested in learning more about this study or other ongoing studies at KMRREC, please call Amy Ash, Research Assistant, at (973) 530-3656 or by email at aash@kmrrec.org.