Notebook exercises help people with brain injuries
Occupational therapist Moriah E. Kane, O.T., ATP, uses an electronic notebook to help a patient with a brain injury develop and refine writing skills to encourage interaction with the environment. People receiving inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation services at Mayo Clinic have access to a variety of advanced assistive technology options.
Overview
The Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Model System overseen by Dmitry Esterov, D.O., M.S., at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, has been continuously funded by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) since 1998. It is one of 16 centers in the U.S. supported by NIDILRR to:
- Enroll individuals with moderate to severe TBI into the TBI Model Systems National Database and follow them for 30-plus years post-injury.
- Conduct local studies on TBI.
- Collaborate with other funded TBI Model System centers on module research projects.
Mayo Clinic's TBI Model System directly aligns with the NIDILRR mission of improving the lives of individuals who experience TBI, their families and communities. The system's goal is to study the course of long-term recovery after TBI, as well as to develop, provide and evaluate innovative services that address identified needs for care coordination and community reintegration.
The system focuses on clinical research concerning epidemiology, practice management models, treatment outcomes, community-based randomized clinical trials of behavioral interventions and remotely provided rehabilitation. Its research has produced dozens of publications and hundreds of presentations, bringing to prominence the Mayo Clinic TBI Model System's status as an internationally recognized brain rehabilitation program.
Funding
The National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research within Administration for Community Living of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services currently funds the TBI Model Systems program.
The current funding cycle (2022-2027) and the past four cycles (1998-2002, 2002-2007, 2007-2012, and 2012-2017) have progressively enhanced the reputation of Mayo Clinic's TBI Model System center.
Projects
The team has been involved with numerous studies focused on improving brain rehabilitation care and quality of life for patients and families affected by TBI. Learn more about TBI Model System research and publications.