Clinical Research Directory

The FBRI VTC Neuromotor Research Clinic

The FBRI VTC Neuromotor Research Clinic was established and opened in May of 2013 to provide intensive therapeutic services to individuals with motor impairment secondary to neuromotor disorders. It is direct by Dr. Stephanie DeLuca and based on the principles surrounding ACQUIREc Therapy. ACQUIREc Therapy is an evidenced-based approach to pediatric constraint-induced movement therapy, which refers to a multi-component form of therapy that is focused on helping children who have asymmetric motor abilities between the two sides of the body. Historically, ACQUIREc Therapy has the unimpaired or less impaired upper extremity constrained (by a cast or a splint) while also receiving active therapy from a specially trained therapist who shapes new skills and functional activities with the child's more impaired upper extremity but who is also a licensed Occupational or Physical Therapist (OT/PT). Therapy dosages are high much higher than tradition OT or PT - often lasting many hours per day, up to 6 hours a day, 5 days a week, for 2-4 weeks. Investigators have developed further treatments based on the same principles of intensive services combined with behavior shaping for other areas of the body that are also affected by weakness (e.g., the leg and trunk) also, but which usually do not involve constraint. These have been more generally labeled ACQUIRE Therapy. All forms involve intensive, play-based therapy for children with asymmetric motor impairments of the arms and hands. The primary focus of treatment is to facilitate the acquisition of new motor skills in the child's weaker body parts through high levels of intensive therapy using scientifically-based behavioral guidelines. Therapy is also delivered in naturalistic environments. ACQUIREc Therapy as a treatment method has been tested in two randomized controlled trials, and a specific manual for its implementation has been developed. Dr. (s) Ramey and DeLuca previously founded a similar clinic, The Pediatric Neuromotor Research Clinic, at the University of Alabama at Birmingham where Dr. DeLuca directed the research clinic for 13 years and oversaw the implementation of the ACQUIREc Therapy treatment protocol in more than 400 cases. This research will involve analyzing and interpreting the clinical data of children going through clinical procedures at the FBRI VTC Neuromotor Research Clinic. All participation is voluntary and no children will denied services if families choose not to participate.

Risk Assessment of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury in Military Training

The SNIPER-TBI study aims to identify and quantify the risk of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) in soldiers of the Czech Armed Forces during specific high-risk training activities, including parachute jumps, high-caliber firearms shooting, artillery blasts, and Close Quarters Battle (CQB) exercises. The study will utilize both diagnostic biomarker analysis and experimental biomechanical measurements to assess the physiological impact of these activities on brain health. The ultimate goal is to reduce mTBI incidence, improve operational readiness, and extend the active service duration of soldiers through targeted preventive measures.

Caregiver Wellness After Traumatic Brain Injury (CG-WELL): An Intervention Designed to Promote Well-being in Caregivers of Acute Moderate to Severe Traumatic Brain Injuries

After injury, survivors of msTBI depend on informal family caregivers. Upwards of 77% of family caregivers experience poor outcomes, such as adverse life changes, poor health related quality of life, and increased depressive symptoms. Caregivers frequently report minimal support or training to prepare them for their new role. Periods of care transitions, such as ICU discharge, are most difficult. The majority (93%) of previously developed caregiver and caregiver/survivor dyad interventions after msTBI focus on providing information or practical skills to either survivors, or to long-term caregivers (\>6 months post injury), rather than education, support, and skill-building that the new caregiver may use proactively that will benefit the dyad acutely after injury. The Aims of this proposal are to: (1) Determine feasibility, satisfaction, and data trends of CG-Well; and (2) Understand how baseline psychosocial risk factors affect response to CG-Well compared to an Information, Support, and Referral control group. To accomplish this, I will first enroll 6-10 caregivers and tailor CG-well until each finds the intervention acceptable, appropriate, and feasible. I will then enroll 100 (50/group) dyads and determine satisfaction ratings, recruitment, retention, and treatment fidelity of CG-Well. Additionally, I will determine if caregivers report reductions in depressive symptoms and improvements in life changes as a result of improvements in task difficulty and threat appraisal in CG-Well compared to ISR at six months. Information obtained in Aims 1 and 2 will be used to plan a larger Phase III trial of CG-Well. Completing these Aims and the training plan will improve outcomes of caregivers and downstream outcomes of survivors of msTBI, and provide me with the skillset necessary to become an independent researcher who can develop and test high-impact, high-fidelity, sustainable interventions.

Home Based Tele-exercise for People With Chronic Neurological Impairments

To assess the impact of a 12-week virtual seated physical intervention on cardiovascular health and wellness in people with chronic neurological impairments (CNI).

PRECISION-TBI - An Observational Study of Patients With Moderate to Severe Traumatic Brain Injury

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is a devastating condition and a leading cause of long-term disability. Every patient with TBI has a different type of injury and is treated differently from hospital to hospital making it very difficult to identify the most effective treatments. The current study focuses on the most severe types of TBI that require hospital ICU care - moderate to severe TBI (m-sTBI). The overall aim of this study is to collect data about how different hospitals manage m-sTBI in Australia, and to quantify the variability that likely exists. Recovery at 6 months post-injury will be collected to allow a better understanding on how different injuries and treatments affect long term outcomes.

Intracranial Pressure and Optic Nerve Sheath Diameter With CLOSED Bundle

The design of the present study will be a multicenter prospective observational protocol. Approximately 100 patients will be recruited over the 24-month period with Acute Brain Injury (trauma brain injury, intracerebral hemorrhage, subarachnoid hemorrhage, ischemic stroke), who in their acute phase of intensive care unit require placement of a catheter capable of monitoring intracranial pressure (intra parenchymal catheter or external ventricular shunt). In addition to all the intensive care provided by the most recent guidelines, patients will undergo measurement of optic nerve sheath diameter through ultrasonography. At least, three measurements will be performed within the first 3 hours after admission, within the first 24-48 hours, and at each invasive intracranial pressure value greater than 18 cmH2O. Those patients with intracranial pressure values greater than 35 mmHg. At the first intracranial pressure measurement, patients with eyeball disease or trauma will be excluded. Measurements will be performed following the CLOSED bundle. Analysis of the results will include correlation between the invasive pressure values and the mean value of optic nerve sheath diameter measurements in the two projections (sagittal and transverse). In addition, the correlation of the absolute value of invasive pressure detected with the ratio of the optic nerve sheath diameter measurement to the eyeball diameter measured always ultrasound will be sought.