Rehabilitation Neuroscience
Neurological conditions that damage the brain or spinal cord are often associated with impaired sensorimotor or cognitive function after injury. Fortunately, the brain is able to rewire some of its lost connections and rehabilitative therapy can be used to retrain the brain and body, and thereby reduce functional impairment. In cases where functional deficits are permanent, neuroprostheses can be engineered to reduce disability.
The Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute is home to a vibrant group of researchers and clinicians dedicated to improving recovery from brain injury. Using innovative approaches to physiotheraphy, pharmacological manipulation of brain plasticity or biomedical engineering of neuroprostheses, these researchers are on the cutting-edge of translational neuroscience and their work has the potential to improve quality of life for patients afflicted by stroke, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, and other neurological disorders.
Techniques used include:
- laboratory models including models of stroke, brain injury, and spinal cord injury
- behavioural training and testing
- biomedical engineering
- cell culture
- organotypic culture
- quantitative immunoassays
- in vivo functional and structural imaging
- cellular neuroimaging
- confocal and multiphoton microscopy
- fluorescent and light microscopy
- electrophysiology
- gene arrays
- RT-PCR
- histochemistry
- enzyme assays
- gas chromatography
- high pressure liquid chromatography