Division Director: Randy Nudo, PhD
Associate Director: Bill Brooks, PhD
Purpose: To better understand the brain’s compensatory responses after injury with a view to developing novel interventions that enhance the survival, plasticity, and reorganization of brain tissue, and promote repair of neural circuits and recovery of function.
Focus: The Brain Injury and Repair Division focuses on the most common forms of acquired central nervous system injury, including stroke, traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury. Brain and spinal cord injuries from stroke and trauma are, unfortunately, relatively common occurrences. The brain and spinal cord have only a limited ability to heal themselves after injury. The Brain Injury and Repair Division includes scientists and clinicians at the cutting-edge of developing new medications and treatments for these devastating neurological conditions. They are making innovative discoveries that may soon lead to the restoration of lost function. Their ultimate goal is to repair the structure of the brain and spinal cord to return individuals to normal neurological function.
What is a stroke and what causes it?
A stroke or "brain attack" occurs when blood flow to a part of the brain is interrupted either by a blood clot blocking an artery or by a blood vessel breaking causing a hemorrhage. Both of these events cut off oxygen and nutrient supply to the affected part of the brain and nerve cells begin to die resulting in permanent damage. Stroke is the 3rd leading cause of death in America with ¾ of a million new cases each year. Importantly, stroke is also the leading cause of disability among adults. Among survivors, stroke can cause significant long-term disability including paralysis as well as speech and emotional problems.
What causes traumatic brain and spinal cord injury?
Well over a million Americans sustain traumatic brain injury each year and of these 50,000 die from their injuries. The most common causes are falls and automobile accidents. In light of the increasing life expectancy, traumatic brain injury is also a substantial public health problem among seniors, primarily due to falls. Spinal cord injury occurs in nearly 15,000 individuals per year in the US, leaving about 10,000 permanently paralyzed. Most spinal cord trauma occurs in young, healthy individuals between the ages of 15 and 35 years old resulting in a major life long disability burden.
How are brain and spinal cord injuries treated?
Treatment in each of these conditions consists of acute interventions to reduce the extent of permanent damage and longer term treatments aimed at rehabilitation and recovery. Clot busting drugs in the case of stroke, surgery and treatments to reduce brain swelling and inflammation are all potentially effective approaches to acute management of these conditions. However, while effective treatments exist for acute management of brain injury, treatment approaches for long term management focusing on recovery of function are much less well established.
What unique programs in brain injury and repair exist at KUMC?
A significant opportunity exists to have a major impact on the long-term morbidity and cost of brain injury conditions. KUMC is well poised to take advantage of this opportunity with more than a dozen faculty members from various departments working on aspects of brain injury and recovery of function. Many of their accomplishments have received international recognition. Another strength of the KUMC research in this field as use of state-of-the-art non-invasive imaging capabilities at the Hoglund Brain Imaging Center to help us understand and facilitate brain plasticity in human stroke survivors.
| Name | Affiliation |
|---|---|
| Belousov, Andrei | Molecular Integrative Physiology - KUMC |
| Berman, Nancy | Anatomy and Cell Biology - KUMC |
| Brooks, William | Hoglund Brain Imaging Center - KUMC |
| Bruses, Juan | Anatomy and Cell Biology - KUMC |
| Cheney, Paul | Molecular and Integrative Physiology - KUMC |
| Cirstea, Carmen | Hoglund Brain Imaging Center - KUMC |
| Festoff, Barry | Neurology and Pharmacology - VAMC |
| Frost, Shawn | Landon Center on Aging - KUMC |
| Gronseth, Gary | Neurology - KUMC |
| Honea, Robin | Alzheimer and Memory Program |
| Hanna-Pladdy, Brenda | Landon Center on Aging - KUMC |
| Kluding, Patricia | SAH Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Sciences - KUMC |
| Liu, Wen | SAH Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Sciences - KUMC |
| Lundquist, Erik | Molecular Biosciences - KU |
| Moncure, Michael | Trauma and Critical Care - KUMC |
| Nudo, Randolph | Landon Center on Aging - KUMC |
| Pollack, Ania | Neurosurgery - KUMC |
| Quaney, Barbara | Landon Center on Aging - KUMC |
| Radel, Jeffrey | SAH Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Sciences - KUMC |
| Terry, John | Neurology - KUMC |
| Weiner, Carl | Obstetrics and Gynecology - KUMC |
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The University of Kansas Medical Center