Brain and spinal cord injuries can occur at any age and often result in permanent disability. As we age, certain kinds of brain injuries, such as those associated with stroke, are much more frequent; the likelihood of stroke doubles with each decade after the age of 50.
Stroke is the third leading cause of death in America with 750,000 new cases each year.
Spinal cord injury occurs in nearly 15,000 individuals per year in the United States, leaving about 10,000 permanently paralyzed.
Each year, U.S. emergency departments treat an estimated 173,285 sports- and recreation-related TBIs, including concussions, among children and adolescents, from birth to 19 years.
Unique programs in brain injury and repair at KUMC
KUMC investigators are recognized worldwide for their basic research in brain injury and repair. Physicians and scientists in the Brain Injury and Repair Division are performing cutting-edge research to develop new and better methods to diagnose and treat injuries to the nervous system, and are testing novel interventions to allow for better and faster recovery.
- Novel drug treatments are being developed to protect the brain from further damage after an injury occurs.
- New exercise and physiotherapy interventions are being tested in clinical trials.
- Partnering with scientists in engineering and computer science, KUMC scientists are developing next-generation brain implants for directly repairing brain circuits.
- Basic scientists and physicians work closely together to make breakthroughs in brain repair strategies that will make the most difference in improving quality of life for patients with brain injuries.
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 receiving international recognition for their work on aspects of brain injury and recovery of function.
Another strength of our research in this field is the 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.
