DoD Psychological Health/ Traumatic Brain Injury Research Program, Complex Traumatic Brain Injury Rehabilitation Research Clinical Research Award

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The FY17/18 PH/TBIRP CTRR–CRA Program Announcement supports applied and translational research to advance the development of knowledge and materiel products for rehabilitation and restoration of function following TBI. PIs should explain how their work will inform the development, refinement, and/or revision of existing standards of care, clinical recommendations, or guidelines. TBI is defined as being caused by (1) a direct blow or impact to the head, (2) a penetrating head injury, or (3) an exposure to external forces such as blast waves that disrupt the function of the brain. Not all blows to the head or exposure to external forces result in a TBI. The severity of TBI may range from “mild,” a brief change in mental status or consciousness, to “severe,” an extended period of unconsciousness or confusion after the injury. Definitions of TBI severity can be found in Table 1 of the VA/DoD Clinical Practice Guideline for the Management of Concussion-Mild Traumatic Brain Injury. The FY17/18 PH/TBIRP CTRR–CRA supports clinical research but not clinical trials. Supported research can include observational research studies. The FY17/18 PH/TBIRP CTRR–CRA is intended to support clinical research focused on understanding the clinical sequelae and mechanisms of recovery associated with TBI and TBI rehabilitation interventions. The overarching goals of this award are to address TBI-related impairments and deficits including sensory, sensorimotor, and cognitive dysfunction to (1) develop and validate rehabilitation outcome measures; (2) define and evaluate mechanisms of injury progression or recovery associated with rehabilitation interventions; and (3) improve clinician-driven assessment strategies to guide return-to-duty decision making.

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