Research is important to understanding more about brain injury. Because of the complexity of brain injury, the need for research grows more and more important as we attempt to unlock the vast mystery of the brain and its functions.

Current Research Studies Needing Participants

Advocacy Skills for Family Caregivers

Do you provide a moderate or high level of care for an adult family member with brain injury?

The Oregon Center for Applied Sciences (ORCAS) is developing a new program to teach family members providing moderate or high levels of care for an adult family member with brain injury how to advocate for their loved one with a brain injury.

You can receive up to $100 to help develop and evaluate the program. This project takes place through June of 2009 and is funded by the National Institutes of Health and is in collaboration with the Brain Injury Association of America. There are no sales or mailing lists involved. All information is confidential. To see if you qualify:

Sign-up online: http://study.braininjurypartners.com or
Sign-up by calling toll-free: 1-866-730-3211

For questions about the study you can also email ORCAS at: braininjurypartners@orcasinc.com

Internet users with traumatic brain injury or multiple sclerosis wanted

Researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York have developed HealthOrganizer.org, a confidential “one stop” health management site for people with memory difficulties and other thinking problems related to traumatic brain injury or multiple sclerosis.  You can use this no cost website to

• Maintain your own medical history
• Track your medications
• Track your health care providers
• Keep a list of problems to discuss with your doctors
• Get reminders of medical appointments, medication refills, etc.
• Get information about brain injury and multiple sclerosis
• Get health tips

If you are a person with traumatic brain injury or multiple sclerosis and have regular access to the internet, you may be interested in using this website. It will not cost you anything to use the website. The benefits of the website are currently being evaluated, and all users must agree to allow the researchers to monitor how and when they use the website. All information will be kept strictly confidential.

If you wish to, you can also complete an interview before using the site and after you have used it for a few months; you will be reimbursed for your time.
More information is available at www.HealthOrganizer.org, or you may call 1-866- 622-1375
(GCO #03-0513 project 2 approved through 9/27/2007)

Traumatic Caregiver Stress and the Workplace

I am a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Memphis.  This survey was designed to learn what organizations could do to help working caregivers cope with family-work stress.  This survey was developed by organizational researchers at the University of Memphis and is not affiliated with any participating company.  However, the information obtained in this survey will help the researchers better understand practices that assist working caregivers and help companies manage their environments.  Your identity will remain anonymous, unless you voluntarily give your contact information at the end of the survey.   This study is approved by the Institutional Review Board of the University of Memphis.  If you meet the following three criteria, please help in educating organizations on how to help working caregivers: 1) Caregiver resulting from a severe unexpected, sudden event or shock to an immediate relative;  2) Carereceiver is an immediate relative (e.g., spouse, child, sibling, parent, etc.); and 3) Employed.  The estimated time to complete the survey is 15 minutes.  There are 142 questions.  Please complete the entire survey, you may take a break and resume from the place where you left off.  Your participation is sincerely appreciated.  Please click the following link to begin: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=244193622535

Karen R. Moffitt
Ph.D. Candidate
University of Memphis
Department of Management
202 Fogelman College of Business and Economics
Memphis, TN 38152

Study of a drug that may help individuals in the vegetative or minimally conscious state

Recently, there have been several case reports of minimally conscious individuals regaining consciousness in response to a drug that is already on the market for other purposes. Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute is conducting a study to see how often this type of positive response occurs and how significant the improvement is when it does occur. The study requires two day-long visits to MossRehab in Elkins Park. On one visit the individual will receive the study drug and on the other visit an inactive (placebo) drug. Both visits will be videotaped and the individual will be examined hourly for a drug response. If you are interested in having your family member participate in this study, and are able to travel to MRRI for the research, please contact Robin Myers, the study coordinator, for more details at: 215-663-6526 or email rosburn@einstein.edu. This study is funded by the Pennsylvania Dept. of Health and is approved by the Institutional Review Board of Albert Einstein Healthcare Network.