We request funds to establish a COBRE brain-lesioned patient database core facility. The brain-lesioned patient database will interface with local clinicians and organizations to identify/enroll individuals with brainlesions (e.g. stroke, resection) or other relevant conditions (e.g. autism). The brain-lesioned patient database core will expand to accommodate demand for different brain-lesioned patient groups. The establishment of the brain-lesioned patient database core will fill a major gap in cognitive neuroscience research needs at UNR. This core will directly support Projects 1 (Berryhill) and 2 (Caplovitz). Here, we are building infrastructure for use by researchers from the Psychology, particularly Clinical Psychology, and Biology Departments, and at the Medical School. The core will be located at UNR in Northern Nevada, an area with large Hispanic and Native American communities, and a large underserved rural population. The presence of a brain-lesioned patient database will make research in brain-lesioned populations possible by reducing the administrative and logistical challenges of assembling patient cohorts. Furthermore, the brain-lesioned patient database will be designed by the Nevada INBRE: Bioinformatics Core. The long-term goal will be to interface with other brain-lesioned database centers, such as UC Davis and to extend coverage throughout Nevada. The state of Nevada has a potentially large, untapped brain-lesioned patient population that is currently impossible for Nevada researchers to adequately study because this type of core resource does not exist. This will allow for the accumulation of rare and diverse patient populations to advance our understanding ofthe brain and facilitate research and treatment. The brain-lesioned patient database will be housed in Mack Social Science (MSS 411). This core will be directed by Jeffrey Hutsler (Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, located in MSS 414). A database manager (TBN) will be hired from COBRE funding. Under Dr. Hutsler's supervision, the database manager will conduct neuropsychological screening tests and will schedule testing sessions.
The brain-lesioned patient database will support research in special populations from COBRE projects and other researchers with translational or special-population based research questions. COBRE researchers will directly benefit from the establishment of the brain-lesioned patient database.
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