Cognitive impairments are common after a variety of brain diseases and insults and are a source of persistent disability in many individuals. Such disabilities result in loss of independence, substantial economic costs, and emotional burden to those affected and their caregivers. Current approaches to cognitive rehabilitation lack a rigorous evidence base. Yet advances in cognitive neuroscience as well as a variety of neurophysiologic techniques set the stage to develop and test new therapies to improve cognitive function. This Core is a collaborative effort of investigators at the Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute and the University of Pennsylvania, which seeks to synthesize and disseminate tools necessary to refine promising treatments for cognitive impairment, understand their mechanisms of action, and gather preliminary data about their clinical impact to support larger efficacy trials. Expertise in advanced neurophysiologic techniques (fMRI, ERP, IMS) will be combined with sophistication in cognitive theory, behavioral experimental designs, medical informatics, and naturalistic functional assessment, in order to allow investigators from a variety of fields to augment their existing skills for cognitive rehabilitation research. This multidisciplinary expertise will be disseminated broadly through web-based methods and courses and symposia tied to relevant professional meetings. Outside experts will be invited to visit the Core and contribute their expertise and consultation to the development of training materials and course content. The Core will also provide individualized research methods consultation, brief preceptorships for individuals seeking to learn focused skills, pilot funding, 3 and 6-month sabbaticals during which investigators will gather preliminary data to support larger extramural funding proposals. Importantly, a subject recruitment infrastructure within the Core will make it feasible for visiting or remote collaborators to identify appropriate subjects for study during brief research visits.
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