Current Research Program at the Brain Injury Rehabilitation Unit

The BIRU currently has a wide ranging research program in the area of TBI rehabilitation focusing on neuropathological, rehabilitation, psychosocial, and behavioural issues as well as the efficacy of staff training. Within these broad parameters, research covers descriptive, assessment, treatment, and outcome oriented projects as well as examination of underlying injury processes.

Projects are conducted internally as well as in partnership with academic institutions and other rehabilitation agencies at a state, national and international level.

For a list of current research projects that the BIRU is involved with, click here.
For more information about the Family Outcome Study, click here.

Recent and forth coming publications from the unit include:

References
Metcalf, K. Langdon, R., & Colheart, M. (in press). Models of confabulation: a critical review and a new framework. Cognition Neuropsychology.

Sabaz, M., Lawson, J.A., Cairns, D.R., Duchowny, M.S., Resnick, T.J., Dean, P.M., Bleasel, A.F., and Bye, A.M.E. (2006). The impact of epilepsy surgery on quality of life in children. Neurology, 66, 557-561.

Simpson, G.K., and Long, E. (2004). An evaluation of sex education and information resources and their provision to adults with traumatic brain injury. Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation 19, 413-427.

Tate, R.L. (2003). Impact of pre-injury factors on outcome after severe traumatic brain injury: Does post-traumatic personality change represent an exacerbation of pre-morbid traits? Neuropsychological Rehabilitation  13(1-2),
43-64. 

Tate, R.L., Strettles, B., and Osoteo, T. (2003). Enhancing outcomes after traumatic brain injury: A social rehabilitation approach. In: Wilson BA (ed). Neuropsychological Rehabilitation: Theory & Practice. (pp. 139-169). Lisse, The Netherlands: Swets and Zeitlinger.

Moseley, A.M., Lanzarone, S., Bosman, J.M., van Loo, M.A., de Brie RA, and Hassett, L. (2004). Ecological validity of walking speed assessment after traumatic brain injury: a pilot study. Journal of Head Trauma and Rehabilitation 19, 341-348.

For a full list of the BIRU publications, click here.

Current research projects

Domain	Chief Investigator	Partnership	Research type	Funding1
Neuropathological
PTA/MRI study	Dr Hodgkinson/Research Officer	BIRU only	Assessment	MAA grant
APO-E study2	Dr Hodgkinson/Research Officer	BIRU only	Underlying Processes	MAA grant
PTA study	A/Prof R Tate/Anne Pfaff	Rehab Studies Unit	Assessment	MAA grant
Rehabilitation
ICU measures and long term rehabilitation outcome	Dr Hodgkinson/Dr John Estelle/Research Officer	BIRU/Liverpool ICU	Outcome	BIRU Resources
Brain Injury Outcome Study3	A/Prof R Tate	Rehab Studies Unit	Outcome	Commonwealth/ State/MAA grants
TLU Outcomes	Research Officer/Residential Service Manager	BIRU only	Outcome	BIRU Resources
Physiotherapy	Dr Anne Moseley/Leanne Hassett	Rehab Studies Unit	Treatment	MAA grant
Evaluation of gym based vs home based fitness programs	Leanne Hassett	BIRU/Rehab Studies Unit	Treatment	MAA grant
Goal setting	Dr Pym Kuipers/Research Officer	ABIOS Queensland	Treatment	ARC grant
Evaluate impact of motor speech impairement	Dr Leanne Togher BIRU Speech therapists	University of Sydney/BIRU	Descriptive	Uni of Sydney grant
Interaction of people with TBI speech impairement: Outcomes for communication partners	Dr Leanne Togher Leisa Elliot	University of Sydney/BIRU	Treatment	Uni of Sydney grant
Empathy, attention and reasoning: Emotion recognition following TBI	Dr Skye McDonald Dr Adeline Hodgkinson	University of Sydney/BIRU	Assessment	ARC grant
TASIT Study	Dr Skye McDonald Dr Adeline Hodgkinson	University of Sydney/BIRU	Assessment	ARC grant
Psychosocial
Arabic project	Kevin Marron/Research Officer	NSW Brain Injury Association	Descriptive	NSW Aging and Disability Department grant
Parental impact study	Dr Malcolm Anderson/Research Officer	Avondale College College	Descriptive	Avondale
Suicidality after TBI	Grahame Simpson	BIRU only	Descriptive	MAA grant
Evaluation of sexuality resources	Grahame Simpson	BIRU only	Treatment	MAA grant
Development of carer training program	Barbara Strettles	BIRU/SWSAHS Carer respite Centre	Treatment	MAA grant
Staff training
Training brain injury staff in working with sexuality issues after TBI	Grahame Simpson Dr Samir Anwar Joan Wilson	BIRU/ ISIS centre Dunedin/ Palmerston North Centre, NZ	Training	BIRU Resources
Relative efficacy of one-day versus two-day sexuality training workshops	Grahame Simpson Jenny Todd Helen McQueen	BIRU/Grace McKellar Training centre Geelong/ABI Service Network Townsville	Training	Staff Resources
Upgrade of Head Injury Information Kit	Barabara Strettles	BIRU	Training	MAA grant
Behaviour
Sex Offending after TBI	Grahame Simpson	BIRU only	Descriptive	BIRU Resources

Footnotes:
1.Organisation/individual underlined awarded the grant.
2. For more about the APO-E study, click here.
3. For more about the BIOS study, click here