A $435,689 grant aims to advance the understanding and treatment of sleep disturbances in adolescents recovering from traumatic brain injury.

Summary: Kessler Foundation scientists received a $435,689 grant from the New Jersey Commission on Brain Injury Research to study sleep disorders in adolescents with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Led by Anthony Lequerica, PhD, the research will focus on sleep-wake cycle regulation and its impact on rehabilitation outcomes. This study could lead to better clinical care routines and improved long-term recovery for adolescents with TBI.

Key Takeaways:

The Kessler Foundation received a grant to study how sleep disorders affect adolescents recovering from traumatic brain injuries (TBI).
Anthony Lequerica’s research will focus on objectively measuring sleep-wake cycles to better understand their role in the rehabilitation of young TBI patients.
The findings from this study could lead to improved clinical care practices and enhanced long-term rehabilitation outcomes for adolescents with TBI.

Kessler Foundation scientists received three grants from the New Jersey Commission on Brain Injury Research to further investigate traumatic brain injury (TBI) rehabilitation, including one that will fund initiatives focused on improving sleep disorders in adolescents after TBI.

A $435,689 grant will fund a study by Anthony Lequerica, PhD, senior research scientist in the Center for Traumatic Brain Injury Research, titled “Sleep-wake objective measurement of adolescents navigating traumatic brain injury.” TBI often results in disruption of brain processes involved in the regulation of the sleep-wake cycle.

Lequerica’s study aims to investigate sleep patterns to understand their importance for adolescents recovering from TBI. This research can help individuals with TBI achieve their treatment goals more effectively during rehabilitation.

“This study will pave the way for future research to make objective sleep-wake measurement a routine part of clinical care for adolescents with TBI,” says Lequerica in a release. “It may help identify those in need of further evaluation and develop better treatments to improve inpatient rehabilitation experiences and long-term outcomes.”

The other grants will fund new research initiatives focused on behavioral and brain changes in individuals with spatial neglect and a training program for TBI caregivers.