Executive Functioning Measured After Brain Injury

The University of Washington is one of three universities to receive a five-year National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant to investigate executive functions following moderate to severe traumatic brain injury. The lead center is at Baylor, and the third collaborating center is at Emory.

The researchers will use functional magnetic resonance imaging to obtain pictures of the brain as it performs executive function tasks. Executive functions include working memory, planning, and flexibility in problem solving.

In one study researchers will attempt to characterize cortical representation of executive functions in patients with moderate to severe traumatic brain injury, and to define changes that may shed light on potential mechanisms for recovery. This study also will examine the relationship between patterns of brain activation and performance on traditional measures of executive functions.

A second project, a randomized clinical trial, will examine the effects of methylphenidate in improving working memory in such patients and will explore the potential mechanisms responsible for treatment response.

The UW research team includes Dr. Sureyya Dikmen, professor of rehabilitation medicine, Dr. Nancy Temkin, associate professor of neurological surgery and biostatistics, and Dr. Elizabeth Aylward, professor of radiology.