| Boys Town Hosts World Cerebral Palsy Day Event | https://tsthospital.boystown.org/news/world-cerebral-palsy-day | Boys Town Hosts World Cerebral Palsy Day Event | 2024-11-08T06:00:00Z | <p>The Boys Town National Research Hospital Institute for Human Neuroscience and Center for Human Performance Optimization hosted a rodeo-themed World Cerebral Palsy Day event on Oct. 6.<sup> </sup>Nearly 200 people gathered to celebrate and raise awareness for cerebral palsy.</p><p>“What we're trying to do is bring together the community and families that have children and adults who have cerebral palsy… just to celebrate them," said Max Kurz, Ph.D., director of the Physiology of Walking & Engineering Rehabilitation (PoWER) Lab.</p><p>The PoWER Lab is a neuroscience research lab that focuses on how people process sensory information and learn new motor skills. The research team collaborates with the Center for Human Performance Optimization to support the development of innovative, rehabilitative solutions for individuals with developmental disabilities.</p><p>The free event included a petting zoo, bounce houses, face painting, carnival games and plenty of sweet treats. Ability-inclusive games ensured that everyone was able to enjoy the day. </p><p>Local community sponsors also attended, hoping to raise awareness of services available to the cerebral palsy community in the Omaha area.<br></p> <br>
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| Groundbreaking Imaging Suite Opens at Boys Town National Research Hospital | https://tsthospital.boystown.org/news/revolutionary-opm-imaging-suite-grand-opening | Groundbreaking Imaging Suite Opens at Boys Town National Research Hospital | 2023-01-18T06:00:00Z | <p>At Boys Town National Research Hospital, the emphasis has and continues to be providing extraordinary care for children and their families. On December 15th, Boys Town took another large step toward that aim.</p><p>Tony Wilson, Ph.D., the director of the Institute for Human Neuroscience at Boys Town, and his team of renowned scientists became the second of only two facilities in the world to install a high-resolution Cerca® OPM-MEG (optically-pumped magnetometer – magnetoencephalogram) system. The OPM-MEG (or OPM) system is the most up to date MEG technology in the world, and the team at the Institute for Human Neuroscience are well equipped to capitalize on this opportunity. Not only are they the world’s leading institute for published research utilizing MEG technology, but they are also the leading research entity in MEG study funding in the United States, and the only institute in the world to house two next-generation MEG systems. It is, therefore, not surprising that the Institute was chosen from among many applicants from across the country to receive a high-end instrumentation grant (S10OD032468) from the National Institute of Health to fund this most recent technology, revolutionizing child and adolescent brain research. </p><h2>OPM = A Wearable MEG Scanner</h2><p>OPM (optically pumped magnetometry) is the first wearable MEG device that will allow researchers to study the brain activity of children from birth to 5 years old. The OPM system consists of a series of Lego-sized sensors attached to a helmet that can be worn by infants and toddlers, allowing them to move around and interact with their environment while scientists directly record their brain activity in real-time. The latest generation of high-resolution OPM has 128 channels, which provide enough brain coverage to look in-depth at where and how brain activity is generated in our youngest children. Similar technology is used in the next-generation MEG systems with the exception that traditional MEG sensors need to be cryogenically cooled, which means the sensors are fixed and cannot be worn on the head, limiting participant movement during scanning.</p><h2>Upcoming OPM Studies</h2><p>The first study Boys Town plans to conduct will be looking at infants in the first couple of months of life. Studies have been done on how brain structure changes during this time, but how that affects brain function has been beyond study until now. “We'll be able to observe the reactions within their brains as they are literally gaining awareness of the world," said Dr. Wilson, the Director of the Institute for Human Neuroscience and principal investigator of the Dynamic Imaging of Cognition and Neuromodulation (DICoN) laboratory. “We will be watching as they gain awareness of their parents and as they begin processing touch and language for the first time.</p><p>Max Kurz, Ph.D., principal investigator of the Physiology of Walking & Engineering Rehabilitation (PoWER) laboratory within Institute, plans to study how small children learn to control motor behavior and how the brains of young children with cerebral palsy develop differently than typically developing children. Children with cerebral palsy usually do not get formally diagnosed until they miss multiple motor milestones through development. These types of OPM studies will enable scientists to see and predict these missed milestones much earlier, and eventually use novel therapeutic interventions to prevent these milestones from being missed.</p><h2>The Future of OPM</h2><p>Currently, the OPM is only authorized for research use. However, following FDA approval, the OPM will open medical avenues that have been previously unavailable. For example, MEG is currently approved for use on patients with epilepsy to precisely map areas of seizure origin prior to surgery. Unfortunately, many infants and toddlers with epilepsy require surgery before they are old enough to lie still in a traditional MEG scanner. Yet, with wearable OPM technology, infants and toddlers will now be able to have the location of their epilepsy precisely and noninvasively mapped prior to surgery, which means that surgeons will have a much clearer picture of where to perform the procedure than ever before. This is just one of the many clinical applications for OPM that will expand treatment for very young patients.</p><h2>A Quantum Leap in Scanning</h2><p>The concept for the OPM system was conceived at the University of Nottingham, England in the Nobel-Prize-winning Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Center. Cerca Magnetics, a company formed by University of Nottingham scientists, was developed in 2020 to facilitate the development and manufacturing of the first wearable human OPM system.</p><p>The Cerca team worked in collaboration with QuSpin in the United States, to develop and fabricate the modern sensors that are used in Cerca OPM systems. Major benefits of QuSpin sensors are their small size, lightweight, and portability, which allows researchers to configure custom helmets for all ages that allow for placement of the sensors directly on the scalp.</p><p>Cerca researchers also worked with Magnetic Shields Limited in England, to build cutting-edge magnetically-shielded environment. These custom environments provide an ideal setting allowing scientists to take advantage of the sensitivity of OPM sensors without magnetic interference from the surrounding environment such as nearby traffic or other machinery. The collaboration between Cerca, QuSpin, the University of Nottingham, and Magnetic Shields Limited have led to the creation of the most sensitive, highest-density OPM systems currently available in the world.</p><p>The only other high-resolution OPM-MEG system aside from Boys Town is housed at the University of Nottingham, England.</p><h2>Watch the OPM System in Action!<br></h2><div class="embed-container">
<iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/786813422?h=0efc5c520d&badge=0&autopause=0&player_id=0&app_id=58479" frameborder="0" title="OPM Neuroscience Long Video.mp4" style="top:0px;left:0px;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe> </div><br> | | |
| Change Lives and Earn Money | https://tsthospital.boystown.org/news/change-lives-earn-money | Change Lives and Earn Money | 2022-06-14T05:00:00Z | <p>You can earn money, help advance science and change lives by participating in research studies this summer at Boys Town! Boys Town is looking for participants from all age groups to join our life-changing research studies. Participants can earn at least $15 per hour for their time. Studies are non-invasive and fun – and can help change the lives of children with hearing, communication, developmental, behavioral and mental health challenges. We need participants with and without these challenges.</p><p><a href="https://www.boystownhospital.org/research/participate">Browse our list of current openings</a> and sign up today! This is a great summer break activity for kids and adults alike! <strong>Don't see a study that fits you?</strong> Boys Town is always looking for research participants<a href="https://www.boystownhospital.org/research/participate">; sign up</a> to be notified of future studies. </p> | | |
| Boys Town National Research Hospital has been Awarded a $12.5 Million COBRE Grant to Study Pediatric Brain Health | https://tsthospital.boystown.org/news/btnrh-awarded-cobre-grant-to-study-pediatric-brain-health | Boys Town National Research Hospital has been Awarded a $12.5 Million COBRE Grant to Study Pediatric Brain Health | 2022-03-04T06:00:00Z | <p>Boys Town National Research Hospital will create a new Center for Pediatric Brain Health using funding from a $12.5 million COBRE (Center of Biomedical Research Excellence) grant that was recently awarded from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This grant is renewable at a similar funding level for up to 15 years. </p><p>The Center for Pediatric Brain Health will be an important new part of the recently created Institute for Human Neuroscience. Initially, the Center will support four early-career researchers who will focus on different issues affecting pediatric brain health, including radon exposure, pubertal hormone levels, the impact of hearing loss on language processing, emotional dysregulation, and how the emergence of psychiatric traits is related to brain network reconfiguration. </p><p>“This Center grant will lead to major breakthroughs in pediatric neuroscience and position Omaha, and particularly Boys Town, as an international hub for pediatric brain research and clinical care," said Tony Wilson, Ph.D., Patrick E. Brookhouser Endowed Chair for Cognitive Neuroscience, Director of the Institute for Human Neuroscience, and principal investigator at the Center for Pediatric Brain Health. “These centers are not very common, and centers focused on pediatrics are even more rare." </p><p>Boys Town Hospital is focused on taking the research conducted at the Center for Pediatric Brain Health and using it to develop the best treatment options to advance patient care in pediatric neurology and other specialties. </p><p>“Boys Town has a history of unwavering commitment to improving the lives of children and families," said Jason Bruce, M.D., Executive Vice President for Health Care and Director of Boys Town National Research Hospital. “The new Center for Pediatric Brain Health will allow us to explore deeper into neurological and mental health conditions and develop even better treatments and therapies for all children who need this care." </p><p>COBRE grants are meant to fund a succession of new researchers in a specific scientific area. As the four current investigators complete their studies, additional newly recruited researchers will move on to the grant. With the possibility of funding 12-15 scientists over 15 years. A COBRE grant is an exceptional way of supporting the next generation of researchers and building regional capacity for excellence in a specific target area, such as pediatric brain health. </p><p>Another important component of a COBRE grant is the mentorship structure it provides. Each researcher will have a Boys Town mentor that will work with them on their research protocols and establishing a line of research. In addition, each researcher will have an external mentor that is an expert in their field of study; these can be national or worldwide experts. The Center for Pediatric Brain Health will also have its own executive advisory committee filled with leading international researchers in the field. </p><p>Boys Town's Center for Hearing Research received a COBRE grant eight years ago to fund the Center for Perception and Communication in Children. With Lori Leibold, Ph.D., as the principal investigator, the Center received renewed funding at its five-year review. Boys Town National Research Hospital is also a research partner in Creighton University's first COBRE grant to fund its Translational Hearing Center.</p><p>
<img alt="Meet the first four neuroscience researchers at the Center for Pediatric Brain Health." src="https://assets.boystown.org/hosp_peds_images/P20-Researcher-banner.jpg" style="margin:5px;" />
<em>Meet the first four neuroscience researchers at the Center for Pediatric Brain Health. L to R: Elizabeth Heinrichs-Graham, Ph.D., Brittany Taylor, Ph.D., Tony Wilson, Ph.D., Director of the Center, Stuart White, Ph.D., and Gaelle Doucet, Ph.D.</em><br></p> | | |
| Supporting the Next Generation of Neuroscientists at Boys Town’s New Pediatric Center for Brain Health | https://tsthospital.boystown.org/news/supporting-next-generation-neuroscientists | Supporting the Next Generation of Neuroscientists at Boys Town’s New Pediatric Center for Brain Health | 2022-03-04T06:00:00Z | <p>Boys Town National Research Hospital received a $12.5 million COBRE (Center of Biomedical Research Excellence) grant from the National Institute to develop the next generation of neuroscientists…but the outcome this will have on pediatric neurological, mental, and behavioral health is priceless.</p><h2>Meet Our Researchers</h2><p>
<img class="ms-rtePosition-1 custom-is-rounded" alt="Gaelle Doucet" src="https://assets.boystown.org/hosp_peds_images/Doucet-Gaelle.jpg" style="width:140px;height:140px;margin-right:10px;margin-left:0px;" />
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<strong>Gaelle Doucet, Ph.D.</strong><br><a href="https://www.boystownhospital.org/research/institute-human-neuroscience/brain-architecture-imaging-cognition" target="_blank">Brain Architecture, Imaging and Cognition Laboratory</a><br>Dr. Doucet’s research aims to identify the role of all major brain networks in everyday life throughout the lifespan and how their functions change with aging. Her lab is studying how the brain adapts from adolescence to late adulthood, as well as why some individuals will develop mental disorders and whether we can predict or prevent the start of disorders.<br clear="all"></p><p>
<img class="ms-rtePosition-1 custom-is-rounded" alt="Elizabeth Heinrichs-Graham" src="https://assets.boystown.org/hosp_peds_images/Heinrichs-GrahamElizabeth_.jpg" style="width:140px;height:140px;margin-right:10px;margin-left:0px;" />
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<strong>Elizabeth Heinrichs-Graham, Ph.D.</strong><br><a href="https://www.boystownhospital.org/research/institute-human-neuroscience/casi" target="_blank">Cognitive and Sensory Imaging Laboratory</a><br>When performing cognitive and language tests, some children with hearing loss perform at or above the level of their normal-hearing peers, while others fall behind. Dr. Heinrichs-Graham’s lab uses brain imaging coupled with behavioral and audiometric testing to investigate the impact of mild-to-severe hearing loss, as well as the quantity and quality of therapeutic intervention, on brain, language, and cognitive function through development, with the ultimate goal of learning how we can optimize performance for all children who have hearing loss.<br clear="all"></p><p>
<img class="ms-rtePosition-1 custom-is-rounded" alt="Brittany Taylor" src="https://assets.boystown.org/hosp_peds_images/TaylorBrittany.jpg" style="width:140px;height:140px;margin-right:10px;margin-left:0px;" />
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<strong>Brittany Taylor, Ph.D.</strong><br><a href="https://www.boystownhospital.org/research/institute-human-neuroscience/neurodiversity" target="_blank">Neurodiversity Laboratory</a><br>About half of homes in eastern Nebraska and western Iowa test high for radon, a naturally occurring gas that builds up in homes and other buildings and is linked to the development of certain cancers in adulthood. Despite the known long-term consequences of radon exposure, the impacts on developing children are poorly defined. Dr. Taylor uses structural and functional neuroimaging, cognitive testing, and measures of health and inflammation to explore how home radon exposure impacts brain development in kids.<br clear="all"></p><p>
<img class="ms-rtePosition-1 custom-is-rounded" alt="Stuart White" src="https://assets.boystown.org/hosp_peds_images/WhiteStuart.jpg" style="width:140px;height:140px;margin-right:10px;margin-left:0px;" />
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<strong>Stuart White, Ph.D.</strong><br><a href="https://www.boystownhospital.org/research/institute-human-neuroscience/developmental-clinical-neuroscience" target="_blank">Developmental Clinical Neuroscience Laboratory</a><br>Dr. White’s lab works with healthy teens and youth who have serious emotional and behavioral problems (aggression, emotion regulation problems, impulsivity and other mental health/ behavioral problems) and/or exposure to traumatic events. He uses brain imaging and measures of endocrine function (hormones) to understand how changes due to puberty impact the neural systems involved in both trauma and serious behavioral problems.<br clear="all"></p>
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| New Center for Human Performance Optimization Is Awarded a Grant in Its First Month of Operation | https://tsthospital.boystown.org/news/grant-awarded-to-center-for-human-performance-optimization | New Center for Human Performance Optimization Is Awarded a Grant in Its First Month of Operation | 2021-12-21T06:00:00Z | <p>The Foundation for Physical Therapy Research announced the presentation of their 2021 Foundation for Physical Therapy Research Award to
<a href="https://www.boystownhospital.org/research/faculty/brad-corr">
<span style="text-decoration:underline;">Brad Corr,</span><span style="text-decoration:underline;"> PT, DPT, </span>
<span style="text-decoration:underline;">Associate Director of Physical Rehabilitation</span></a> at the
<a href="https://www.boystownhospital.org/research/institute-human-neuroscience/human-performance-optimization">
<span style="text-decoration:underline;">Center for Human Performance Optimization</span></a>, for his clinical trial “Powering Through Transition: Therapeutic Power Training for Adolescents and Adults with Cerebral Palsy."</p><p>Having just opened in November of 2021, the Center for Human Performance Optimization will benefit from this $40,000 grant.</p><p>“Launching the center with a grant establishes our momentum and enhances our opportunity to grow," Corr said. “This gets us right out of the gate with a grant. It allows us to collect data, and then we use that momentum to roll it into larger grants and additional projects."</p><h2>This Project and Beyond</h2><p style="text-align:justify;">The transition from childhood to adulthood for individuals with cerebral palsy (CP) is met with unique challenges. Power training, which requires moving quickly against resistance, is emerging as an intervention for pediatric physical therapists. This research intends to explore Therapeutic Power Training (TPT), which uses wearable technology often employed by elite athletes for visual feedback combined with functional movements to optimize mobility for adolescents and young adults with CP.</p><p>Corr felt that this grant was not only a vote of confidence in his research but also a tribute to the state-of-the-art facilities and world-class technology of both Boys Town's Institute for Human Neuroscience and Center for Human Performance Optimization.</p><p>“When you submit a project, you get feedback on the grant and there's always pros and cons," said Corr. “In this instance, the environment and the collaborators were cited as primary reasons this grant got funded. The resources at the center, as well as the research resources here at Boys Town, were noted by the reviewers as strengths of the project."</p><p>Brad Corr is a physical therapist by training with over 14 years of experience working with individuals who have intellectual and developmental disabilities across the lifespan. He pairs his clinical care expertise with equal experience in developing research and therapeutic interventions to support children with cerebral palsy and other physical disabilities.
<a href="https://www.boystownhospital.org/research/institute-human-neuroscience/human-performance-optimization">
<span style="text-decoration:underline;">Learn more about the Center for Human Performance Optimization</span></a>.</p> | | |
