Gentle cranial osteopathic therapy to improve brain fluid flow and reduce inflammation
Official title: Cranial Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine Enhances Brain Fluid Flow Alleviating Neuroinflammation
Funded at Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine · NIH-11193951 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Gentle cranial osteopathic therapy aims to improve brain fluid movement and lower inflammation for people with traumatic or acquired brain injury.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Blacksburg, United States) |
| Project start | September 17, 2024 |
| Project end | June 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $387,729 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AT012910-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11193951 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People who have experienced a traumatic or other acquired brain injury and are looking for non-drug therapies to support recovery would be the most relevant candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People without a brain injury or whose symptoms are unrelated to post-injury inflammation are unlikely to benefit from this approach.
What this research studies
This work studies a hands-on cranial osteopathic technique that uses gentle movements of the head and spine to try to free soft tissues and improve fluid flow through the brain. Researchers will examine how those manipulations affect brain fluid clearance and the cholinergic nervous system using laboratory models of brain injury and biological measurements of inflammation. The team will link changes in inflammatory molecules and nervous-system signals to signs of neurological recovery, with the goal of guiding future treatments for people with brain injuries.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the approach could reduce brain inflammation after injury and support better cognitive and neurological recovery without drugs.
How similar studies have gone: Animal studies and preliminary data suggest altered cholinergic signaling after brain injury and some clinical use of osteopathic techniques, but rigorous clinical evidence that cranial OMM clears brain inflammation is limited.
Where this research is happening
-
Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine
Blacksburg, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Brolinson, Per Gunnar — Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine
- Study coordinator: Brolinson, Per Gunnar
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.