NIH-funded research Sbir 1 grant

Improving cognitive skills after a mild brain injury

Official title: Retraining Neural Pathways to Improve Cognitive Skills after a Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI)

Funded at Perception Dynamics Institute · NIH-10864051 · Data updated 2026-11-12

This study is testing a new training program called PATH that helps people recover their thinking skills after a mild brain injury, like a concussion, by improving how they process visual information.

Quick facts

Grant typeSbir 1 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionPerception Dynamics Institute
NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Encinitas, UNITED STATES)
Project startJuly 1, 2023
Project endJune 30, 2026
Funding year2024
Award (this year)$483,348
NIH project number5R43NS132718-02
Project IDNIH-10864051 on NIH RePORTER

Who could benefit from this research

Could help

Ideal candidates for this research are individuals who have recently experienced a mild traumatic brain injury and are facing cognitive challenges.

Less likely to help

Patients with severe traumatic brain injuries or those who do not have cognitive impairments related to mTBI may not benefit from this research.

What this research studies

This research focuses on developing targeted interventions to help individuals recover cognitive skills following a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). With over 2.5 million concussions occurring annually in the U.S., many patients experience significant cognitive impairments that affect their daily lives. The study introduces a movement-discrimination intervention called PATH training, which aims to stimulate specific neural pathways associated with visual processing and cognitive function. By addressing timing deficits in visual events, the research seeks to enhance cognitive abilities that are often compromised after an mTBI.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to effective rehabilitation strategies that significantly improve cognitive function and quality of life for mTBI patients.

How similar studies have gone: While the approach of retraining neural pathways is gaining interest, this specific intervention is novel and has not been extensively tested in prior studies.

Where this research is happening

  • Perception Dynamics Institute
    Encinitas, United States
    Active

Researchers

  • Principal investigator: Lawton, Teri a — Perception Dynamics Institute
  • Study coordinator: Lawton, Teri a

Related research

Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.
Last reviewed 2026-11-14 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.