Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond received a $50 million grant to oversee a research consortium of U.S. universities, hospitals and clinics that will study the long-term impacts of mild traumatic brain injuries on service members and veterans.
The $50 million grant will expand the work of the Chronic Effects of Neurotrauma Consortium, which was formed in 2012 to research post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury in service members and veterans. VCU was awarded $62 million for the previous research project and developed an EHR database of more than two million veterans and service members. The consortium also developed brain imaging, fluid biomarkers and electrophysiology technology to study all aspects of participants' brain recovery.
With the new grant, the Long-term Impact of Military-relevant Brain Injury Consortium will extend the analyses of participants' data collected by CENC and increase enrollment to more than 3,000 veterans and service members with multiple combat concussions. The researchers will be rolling out innovative prospective treatment models, including immersive virtual reality, according to CBS affiliate WTVR.