Research Cores

Brain Stimulation Core Capabilities

The Brain Stimulation (BSTIM) Core builds on a series of brain stimulation laboratories currently distributed across the MUSC campus. This extensive brain stimulation resource provides opportunities through training, quality control and collaborative grant-seeking, and ultimately incubates and facilitates world-class research. Organizing diagnostic and therapeutic functions within a common core provides much needed synergy. The BSTIM Core enables the development of patient-specific rehabilitation, leading to improved outcomes for those with disability after stroke.

Brain stimulation is a field of unusual promise, offering new tools for brain discovery and a new class of therapeutics likely distinct from those intrinsic to pharmacological interventions. Yet, it is also a field whose clinical applications are spread across neurology, neurosurgery, psychiatry and rehabilitation, and whose basic research approaches have yet to integrate into an identified specialty (akin to the field of pharmacology in the last century). The BSTIM Core serves as a local, statewide, national and international focal point for integrating and developing this new science, with a specific focus on how to use this knowledge to enhance post-stroke recovery.

Core Resources

• Animal BSTIM
• Bihemi paired pulse
• Brainsight
• Neurophysiological tools
• PAS system
• rTMS
• tDCS

Core Services

1. Basic TMS-measured neurophysiology (Motor Threshold, Cortical Silent Period, Paired Pulse, and Recruitment Curves).
2. Image-guided stimulation.
3. More specialized approaches such as bi-hemispheric paired pulse for transcallosal measurements and paired-associative stimulation for measures of hemispheric plasticity.
4. Invasive and noninvasive brain stimulation in animal models.

If you're interested in the capabilities of the Brain Stimulation Core for stroke recovery research, you may also be interested in learning more about its capabilities can be applied to to the study of rehabilitation at the National Center of Neuromodulation for Rehabilitation website.

Clinical & Translational Tools & Resources Core Capabilities

The Clinical and Translational Tools and Resources (CTTR) Core leverages CTSA infrastructure in research coordination and recruitment, biomedical informatics and biostatistics. CTTR’s recruitment efforts partner with the SCTR Biomedical Informatics group to maintain and enhance a new Registry for Stroke Recovery (RESTORE) incorporating CTSA best practices and informatics standards. CTTR also leverages the outstanding expertise with applications to neuroscience in the Division of Biostatistics and Epidemiology at MUSC.

CTTR Resources

RESTORE provides a powerful new research tool, integrating data from multiple sources for targeted queries. The data from all of the individual projects will be aggregated and synthesized into a whole that will be greater than the sum of its parts. For feasibility studies, it gives investigators the power to determine realistic sample sizes and availability of data/specimens in the project design phase. After project initiation, this tool accelerates data analysis and expands breadth of data available through the combination of demographics, clinical measures, quantitative data, treatment outcomes, and genetic data (when available) into a single readily queried database. Furthermore, links to the complete data sets (including time series) from the science cores (e.g., neuromechanical data from behavioral measurements such as gait analyses, neurophysiological data from TMS protocols, and neuroimaging data from structural or functional MRI scans) allows highly innovative follow-up studies as new analyses are developed by the science cores and as new multidisciplinary concepts are generated through integrating the comprehensive data set.

Neuroimaging Core Capabilities

The Neuroimaging (NI) Core strengthens a strong, “disease agnostic” university resource – the Center for Biomedical Imaging. Specifically, the NI Core creates the infrastructure to support stroke recovery and rehabilitation research by supplying both training and mentoring to SCRCRS investigators and appropriate support staff to develop advanced methods and analysis in this area. Notably, the NI Core is the lead model that will prove the concept that institutional investment in cutting-edge resources with widespread biomedical research applications will drive the development of disease-specific, programmatically-critical, specialized resources.

Core Resources

The NI Core utilizes two major imaging scanners that are dedicated to research: a Siemens 3T Vario (human studies) and a 7T Bruker BioSpec 70/30 MRI (animal studies).

Specialized Resources

The NI Core utilizes a special purpose 10-channel head coil, constructed to allow the simultaneous acquisition of MR images and the application of TMS inside the scanner. As one of approximately a dozen institutions around the world capable of acquiring this type of data, the NI Core can probe the mechanisms underlying the success of TMS, aiding therapy in the functional recovery from stroke.

If you're interested in the capabilities of the Neuroimaging Core for stroke recovery research, you may also be interested in learning more about its capabilities can be applied to to the study of rehabilitation at the National Center of Neuromodulation for Rehabilitation website.

Quantitative Behavioral Assessment & Rehabilitation Core Capabilities

The Quantitative Behavioral Assessment and Rehabilitation (QBAR) Core builds on four established laboratories within the College of Health Professions that provide state-of-the-art measurements of behavioral function (e.g., 3-D kinematics, kinetics, and electromyography) and rehabilitation interventions (locomotor, constraint-induced movement, and intensive task-oriented upper extremity training) in persons with hemiparesis post-stroke.

Core Resources

Upper Extremity Rehabilitation Lab

The mission of this MUSC and VA supported lab is to generate and implement innovative, scientifically-based rehabilitation interventions to improve recovery of upper extremity (UE) motor function after neurological injury/disease. The lab features a one of a kind Virtual Environment, an interactive computer game called Duck Duck Punch, to retrain post-stroke UE movement. The system was designed, developed, and licensed by a uniquely collaborative interprofessional research team with expertise in stroke rehabilitation and computer science.

Upper Extremity Motor Assessment Lab

Using state of the art equipment, MUSC and VA investigators utilize the UE motor assessment lab to quantify an individual’s UE movement patterns (kinematics), muscle activity (electromyography), and postural control (forceplate bench) while performing functional activities. These data are combined with assessments of “real world” UE use such as rating scale assessments of function and/or wrist-worn activity monitors in order to inform rehabilitation programs uniquely tailored to individuals’ specific impairments and goals.

Locomotor Energetics & Assessment Laboratory

Cutting-edge instrumentation in this laboratory includes: 12-camera motion capture system (PhaseSpace, Inc.); instrumented split belt treadmill (Bertec, Inc.) with incline; custom-made system for balance perturbation during treadmill walking (Aretech); 16 channel EMG system; safety harness for treadmill walking; metabolic cart (Quark CPET, Cosmed) with integrated 12-lead ECG (Quark C12x, Cosmed) for measurement of physiologic performance; and a variety of other specialized instrumented measurement equipment.

Locomotor Rehabilitation Laboratory

This laboratory houses a ZeroG mobile body weight support system (the 6th one installed nationally) designed to create a permissive environment for retraining walking ability over a treadmill (customized Woodway split-belt treadmill with integrated therapist seating) as well as over level ground, with environmental obstacles, up a set of steps, or even on exercise equipment such as a Precor elliptical trainer. Additional equipment include a Shuttle System lower extremity exercise machine for training cardiovascular endurance as well as lower extremity strength and power; step activity monitors; accelerometric, gyroscopic, and inertial sensor systems; and a Gaitrite Platinum instrumented walkway for spatiotemporal measurements with an M2 system for spatiotemporal measurement of mobility tasks other than straight line walking. Assessments during rehabilitation also are made possible with an 8-camera active marker based motion capture system (PhaseSpace, Inc.) and 16 channel EMG system (Delsys, Inc.).

Motor Performance Laboratory

This laboratory is equipped with a diagnostic ultrasound machine (GE Logiq i), Biodex Pro System 4 isokinetic dynamometer to assess muscular performance, 8-channel EMG system (Motion Lab Systems), multi-gym, and various other exercise equipment (3 bikes, 2 treadmills, a safety support system to prevent falls, elliptical trainer, and jump trainer).

If you're interested in the capabilities of the Quantitative Behavioral Assessment and Rehabilitation Core for stroke recovery research, you may also be interested in learning more about how its capabilities can be applied to to the study of rehabilitation at the National Center of Neuromodulation for Rehabilitation website.