Research Strategy for Department of Neurorehabilitation,
Traumatic Brain Injury, Rigshospitalet Neurocenter 2015-18
Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 1
Vision, Mission, and Strategy ....................................................................................................................... 1
Vision ......................................................................................................................................................... 1
Mission ...................................................................................................................................................... 2
Strategy...................................................................................................................................................... 2
Management and organization .................................................................................................................... 2
Table of current research projects ............................................................................................................... 3
1. Alterations in the brain’s connectome during recovery from severe Traumatic Brain Injury: a
longitudinal prospective study .................................................................................................................. 3
2. Development and validation of an instrument (scale) for the assessment of pain in patients with
decreased level of consciousness .............................................................................................................. 3
3.
Early mobilization following Severe Traumatic Brain Injury ............................................................. 4
4. Phlegethon project - a sociological - empirical project on the winners and losers in rehabilitation
after traumatic brain injury and stroke (contains several sub-projects)................................................... 4
5.
Muscle tone , Contractures Spasticity and Dystonia (contains several sub-projects) ..................... 4
6. The effect of intensive Facial Oral Tract Therapy® on swallowing function in patients with severe
dysphagia after traumatic brain injury ...................................................................................................... 4
7. Modified treatment environment for agitated behavior in patients with traumatic brain injury: a
controlled multicenter study ..................................................................................................................... 4
26. oktober 2016
E-mail: [email protected]
Introduction
This is a presentation of the research strategy for the Department of Neurorehabilitation TBI Unit,
Rigshospitalet Neurocenter. In 2005, the department formed the research unit: RUBRIC (Research Unit on
Brain Injury Rehabilitation Copenhagen). Because the department provides highly specialized hospitalbased rehabilitation, research within this field of rehabilitation was considered crucial, and now research is
considered part of daily clinical practice by all staff members.
The purpose of this strategy is to make clear ideas and goals to ensure continuity and quality of research.
Furthermore, the strategy provides the basis for short-term and long-term evaluation of the results
achieved.
The clinical department and its patients
The clinical department provides early rehabilitation for patients with the most severe brain injuries
following acute TBI and stroke, or similar patients with acquired brain injury. Patients are admitted directly
from neurointensive care facilities as soon as assisted ventilation is no longer necessary. The 22-bed
department includes four beds for patients younger than 18. Two beds are reserved for patients with
cuffed tracheal tubes. The median hospitalization stay is two months. Furthermore, the department has an
outpatient clinic, where follow up is performed two months, 12 months, and 18 months after discharge. In
addition, the outpatient clinic receives patients who have particular needs that require multidisciplinary
work up, for instance swallowing problems, spasticity, and other conditions. In 2020, a new
neurorehabilitation facility will increase the number of beds for rehabilitation to approximately three-times
the current level.
The multidisciplinary staff includes medical doctors, nurses, physiotherapists and occupational therapists,
speech and language pathologists, neuropsychologists and social workers.
We report data to two clinical databases. One is the Dansk Hovedtraume Database (DHD), a nationwide
database with data recorded since 2004 on all patients in Denmark with the most severe TBI. The second
database includes data on all patients admitted to the present department since the department opened in
2000. Both databases are designed to monitor quality of rehabilitation and work up, but also to provide
data for research.
Vision, Mission, and Strategy
Vision
RUBRIC’s vision is to be at the forefront of innovative clinical and translational rehabilitation research. We
will focus on prognosis, prevention, and treatment of the neurological manifestations following severe
brain injury in an attempt to improve overall quality of life after brain injury.
To us, innovative clinical and translational rehabilitation research means:
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Clinical research is performed according to patients’ needs and is conducted at an internationally
competitive level.
Research projects may include rehabilitation devices and techniques.
Research planning takes into account that results must be translated into information about
prognosis, treatment, and rehabilitation to the benefit of patients, relatives, and care givers.
Knowledge of patients’ and relatives’ experiences, requirements, and resources is used to support
life after severe brain injury, and to support health care professionals, and society.
Mission
RUBRIC’s mission is to create innovative and ground-breaking new knowledge for patients, relatives, and
society at a high professional and ethical level.
Strategy
 We are a trustworthy and inclusive research unit for our national and international colleagues.
 We aim to establish research projects with leading experts within each field of research.
 We will recruit new students and researchers.
 We will continuously establish collaborations with students within the medical, nursing,
physiotherapist, occupational therapist, speech and language pathologist, and neuropsychologist
professions at bachelor and master’s degree levels.
 It is our ambition to have two to three PhD students at all times within the aforementioned
professions.
 Before 2017, we intend to have associate professorships within the medical, nursing,
physiotherapist, and occupational therapist professions.
 In 2020, we will have a newly formed professorship in brain injury rehabilitation.
 We will apply for grants from national and international public and private foundations. Fifty
percent of our research will be supported by external grants.
 We intend to increase the number of publications from RUBRIC, particularly in international peerreviewed journals, but also in teaching books and journals specific for the professions of interest.
 The research staff members are required to register publications in PURE.
Management and organization
The managers of RUBRIC are Ingrid Poulsen, and Lars Peter Kammersgaard, consultant neurologist.
Research meetings are held once per month for the whole department.
RUBRIC holds regular meetings twice per month.
In an effort to monitor research and maintain the notion that research is part of daily clinical practice in the
department, the following points apply to all research:
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All ideas and outlines for potential projects are presented at the aforementioned monthly research
meetings to enable discussion of pros and cons.
RUBRIC managers make sure that research results and publications are presented at the monthly
research meetings.
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Research projects must be approved by RUBRIC managers and the heads of the DNTU.
Before projects are commenced, a presentation must be made at a multidisciplinary staff meeting
to ensure that the clinical staff has received information about the projects. A copy of the research
protocol must be available at the clinic.
A research project cannot be launched before an approved protocol has been prepared. Apart
from an ethics approval and approval from the Danish Data Protection Agency, the protocol must
include a time schedule and disclosure of the financial issues
Upon completion of research projects, implementation in daily clinical practice must be
considered.
Researchers presenting results from the clinic also have to present these results within the clinic.
Prior to submission of research articles, abstracts etc. researchers must inform their closest leader.
Approval by the heads of RUBRIC is mandatory before submission of abstracts, articles etc. This is
to ensure scientific validity and correctly stated name and affiliation of the department.
Research members should consult other RUBRIC members when preparing protocols and
conducting research projects (funding applications, applications to the Danish Data Protection
Agency (Datatilsynet), applications to the ethics commitees (Videnskabsetisk Komité).
Rules according to the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), also known as
the Vancouver group, apply to all publications from the department.
Table of current research projects
1. Alterations in the brain’s connectome during recovery from severe Traumatic Brain Injury: a
longitudinal prospective study
Participants: Lars Peter Kammersgaard (RUBRIC) and Professor Hartwig Siebner (Danish Research Centre for
Magnetic Resonance, DRCMR). PhD student Sara Hesby Andreasen (DRCMR), Specialist nurse Karen Busted
Larsen (RUBRIC), Post doc Virginia Conde Ruiz (DRCMR), and Research manager Ingrid Poulsen (RUBRIC).
The project includes several additional researchers from DRCMR.
Start 2014 – end 2017
2. Development and validation of an instrument (scale) for the assessment of pain in patients with
decreased level of consciousness
Participants: Research manager Ingrid Poulsen (RUBRIC) and Professor John Whyte (Moss Rehabilitation
Research Center). Specialist nurse and PhD student Rikke Guldager, Assistant nurse Marianne Eskildsen,
Assistant nurse Simone Hansen, Consultant neurosurgeon Arnar Astradsson. The project includes several
additional researchers from Moss Rehabilitation Research Center.
Start 2013 – end 2017
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3. Early mobilization following Severe Traumatic Brain Injury
Participants: PhD student Christian Gunge Riberholt (RUBRIC), Professor Kirsten Moller,
Neuroanaesthesiology Clinic, Rigshospitalet, Research director Jesper Mehlsen, Coordinating Research
Centre, Frederiksberg Hospital
Start 2016 – end 2019
4. Phlegethon project - a sociological - empirical project on the winners and losers in
rehabilitation after traumatic brain injury and stroke (contains several sub-projects)
Participants: Research leader Professor Kristian Larsen, Ph.D. (Aalborg University), Research manager Ingrid
Poulsen, Ph.D. (RUBRIC), Nursing specialist Ph.D. student Rikke Guldager (RUBRIC), and several researchers
from Copenhagen University Hospital, Aalborg University, Regional Hospital Hammel Neuro Center,
Metropol VIA, and The City of Copenhagen.
Start 2015 – end 2018
5. Muscle tone, Contractures, Spasticity and Dystonia (contains several sub-projects)
Participants: Physiotherapist Susanne Kirk Baagøe (RUBRIC), cand. Scient. Mathilde Kofoed-Hansen
(Movitec), Professor Jens Bo Nielsen KU, postdoc Jacob Lorentzen Helene Elsass Center, Research manager
Ingrid Poulsen, Ph.D. (RUBRIC), Consultant Lars Kammersgaard, dr. med sci. (RUBRIC).
Start 2014 – end 2017
6. The effect of intensive Facial Oral Tract Therapy® on swallowing function in patients with severe
dysphagia after traumatic brain injury
Participants: Occupational therapy specialist Daniela Jakobsen (RUBRIC), Research manager Ingrid Poulsen
(RUBRIC), Ph.D., Professor Rainer Seidl, Universität Klinik für Kinder- und Jugend Heilkunde Vienna, Austria,
Ph.D. patholinguistik Corinna Schultheiss, Unfallkrankenhaus, Berlin, Germany.
Start 2014- end 2017
7.
Modified treatment environment for agitated behavior in patients with traumatic brain injury: a
controlled multicenter study
Participants: Research manager Ingrid Poulsen, Ph.D. (RUBRIC), Professor Ingrid Egerod RH, Ph.D. Leanne
Long Horn, AAU and Lena Aadal, Ph.D. Regional Hospital Hammel Neuro Center.
Start 2015- end 2018
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