Our intervention research focuses largely on treatments that operate on two levels: behavioural and neural. 

Behaviourally, we examine the ability of relatively established interventions - such as Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Goal Management Training and Mindfulness Meditation - to improve mood and cognitive functioning in patients with enduring effects of brain injury or multiple concussions. We also assess the feasibility of remote, group-based delivery; whether the efficacy of individual treatments improves when they delivered in combination (i.e., one after the other); and, we examine predictors of response to treatment - i.e., who does and doesn’t respond, and why.  

At a neural level, we are interested in the ability of these treatments to offset the hippocampal decline we have observed. Because we have found an association between elevated anxiety and hippocampal atrophy in TBI patients, and between reduced environmental enrichment (i.e., intensive cognitive stimulation that is continuously challenging, novel and engaging) and increased hippocampal atrophy, we predict that these treatments should mitigate these deleterious hippocampal changes in the chronic stages of injury.

In addition to treatments that require a therapist to deliver the intervention (as described above), we are also engaged in the development of self-administered interventions. Such “self-operating tools” allow for much greater scaleability. Once efficacy is shown, we can provide the interventions to anyone with internet access pro bono. Here, a central program of research harnesses important research findings on “allocentric spatial navigation” (navigating from a “bird’s eye” perspective and creating a mental map of space), and on cognitive “environmental enrichment” , both of which favorably affect the hippocampi. Our intervention combines these findings into a self-administered navigational task that patients carry out on their home computers. We are also working to develop an "anger management" bracelet. 

We are actively recruiting for both lines of research. If you are interested or know someone that might be, please contact Kadeen Johns at Kadeen.Johns@uhn.ca or (416) 597-3422 x 7871.