The Brain Behaviour Laboratory is dedicated to furthering the knowledge of brain behavior, specifically towards expanding our understanding of what therapies positively alter patterns of brain activity after injury or with neurological disease processes. The lab is comprised of dedicated students and staff who in collaboration with senior scientists and volunteers from the community work to answer these important questions in relation to optimizing rehabilitation techniques.
Research in the Brain Behaviour Laboratory examines the relationships between brain function and behavior after central nervous system damage from stroke. The work conducted in this laboratory essentially seeks to integrate two fields of study: the neurobiology of motor learning and the neural science of recovery from stroke. The research focus is to understand how best to stimulate neural plasticity to facilitate motor learning and recovery of function after stroke or other forms of acquired brain injury.
Ultimately, the main goal of work conducted in the Brain Behaviour Laboratory is to understand how learning is operationalized by the damaged brain to reconceptualize rehabilitation interventions. Damage to the adult brain results in a variety of structural and physiological changes. Despite this, the research team has demonstrated that capability for motor learning is disrupted but not abolished by brain damage. This lab has demonstrated the absolute necessity of considering lesion location as a major factor in predicting deficits and outcomes after stroke. As a result, it has become clear that lesion location must be an area of emphasis when evaluating the potential for recovery and determining a course of rehabilitation after stroke.