Goals
Ultimately, the main goal of work conducted in the Brain Behavior Laboratory is to disentangle the linkages between behaviour and brain function. This work has implications for basic neuroscience and clinical rehabilitation alike.
Methods
Research in the lab utilizes a variety of techniques depending on the study. Some of the more common assessments are the Wolf Motor Function Test and Fugl-Meyer to assess motor function and impairment and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment to look at cognitive impairment.
We use a bimanual robot located in the lab called the KINARM to look at proprioception (your ability to know where your limbs are without looking at them), as well as preform motor training for some of our intervention studies.
We also use a variety of techniques to look at the neurological underpinnings of behavior. The most common are Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) which we use to look at the plasticity and excitability of your brain. We use Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) to look at the structure and function of the brain as well as electroencephalography (EEG) to look at brain activity via observing your brain waves.