RIC's Research Offers Practical Solutions for Today and the Promise of Hope for Tomorrow

The Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (RIC) conducts more rehabilitation research than any other hospital in the United States. In fact, at RIC there are currently 240 research projects underway, funded by more than $19 million from generous donations and government grants. Research is an essential part of RIC's mission, which is to help people with disabilities gain the most independent and fulfilling lives they can. By investing our resources in research, we know that we are offering our patients the best rehabilitation care possible.

Our major research centers include:

• Center for Aphasia Research
• Center for Pain Studies
• Center for Rehabilitation Outcomes Research (CROR)
• Machines Assisting Recovery from Stroke - Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center (MARS - RERC)
• Rehabilitation Research & Training Center (for Stroke Survivors)
• Sensory Motor Performance Program  

Research Activities & Accomplishments Make a 'Quality of Life' Difference

1. Neural Engineering, which promotes functional recovery from neurological injury and limb loss:
   • These approaches offer radical improvements in voluntary control of upper extremity prostheses in high-level amputees.
   • Neural engineering for recovery of function in stroke: brain stimulation with surgically implanted surface cortical stimulators (Northstar).

   • Neural engineering for new brain machine interfaces; implanted brain recording chips in quadriplegic human subjects (with cyberkinetics company).

     Read about Jesse Sullivan, a patient from RIC who benefited from our neural engineering research.

2. Rehabilitation Robotics for Treatment of Stroke and Spinal Cord Injury
   • RIC was the first hospital in North America to utilize the robotic gait trainer—the "Lokomat"—in spinal cord injury rehabilitation.
   • Developed simple mechanical devices for restoration of hand function in stroke.
   • Developed home-based mechanical rehabilitation trainer with online communication.
3. Virtual Reality in the Treatment of Stroke
   • Development of new portable virtual reality interventions (PARIS) for neurological recovery in stroke.
   • Retraining of posture and gait using virtual reality immersion in the elderly with postural instability
4. Computer-Based Aphasia Therapy
   • Development of new computer-based aphasia therapies for efficient treatment of stroke-induced aphasia (see Center for Aphasia Research for more information).