# Retraining Neural Pathways to Improve Cognitive Skills after a Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI)

> **NIH NIH R43** · PERCEPTION DYNAMICS INSTITUTE · 2024 · $55,000

## Abstract

This study seeks to address the challenge of how to deliver targeted interventions that address the
individualized cognitive needs of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) patients. The overall objective of our
predicate SBIR Phase I grant is to determine the feasibility of a timing intervention (PATH neurotraining) to
significantly improve visual working memory, processing speed (primary outcomes) and auditory working
memory, selective attention, cognitive flexibility, sustained attention, reading speed, and reading proficiency
(secondary outcomes) in mTBI patients more than after either Sham or conventional N-Back Working Memory
(WM) training (Aim 1). The present work is a critical step towards establishing feasibility of PATH training and
determining early stage data demonstrating efficacy and understanding individual differences regarding which
participants with mTBI may be the best targets for these types of timing interventions. Currently, there are no
proven solutions to remediate cognitive deficits prevalent in those with a mild TBI. We seek to remedy this in
the current study by conducting research to better understand perceptual and cognitive etiologies of mTBI and
how these may be differentially treated by cognitive training approaches that specifically target different core
components of cognitive control. We achieve our objectives by: 1) administering neuropsychological tests of
cognitive skills before and after 30 minutes of intervention training three times a week for 12 weeks, and 2) Use
Magnetoencephalography (MEG) brain imaging to test whether dorsal stream, attention, and memory networks
improve in function significantly more following PATH neurotraining than following N-Back WM training
(Exploratory Aim 2), and 3) Examine moderators that may determine training outcome (Aim 3). We will
determine if individual differences at initial assessment predict improvements following training for different
subpopulations: 1) Veterans vs. civilians, 2) different age groups, and 3) different loci and extent of the mTBI
deficit. We will determine whether timing-based deficits predict cognitive skill deficits, that are moderated by
individual factors. Studies with a MEG biomarker component, a neural correlate, will be used to determine the
pre-post timing and functional capabilities of different cortical areas in the visual, attention and executive
control pathways, in conjunction with behavioral pre-post standardized tests of cognitive abilities. This
exploratory aim will be used to determine whether different treatments should be explored during Phase II for
different types of mTBI and different ages. PATH neurotraining is designed from the ground up to incorporate
theory driven, empirically supported, approaches to vision training into an entertaining video game. The
challenge is to have PATH neurotraining be distributed by centers aimed at cognitive remediation for mTBI
patients, such as neurologists, rehab centers, and learning centers, whi...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10985529
- **Project number:** 3R43NS132718-01S1
- **Recipient organization:** PERCEPTION DYNAMICS INSTITUTE
- **Principal Investigator:** TERI A LAWTON
- **Activity code:** R43 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $55,000
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2024-03-15 → 2024-04-23

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10985529

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10985529, Retraining Neural Pathways to Improve Cognitive Skills after a Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI) (3R43NS132718-01S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10985529. Licensed CC0.

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