WVU Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute reveals NeuroPerformance Innovation Center

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (WBOY) — WVU’s Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute unveiled its NeuroPerformance Innovation Center (NPIC) on Thursday which features a comprehensive Concussion and Brain Injury program and ever-developing research.

WVU’s NeuroPerformance Innovation Center is a national first as it takes its research on brain injury and recovery and applies it to efforts to prevent injuries and enhance performance for athletes.

The Concussion and Brain Injury Care Team is composed of neurologists, physiatrists, neuropsychologists, psychiatrists and vision and balance therapists.

The center is focused on assisting athletes, first responders at high risk and domestic abuse victims. Over the last year, NPIC has worked with the WVU Women’s Soccer Team to assess further research on athletes.

The center has been open for one year with the multidisciplinary comprehensive program featured since January. Throughout its time, the center has seen over 1500 patients.

12 News spoke with Dr. Javier Cárdenas, director of the Concussion and Brain Injury Center, on the innovative technology used in-house for treatments.

“Some of the technologies include a balance and vestibular systems specialized vision therapies, they also include float tanks and what is called photobiomodulation. These are recovery tools that we use for our athletes, but also for those that suffer this injury from domestic violence,” said Dr. Cárdenas.

Augmented reality is also used within the center to assist with sensory and perception processing.

Aside from its patients, the NPIC is also involved in various research studies including the NFL, WVU Athletics and other NCAA football programs.

The “Rockefeller Concussion Network” has also released its first YouTube episode featuring Dr. Cárdenas interviewing Allen Sills, MD—the NFL’s Chief Medical Officer—on the league’s recent rules and innovations to reduce concussions and brain injury.

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