Research Areas
Behavioral
Look around you. Chances are, there are a number of objects within arm's reach. How difficult would it be to reach over and pick one up? Though it seems like a simple task, our motor system accomplishes a number of feats that allow us to interact with our environment in such an efficient manner. Part of the research in the Baugh Neuro Lab uses advanced behavioral analysis to figure out how we learn to interact with our environment.
Credit Assignment
Visuomotor Adaptation
Learning Novel Object Dynamics
Tool Use
Post-Stroke
The Baugh Neuro Lab is currently conducting research targeting skilled manipulation deficits commonly observed in both limbs following a middle-cerebral artery (MCA) stroke. The MCA is the largest artery commonly affected by cerebrovascular accident. This kind of stroke often produces an inability to skillfully manipulate objects above and beyond what would be predicted from physical limitations.
In-Magnet Object Manipulation
Rehabilitation
Assessment of Cognitive Fatigue
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
Annually, 1.7 million Americans suffer Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs), and about 8% battle posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), with rates drastically increasing in groups like military personnel. These conditions exhibit overlapping symptoms, making diagnosis complex, further compounded when they coexist. This research, through the analysis of detailed neuroimaging, cognitive, and genetic examinations, aims to refine diagnostic methods, ultimately guiding improved treatments.
Adult Children of Parents with Alcohol Use Disorder
Using a unique, interdisciplinary method to create a model of risk and resilience in young adults with alcohol-related issues, this project will yield a diagnostic toolkit that detects and validates risk factors associated with alcohol-related problems. This project will increase our understanding of the causes and consequences of alcohol-related problems and offer potential treatment targets for future research.
Neuromodulation
As a relatively recent treatment non-invasive neuromodulatory techniques such as transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and transcranial electrical stimulation (TES) are some of the most promising methods of treating a wide variety of psychiatric and neurological conditions. Research within the Baugh Neuro Lab has begun to assess these types of treatment in PTSD, eating disorders, chronic pain, and as part of stroke rehabilitation.
