When it comes to understanding the human brain, Kentucky, it seems that the more we know, the more we realize we don’t know. Our brains are remarkably complex, controlling every process in our bodies, even when we are asleep.
When someone experiences a brain injury, so much of what we take for granted is lost. Losses may include speech, movement, logical thinking, and even life itself. Recovery from a brain injury can be long, tedious, and incomplete; some functions may never be recovered. If only doctors could better understand how the brain works, perhaps they would be more successful in helping the brain heal after injury.
Introducing the BRAIN Initiative
According to the Brain Injury Association of America, in his 2014 budget, President Obama is proposing $110 million to fund research on the human brain. The research project, already begun at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is called the Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies, or BRAIN, Initiative. The findings of such research could be used to treat a number of neurological conditions, such as traumatic brain injury (TBI).
If the funding is approved, the following agencies would contribute to the $110 million:
- The NIH ($40 million)
- The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency ($50 million)
- The National Science Foundation ($20 million)
In addition to these agencies, a number of private-sector partners have committed moneys to support the BRAIN Initiative:
- The Allen Institute for Brain Science ($60 million per year)
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute ($30 million per year)
- Kavli Foundation ($4 million per year for the next 10 years)
- Salk Institute for Biological Studies (more than $28 million)
What Does the Initiative Propose?
The three contributing agencies would work with other public and private organizations to step up research on mapping the brain and understanding its structure and function. By doing so, the Initiative’s goal is to improve diagnosis and treatment of such conditions as post-traumatic stress disorder, brain injury, and memory loss.
A fact sheet released by the White House states that the BRAIN Initiative includes the following:
- Key investments to jumpstart the effort
- Strong academic leadership
- Public–private partnerships
- Maintaining our highest ethical standards
- Optimistic Goals
To really get excited about the BRAIN Initiative, read how the NIH presents its goals:
By accelerating the development and application of innovative technologies, researchers will be able to produce a revolutionary new dynamic picture of the brain that, for the first time, shows how individual cells and complex neural circuits interact in both time and space. Long desired by researchers seeking new ways to treat, cure, and even prevent brain disorders, this picture will fill major gaps in our current knowledge and provide unprecedented opportunities for exploring exactly how the brain enables the human body to record, process, utilize, store, and retrieve vast quantities of information, all at the speed of thought.
If your loved one experienced a Kentucky brain injury that was caused by someone else, contact a Louisville brain injury lawyer at Gray and White Law. Give us a call at 502-210-8942 or toll-free at 888-450-4456 to set up a FREE, no-obligation consultation.