Research

On With Life's team of experts is dedicated to the field of neurological rehabilitation and initiates many research projects. We are committed to advancing the understanding of brain injury, stroke and other neurological conditions, and sharing these outcomes to further advance the field. The following highlights a few of the research project that our program and persons served have been involved in. 

If you are interested in partnering with On With Life for a future research project, please email info@onwithlife.org.

Expertise in Action

As a way to showcase our expertise and further advance the field of neuro rehabilitation, On With Life staff present at a variety of events/conferences throughout the year and participate in several national organizations.

The Foundation to Advance Brain Rehabilitation  (FABR)

On With Life is part of a select group of leading brain injury rehabilitation organizations from across the United States that has come together to improve patient outcomes in the rehabilitation field. The Foundation to Advance Brain Rehabilitation (FABR) aims to use aggregate patient outcome data in a high-quality database project with the eventual goal of further demonstrating the value of post-acute rehabilitation. This project will examines not only clinical change data, but ultimately measures of cost and resource utilization incurred in obtaining the level of clinical change. Click here to learn more.

TBI Model Systems Participation

On With Life's CEO, Jean Shelton, serves on the Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Regional Advisory Council. This council meets twice a year to provide oversight for the Traumatic Brain Injury Model System out of the Mayo Clinic, which works to improve the lives of individuals who experience TBI, along with their families and communities, by studying the long-term recovery after TBI as well as develop, provide and evaluate innovative services that address identified needs for care coordination and community reintegration. Click here to learn more.

Studies

We are passionate about neuro rehabilitation and finding ways we can advance the field. Below is a list of completed and current research studies On With Life has played a role in:

• Engagement - does it improve with interventions involving both music and visual arts? (ongoing)
• Role and Outcomes of Supported Community Living Programs in Post-Hospital Brain Injury Rehabilitation Programs (January 2025)
• Evaluation of Posthospital Brain Injury Rehabilitation Outcomes With Quasi-Experimental Controls (January 2025)
• Outcomes of Six Specific Types of Post-Hospital Brain Injury Rehabilitation Programs (January 2025)
• Distinguishing Characteristics of Admissions to Various Types of Posthospital Brain Injury Rehabilitation Programs (January 2025)
• Rasch Analysis of the Mayo-Portland Adaptability Inventory for Posthospital Brain Injury Rehabilitation (January 2025)
• The Foundation to Advance Brain Rehabilitation: Organization, History, and Collaborative Database (January 2025)
• An Observational Cohort Study of the Role of Level of Effort in Post-Acute Brain Injury Rehabilitation (August 2022)
• Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic Among Posthospital Brain Injury Rehabilitation Providers – Dave Anders, Co-Author (March 2021)
• Amantadine and Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (tTMS) as a Neurotherapeutic for Disordered Consciousness after Traumatic Brain Injury (November 2018) 
• Treatment Strategy to Prevent Mood Disorders following Traumatic Brain Injury (April 2008 – March 2013)
• Disorders of Consciousness Scale (DoC) Administration and Clinical Application (2010)
• Incidence of Clinically Significant Responses to Zolpidem among Patients with Disorders of Consciousness (May 2009)
• Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) to Restore Function After Severe Traumatic Brain Injury (2009)