The United States Department of Defense recently awarded Casa Colina Research Institute and partners UCLA, Spaulding Rehabilitation, and Massachusetts General Hospital a four-year, $2 million grant to study the use of a new neurorestoration technique to treat individuals with severe brain injury, a news release read.

The study, led by Casa Colina Assistant Director Caroline Schnakers, will attempt to pioneer “low-intensity focused ultrasound stimulation,” an experimental intervention for severe brain injury that requires no surgery and can be done at the bedside. It will also explore “the degree to which sonic stimulation can modulate brain function and enhance recovery of consciousness in [Disorders of Consciousness] patients,” according to a Casa Colina news release.

“The overall goal of our research is to positively impact the treatment of patients surviving moderate or severe brain injuries,” Schnakers wrote in a statement. “We hope this can serve as a steppingstone for the development of a neurorestorative intervention that can be used in both civilian and military hospitals and, eventually, in the acute care and long-term care settings.”

Acquired brain trauma is the second most prevalent disability in the U.S. Its costs on society are estimated at $76.5 billion annually, according to Casa Colina.

To learn more, visit casacolina.org/research.