NeuroRecovery Training Institute (NeuroRTI) founder Andrea Behrman, PT, PhD, was recently recognized with the John H.P. Maley Lecture Award from the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA). Behrman is a professor in the department of Neurological Surgery at the University of Louisville (UofL).

A NeuroRTI news release notes that the award is designed to honor APTA members who have made distinguished contributions in any field of the physical therapy profession. In addition, Behrman presented the 19th annual John H.P. Maley Lecture at the 2014 APTA NEXT Conference & Exposition in Charlotte, NC, June 13.

Behrman’s presentation, titled “I Never Thought That I Would Need to Child Safety-Proof My Home” explored the finding that the human spinal cord retains the capacity to learn, even post-injury. According to the presentation, as a response to specific, repetitive “activity-based therapy,” the injured nervous system can receive sensory information, integrate it, and generate a motor response.

The release reports that Behrman’s work in activity-based therapy served was the basis for the largest gift ever awarded in the neurological physical therapy field, in which Kosair Charities and UofL donated a combined $10 million in funds for her research.

Behrman’s research centers on using locomotor training to help regain use of paralyzed limbs in children with neurological injuries and disease at Frazier Rehab Institute, a part of KentuckyOne Health and the site of her research. Additionally, the release states that these funds will support an endowed chair position for Behrman and springboard the development of the “Kosair Center for Pediatric NeuroRecovery.”

Source: NeuroRTI