Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago Receives $4 Million Grant to Research Stroke Rehabilitation

November 25, 2003

CHICAGO—The Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (RIC) is the recipient of a $4 million grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Education’s National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR), for four stroke rehabilitation research projects and several training programs.

The annual grant of $800,000 for five consecutive years was awarded for stroke studies involving restoration of arm and hand function using integrated robotic and orthotic systems; gait retraining using the Lokomat, a powered exoskeleton robot that may help people with paralysis walk again; facilitating adaptation after stroke through emotionally expressive narrative writing; computerized training for conversational scripts to access the community and work force; and evaluating community living and work environments and technologies.

Stroke is the leading cause of severe, ongoing disability in the United States. Of the 600,000 new stroke patients each year in the United States, about 100,000 to 150,000 do not survive. “Among the survivors, about one-third to one-half experience significant limitations following the stroke. Although stroke often affects people later in life, about one-third of stroke patients are under 65-years of age,” said Dr. Elliot Roth, senior vice president and medical director of RIC and Donnelley chairman of the department of physical medicine and rehabilitation at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine.

RIC is the only federally designated stroke rehabilitation research and training center in the country. The Searle Research Center at RIC is one of the nation’s largest such programs of its kind in the country, and one of the most respected in the world, attracting research scientists from around the globe. With more than $6 million in federal and private foundation grants and other donations, and working in collaboration with Northwestern University and Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, the goal of scientists at the Searle Research Center is to provide practical solutions for today and the promise of hope for tomorrow for people with physical disabilities.

Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago is dedicated to helping people with all levels and types of physical disabilities regain or improve their physical functions and empowers them to participate more fully in family, social, vocational and leisure time pursuits. U.S. News & World Report has ranked the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago “The Best Rehabilitation Hospital in America” for 13 consecutive years.

Journalists contact: mediarelations@ric.org, 312-238-6044.
All others contact: webmaster@ric.org.