The NeuroScience Center of Indianapolis (NSC) is a clinical service and research facility established in 1984 to provide diagnostic, rehabilitation and psychotherapy services to those with cognitive and/or psychological problems having a neurological basis or producing neurological symptoms.

Clinical Services

Clinical services at NSC include diagnostic and therapeutic treatment programs for individuals who are experiencing brain injury, stroke, learning/developmental disabilities, attention deficit disorders or other neurological based anomalies. Referrals to the center come from a number of sources including self-referrals, hospitals, neurologists, neurosurgeons, physiatrists, schools, case managers and vocational rehabilitation counselors. We have treated over 2000 persons since we first opened in 1984.

Neuropsychological Examination

The neuropsychological examination is designed to provide diagnostic information about the nature and extent of brain dysfunction following injury, stroke, neurological disease or any other problem which impinges upon normal cognitive functioning. In addition to its utility as a diagnostic tool the neuropsychological examination results provide much useful information for treatment planning in rehabilitation therapy and serves as a baseline against which progress in therapy can be measured. Levels of functioning in the areas of sensory, motor, perceptual, conceptual, communication, intellectual, problem solving, cognitive organization, academic and memory skills are assessed. When examining children we attempt to gather sufficient information to provide meaningful recommendations to the family and school personnel as well as for treatment planning within our own therapy program. Following the examinations a patient may be seen for cognitive rehabilitation therapy and/or psychotherapy.

Cognitive Rehabilitation Therapy

The purpose of the cognitive rehabilitation therapy offered at the NeuroScience Center is to help an individual acquire the highest level of cognitive functioning and functional independence possible for that individual. This is accomplished through treatment programs utilizing retraining strategies, teaching the use of compensatory skills for areas not amenable to retraining, counseling, environmental restructuring, utilizing the services of educational and vocational training facilities and following our patients as they go into their next placement, be it work, school or just better living at home. Our work with the patient centers around that person's thinking skills, perception, memory, problem solving and responses. We (with hard work from our patients) have succeeded in producing statistically significant improvements in psychometrically measured indices of cognitive functioning; however, it is our goal that these changes result in significant improvement in functioning and meaningful participation in daily life events.

New Referrals

When a new referral is received, the potential patient and significant others, including family, vocational rehabilitation counselors, among others, are scheduled for an initial interview. The patient's medical history, current functional status and information from other therapy programs in which the patient has been involved are reviewed. If the patient looks appropriate for our services then a neuropsychological examination is scheduled. This examination takes a full day to complete! A fairly involved interpretation session is scheduled during the week following the examination, during which we provide information to the patient and family concerning our findings and what we see as the potential for rehabilitation or treatment. If recommended, therapy is scheduled to begin.

Our staff is friendly and enthusiastic about their work. We enjoy what we do!

Research and Development

The Neuroscience Center and Dr. Bracy have played a major role in the research and development of computerized applications for examination, diagnostics and treatment dating back to 1981. Applications developed by Dr. Bracy are being used in over 3000 facilities around the world and tens of thousands of patients have benefitted from this work.

Research, conducted at the Neuroscience Center was published in the scientific journal, Brain Injury, in 1997 (Chen, S.A, Thomas, J.D., Glueckauf, R.L. & Bracy, O.L. (1997).  The effectiveness of computer-assisted cognitive rehabilitation for persons with traumatic brain injury.  Brain Injury, 11(3), 197-209) showing that significant improvement can be produced through use of computerized therapy techniques for cognitive rehabilitation. The Cicerone et. al. (2000) research article, Evidence-Based Cognitive Rehabilitation: Recommendations for Clinical Practice, published in the Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, cited Dr. Bracy's program and research as an example of effective rehabilitation therapy.

In 1999, Dr. Bracy and his staff published, The effects of cognitive rehabilitation therapy techniques for enhancing the cognitive/intellectual functioning of seventh and eighth grade children, in The International Journal of Cognitive Technology showing that computerized cognitive rehabilitation intervention techniques, similar to those used in the clinic, could also be used in school settings to improve the cognitive function of all children from special to gifted.

Other facilities and institutions have used Dr. Bracy's computerized applications in their research and interventions with the same success.

Some of the currently ongoing clinical research and clinical trials utilizing the Neuropsychonline or the Challenging Our Minds therapy systems, developed at the Neuroscience Center include:

• Computer-Based Cognitive Remediation in Adolescents with Velocardiofacial Syndrome -- SUNY Upstate Medical University -- Dr. Wendy Kates, Principal Investigator


• Computer Assisted Cognitive Rehabilitation (CACR) for Substance Abusers -- Addiction and Family Research Group -- University of Rochester -- Dr. William Fals-Stewart -- Principal Investigator


• Longitudinal Individualized Analysis of Computer-Based Cognitive Rehabilitation in Multiple Sclerosis -- Baylor College of Medicine -- Dr. Francisco Perez -- Principal Investigator [See Research Poster]


• Computer Assisted Cognitive Rehabiliation for Cognitive Impairment due to Multiple Sclerosis -- University of Texas at Austin, School of Nursing -- Dr. Alexa Stuifbergen -- Principal Investigator


• Cognitive rehabilitation for commercial airline pilots affected by alcohol abuse -- Neuroscience Center of Indianapolis -- Dr. Odie Bracy & Dr. Randy Georgemiller -- Principal Investigators


• Cognitive intervention for college students with learning disability -- University of Illinois - Springfield -- Dr. Sheryl Reminger -- Principal Investigator


• Cognitive Enhancement Therapy for those with schizophrenia -- Plan of Ohio -- Dr. Sam Flesher -- Principal Investigator