Sandra Billinger, Ph.D., P.T., FAHA, professor in the Department of Neurology, will serve as the University of Kansas Medical Center’s primary investigator for the third phase of The TR-2 Trial, a multi-site clinical trial investigating an intensive, home-based stroke telerehabilitation for stroke survivors. 

The study, led by a neurologist at UCLA School of Medicine and Thomas Jefferson University and funded by the National Institutes of Health StrokeNet, will compare motor therapies delivered in the home via telehealth versus usual care to determine whether remote motor therapy improves outcomes for stroke survivors. Additionally, the study will identify neuroimaging biomarkers that can help predict which patients are most likely to benefit from these therapies. 

“If successful, this trial has the potential to improve access to high-dose therapy and reduce disability for many people who otherwise face barriers to in-clinic rehab or who don’t have access to any stroke rehabilitation,” Billinger said.  

The study marks KU Medical Center’s first stroke recovery trial funded through StrokeNet, a nation-wide network advancing research into stroke prevention, treatment and recovery.  

Having the opportunity to bring a trial of this nature to Kansas was significant for Billinger, who serves as director of the Research in Exercise and Cardiovascular Health (REACH) Laboratory. 

“I want to bring the best stroke recovery trials to the Midwest, which is typically underrepresented in these types of large trials,” Billinger said. “This is a wonderful opportunity for me and my team to participate in such an innovative trial.” 

The study and its potential to deliver remote motor therapies would particularly benefit patients living in rural communities. 

“This study could greatly benefit those who really need this kind of therapy, but just don’t have access to it,” Billinger said. “From that perspective, this trial is full of exciting possibilities.”