ABSTRACT
The effects of traumatic brain injury (TBI) are heterogeneous and have limited predictability, particularly in relation to neurorehabilitation. To address and treat the diverse sequelae that occur post-TBI, several experimental models have been designed to model human TBI. Yet, there is a growing gap between experimental therapeutic treatment studies and their translation to clinical TBI. As experimental models are vital to advance our understanding, management and treatment of TBI, this review aims to describe the role of experimental models in post-TBI neurorehabilitation research. We discuss important themes to consider in experimental rehabilitation modeling. Variations in models, treatment timing and chronicity, and factors like genetics, age, and gender can influence rehabilitation response and benefits. We propose more rigorous experimental rehabilitation models, integrated with a Rehabilomics-framework to examine how individual factors interact with injury to influence response to rehabilitation and outcomes following TBI, will yield important neurorehabilitation research breakthroughs and improved clinical care.
