Senior university lecturer, PhD, Title of docent
Clinical neuropsychologist
Publications and activity in the https://researchportal.helsinki.fi/fi/persons/sanna-koskinen
Teaching:
My teaching responsibilities in the bachelor and master programs of psychology consist of courses and seminars on clinical neuropsychology and clinical skills, as well as the clinical internship of master studies. I supervise theses on all levels: bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral.
Research:
Over the years my main research interest has focused on acquired brain injuries, especially TBI. My first publication dealt with TBI and quality of life and this focus is still a part of my research interests. However, recently the focus has been on COVID-19.
Ongoing research
RECOVID-20 is a collaboration project between the University of Helsinki (UH), the Hospital District of Helsinki and Uusimaa (HUS). The project aims to study changes in brain and lung functioning, as well as symptoms relating to memory, attention and mood 3, 6 and 24 months after COVID-19 infection. The project is led by principal investigators Laura Hokkanen (UH) and Johanna Hästbacka (HUS).
Recent research
A collaboration (2015-2023) between the University of Helsinki and THL used large sample analyses to support cognitive screening of Alzheimer’s disease in Finnish population. Among other results, new cut-off points were created for CERAD-nb.
Rhythm and Brain: Music in the Cognitive, Emotional, Motor, and Neural Rehabilitation of Traumatic Brain Injury. The project, carried out during 2014-2018, led by Prof Teppo Särkämö was a joint collaborative effort between the Cognitive Brain Research Unit (CBRU) of University of Helsinki, Validia Rehabilitation Helsinki, the Brain Injury Outpatient Clinic of Helsinki-Uusimaa Hospital District, the Department of Music of University of Jyväskylä, and the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute of the University of Barcelona.
Moving the Brain: Dance-Based Rehabilitation of Severe Traumatic Brain Injury: a pilot study: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects and feasibility of dance-based rehabilitation for motor, cognitive and emotional functioning in young adults with severe brain injury. This project was carried out during 2013-2020 in collaboration between University of Helsinki and Validia Rehabilitation Helsinki.
QOLIBRI (Quality of Life after Brain Injury): Since 1999 International QOLIBRI Task Force has developed a disease-specific health-related quality of life measure for TBI patients. This measure was first validated in an international study based on six languages: German, English, French, Italian, Dutch and Finnish. The validity of the QOLIBRI has also been proved in a Finnish sample, and the validation process is still going on in different languages. The Finnish recommendations of the evaluation of overall functioning and quality of life after TBI are partially based on QOLIBRI.
Heads in the Game was a project for junior ice-hockey concussion management. Sports concussions present a distinct subgroup of traumatic brain injuries. In Finland few guidelines in the concussion management have existed. In the project led by Prof Laura Hokkanen we developed methods, collected normative data and implementing protocols for ice hockey, both junior and championship level.
Muistiluuri: Together with Miina Sillanpää Foundation we developed a new network- based rehabilitation model for patients with early phases of memory problems. The aim was to support the patients’ independence and active everyday life, and to provide support to the significant others. During 2013-2015 we developed a cognitive software which is now freely available at Muistipuisto for everyone (https://www.miinasillanpaa.fi/aivotreeni/).