Category Archives: Brain Injury Treatment

Contact Information Available for logged-in reporters only Newswise MORGANTOWN, W.Va. In its first wave of funding awards, a new presidential project aimed at revolutionizing our understanding of the human brain has pledged its support to a group of researchers led by West Virginia University faculty working to change the future of brain imaging. The White House announced that WVU has been awarded more than $1.5 million from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) through the Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative, established by President Barack Obama to accelerate the development and application of innovative imaging technologies. The WVU team is developing a wearable, mobile molecular positron emission tomography (PET) imaging device capable of providing unprecedented insight into the metabolism and cellular processes of the brain, all while performing everyday activities, such as walking, playing a piano, or socializing. While traditional imaging techniques require a person being scanned to remain as still as possible, the helmet-like tool is wearable while in motion. The PET helmet, conceived at WVU and supported in its early stages by the Department of Radiology and the WVU Center for Neuroscience, can open new vistas into neural activity across the brain by permitting brain scans … Continue reading →

Teenagers who have experienced a traumatic brain injury are much more likely to engage in a wide range of risky behaviors, Canadian researchers report. Both boys and girls were more likely to smoke, use drugs, drink alcohol and get poor grades after they endured a blow to the head that knocked them out for longer than five minutes or landed them in the hospital for a day or more, the study found. "This is a wake-up call. Concussions are brain injuries, and we need parents and physicians to become more vigilant," said lead author Gabriela Ilie, a postdoctoral fellow at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto. "Our brains define who we are, and a lot of our behaviors and thoughts and emotions depend on our brain circuitry operating properly." Play Video Basketball may not seem like a dangerous sport, but there's been a 70% increase in head injuries in recent years. The men's basketball team at th... However, the study only showed an association between traumatic brain injury and risky behaviors, not a cause-and-effect relationship, noted Dr. Anthony Alessi, a neurologist and concussion expert in Norwich, Conn. Alessi said he is concerned that studies like these provide an easy excuse for … Continue reading →

Franklin, TN (PRWEB) September 30, 2014 This two-day, advanced PT continuing education course seminar focusing on balance and vestibular sequellae that may arise following a concussion or mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). The cause of concussions can be varied, from sports related injuries, car accidents, falls, to the more unique and complex mTBI sustained by the thousands of returning soldiers from war zone regions. While at first glance, it appears that blast and blunt traumas can result in similar injuries, the course will emphasize the differences present. This PT Vestibular CME course is designed to aid in the identification of vestibular and balance deficits following a concussion. The participant will learn what types of diagnoses are most common following a concussion, expected recovery, outcomes and prognosis. We will cover a variety of pathologies including diffuse axonal injury, skull fractures, complex cases of BPPV, vestibular loss, cranial nerve damage, fistulas, traumatic Menieres, whiplash, motion intolerance, exercise induced dizziness and balance dysfunctions. We will discuss current return to play guidelines, their limitations and how balance plays an important role. Case studies will be introduced so that participants will learn to systematically approach the examination, establish a working diagnosis and develop treatment plan … Continue reading →

SAN JOSE -- As Jessica Huse struggled to hold her head up, her mother brushed back her hair and gently kissed her on the forehead. "Life happens," Lisa Huse said quietly as she straightened Jessica's neck more comfortably into a brace attached to her wheelchair And life goes on, even when it's not the one you had envisioned. On Aug. 2, 2009, then 18-year-old Jessica, just a couple weeks away from going off to college, was broadsided on Blossom Hill Road while driving to Sunday morning church services. The recent Valley Christian graduate suffered a traumatic brain injury and wasn't expected to survive. A bulletin board with the family motto, "Whatever It Takes" is kept near Jessica Huse, 23, for inspiration at the family home in San Jose, Calif., on Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2014. Jessica suffered a traumatic brain injury that has confined her to a wheelchair following a car accident in August of 2009. The family is preparing for a charity run this weekend that will raise money for Jessica's ongoing medical care which costs around $150,000 a year. (Photo by Gary Reyes/Bay Area News Group) ( Gary Reyes ) But she did. When doctors predicted that she would … Continue reading →

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE: 25-Sep-2014 Contact: Katy Danielson nccampress@mail.nih.gov 301-496-7790 NIH/National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine Thirteen research projects totaling approximately $21.7 million over 5 years will explore nondrug approaches to managing pain and related health conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), drug abuse, and sleep issues. The effort seeks to enhance options for the management of pain and associated problems in U.S. military personnel, veterans, and their families. The National Institutes of Health's National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) and National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Health Services Research and Development Division provided funding for this initiative. The research projects are located at academic institutions and VA medical centers across the United States. "Pain is the most common reason Americans turn to complementary and integrative health practices," said Josephine P. Briggs, M.D., Director of NCCAM. "The need for nondrug treatment options is a significant and urgent public health imperative. We believe this research will provide much-needed information that will help our military and their family members, and ultimately anyone suffering from chronic pain and related conditions." A 2011 Institute of Medicine (IOM) report states that nearly 100 million … Continue reading →

A new, easy-to-use EEG electrode set for the measurement of the electrical activity of the brain was developed in a recent study completed at the University of Eastern Finland. The solutions developed in the PhD study of Pasi Lepola, MSc, make it possible to attach the electrode set on the patient quickly, resulting in reliable results without any special treatment of the skin. As EEG measurements in emergency care are often performed in challenging conditions, the design of the electrode set pays particular attention to the reduction of electromagnetic interference from external sources. EEG measurements can be used to detect such abnormalities in the electrical activity of the brain that require immediate treatment. These abnormalities are often indications of severe brain damage, cerebral infarction, cerebral haemorrhage, poisoning, or unspecified disturbed levels of consciousness. One of the most serious brain function abnormalities is a prolonged epileptic seizure, status epilepticus, which is impossible to diagnose without an EEG measurement. In many cases, a rapidly performed EEG measurement and the start of a proper treatment significantly reduces the need for aftercare and rehabilitation. This, in turn, drastically improves the cost-effectiveness of the treatment chain. Although the benefits of EEG measurements are indisputable, they … Continue reading →

HOLLYWOOD, Fla. - It looks like a spacesuit, but Angelica is gearing up to use a new machine. The Vector helps patients like Angelica learn to walk again after an injury. Shes recovering from a brain aneurysm. Dr. Alan Novick of the Memorial Rehabilitation Institute in Hollywood, Florida is excited by the Vectors potential. It keeps the patient from falling, so it builds a lot of confidence. This is one of the most exciting devices weve had in a very long time, he said. Patients are fully supported. They can walk long distances and practice a normal gait by swinging their arms, something they cant do with a walker. Therapists dont have to physically hold the patient up, so they can assist in other ways. It also allows patients to walk sooner after their injury. If I give somebody a walker, Im already changing their pattern. With the Vector, I dont need that walker, explained Anna Maria Castaneda, a therapist at the Memorial Rehabilitation Institute. The Vector can help any patient who experiences weakness. 1.7 million Americans suffer a brain injury each year. One in three older adults falls and about 15 percent of Americans have problems with balance or … Continue reading →

( ISTOCKPHOTO ) Sept. 22, 2014 CBS HealthDay - Imaging technology sheds new light on how certain symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) manifest in the brain, according to a new study. PTSD is a mental health condition that can cause a wide range of debilitating symptoms, such as flashbacks to a traumatic event, being in a constant state of stress and avoiding certain situation and people, according to background information from the study. Researchers identified a specific opioid receptor in the brain linked to emotion that is also associated with a specific group of PTSD symptoms, including listlessness and emotional detachment. They suggested their findings could help doctors develop targeted, or personalized treatments for the condition. "Our study points toward a more personalized treatment approach for people with a specific symptom profile that's been linked to a particular neurobiological abnormality," explained the study's lead author, Dr. Alexander Neumeister, co-director of NYU Langone Medical Center's Steven and Alexandra Cohen Veterans Center for the Study of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Traumatic Brain Injury, in an NYU news release. "Understanding more about where and how symptoms of PTSD manifest in the brain is a critical part of research efforts to develop more … Continue reading →

Imaging technology sheds new light on how certain symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) manifest in the brain, according to a new study. PTSD is a mental health condition that can cause a wide range of debilitating symptoms, such as flashbacks to a traumatic event, being in a constant state of stress and avoiding certain situation and people, according to background information from the study. Researchers identified a specific opioid receptor in the brain linked to emotion that is also associated with a specific group of PTSD symptoms, including listlessness and emotional detachment. They suggested their findings could help doctors develop targeted, or personalized treatments for the condition. "Our study points toward a more personalized treatment approach for people with a specific symptom profile that's been linked to a particular neurobiological abnormality," explained the study's lead author, Dr. Alexander Neumeister, co-director of NYU Langone Medical Center's Steven and Alexandra Cohen Veterans Center for the Study of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Traumatic Brain Injury, in an NYU news release. "Understanding more about where and how symptoms of PTSD manifest in the brain is a critical part of research efforts to develop more effective medications and treatment modalities." The study, published online … Continue reading →

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE: 19-Sep-2014 Contact: Lisa Anderson lisama2@gwu.edu 202-994-3121 George Washington University @GWtweets WASHINGTON (Sept. 19, 2014) Shahram Majidi, M.D., a second-year resident in the Department of Neurology at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, received at $154K grant from the American Heart Association to study the presence of diffuse brain swelling and injury in patients with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). "According to epidemiological studies, intracerebral hemorrhage accounts for less than 20 percent of all strokes, but is the least treatable form of stroke, with the highest rate of morbidity and mortality. In fact, the 30-day mortality rate of patients with intracerebral hemorrhage has been estimated at up to 50 percent," said Majidi. "Cost analysis studies estimate the annual financial burden of intracerebral hemorrhage in the U.S. to be more than $6 billion." Although previous research has focused on looking at swelling near the site of a blood clot and its impact on ICH prognosis, recent data suggests that neuronal injury in an area of the brain distant from the site of the bleed is frequent. Previous research by Majidi confirmed this happening in patients with ICH. He found that 40 percent of patients with this type … Continue reading →