Category Archives: Brain Injury Treatment

The Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center and the Defense Center of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury are conducting the Traumatic Brain Injury Global Synapse, a hybrid (in-person and virtual platforms) summit for military and Veterans Affairs health care providers, Sept. 15-17, at Defense Health Agency Headquarters in Falls Church, Va. The 2014 TBI Global Synapse, which includes presentations from subject matter experts in TBI care, is geared toward multidisciplinary health care providers in military treatment facilities and clinics, complex polytrauma centers and community-based caregivers. The training will focus on how to deliver evidence-based care that is timely, thorough, compassionate and appropriate to each patient and Family, said Col. Sidney Hinds, II, M.D., DVBIC national director. Sessions will address best practices in TBI assessment; diagnosis and treatment; innovative approaches to multidisciplinary care; management of comorbidities, including psychological health conditions; and successful reintegration strategies. Seven on-demand sessions will complement the live conference sessions, which are accessible worldwide, offering continuing education credit to select military and VA providers. The event is invitation only, but health care providers who want to attend may request an invitation by emailing usarmy.ncr.medcom-usamrmc-dcoe.mbx.tbi-global-synapse@mail.mil. Include your full name, position title, contact information and Defense Department … Continue reading →

CBS Pittsburgh (con't) Affordable Care Act Updates: CBSPittsburgh.com/ACA Health News & Information: CBSPittsburgh.com/Health PITTSBURGH (KDKA) Not getting enough oxygen or blood flow to the brain of a premature baby can have long-lasting impact on strength, intellect and behavior. All premature babies get screened for brain injury. We do weekly ultrasounds if theyve had some bleed, or less oxygen to their brain. And before discharge, we tend to do an MRI just to know exactly what the damage is, West Penn Hospital Neonatologist Dr. Nilima Karamchandani said. The brains of premature babies are susceptible to damage, especially around the fluid-filled spaces called the ventricles. Researchers wanted to know if damage could be stopped with a drug called erythropoietin, or EPO. Its a hormone that regulates your bodys red blood cell production. With cell damage, it can also have some protective anti-inflammatory effects. We have been looking for an agent, and this seems to be at the top of the list as something we can use to reduce the brain injury, Dr. Karamchandani said. In a study of nearly 500 premature babies, half got EPO and half got a placebo. Doctors then analyzed their brain MRIs. Read more here: New Hormone Treatment … Continue reading →

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE: 9-Sep-2014 Contact: Sam Wong sam.wong@imperial.ac.uk 44-207-594-2198 Imperial College London http://www.twitter.com/imperialspark Treatment with xenon gas after a head injury reduces the extent of brain damage, according to a study in mice. Head injury is the leading cause of death and disability in people aged under 45 in developed countries, mostly resulting from falls and road accidents. The primary injury caused by the initial mechanical force is followed by a secondary injury which develops in the hours and days afterwards. This secondary injury is largely responsible for patients' mental and physical disabilities, but there are currently no drug treatments that can be given after the accident to stop it from occurring. Scientists at Imperial College London found that xenon, given within hours of the initial injury, limits brain damage and improves neurological outcomes in mice, both in the short term and long term. The findings, published in the journal Critical Care Medicine, could lead to clinical trials of xenon as a treatment for head injury in humans. Although xenon is chemically inert, this does not mean it is biologically inactive. Xenon has been known to have general anaesthetic properties since the 1950s. Previous studies at Imperial have found that … Continue reading →

The results of a study involving mice suggests xenon could help protect the brain after a head injury Injuries from a blow to the head are a two-stage affair, with the primary injury caused by the initial impact being followed by a secondary injury that develops in the subsequent hours and days. We have seen the development of devices like the Jolt Sensor that are designed to detect the severity of the initial impact, but there is currently no drug treatment for the secondary injury, which is largely responsible for a patient sustaining mental and physical disabilities. Now scientists at Imperial College London have found that xenon gas shows promise as such a treatment. Previous studies at Imperial College London showed xenon, a chemically inert gas, has the ability to protect brain cells from mechanical injury in the lab. The researchers have now shown for the first time that the protective effects also carry through to live animals. The team started by anesthetizing mice before applying a controlled mechanical force to the brain. They then treated some of the mice with different concentrations of xenon at different times after the injury. In tests to assess their neurological deficits, such as … Continue reading →

By Matthew Beaudin Published Sep. 8, 2014 Updated 2 days ago Ian Crane suffered a brain injury and was left with more than 1,000 stitches after a crash last month. Photo: Tim De Waele | TDWsport.com BOULDER, Colorado (VN) When Ian Crane smashed into the back windshield of a team car in the Colorado crosswinds, a shard of glass nicked his jugular. He shredded his mouth and face, taking nearly 1,000 tiny stitches inside his mouth and another 50 on his face. He broke the bone that bridges the skull and spine. He injured his brain so badly that doctors blanked Crane (Jamis-Hagens Berman) into a coma so that he could heal. But now, two weeks after crashing into the back of a car while struggling to get back to the race at the USA Pro Challenge, Crane, 24, left St. Anthonys Hospital in Lakewood with one thing still perfectly intact. Never mind the fact he cant yet balance just right, or that he has no idea when he can ride a bike outside again. Never mind the fact that the smoke of a deep brain injury obscures medical timetables and hopes. Yes, of course I still want to be … Continue reading →

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE: 8-Sep-2014 Contact: Lynn Celmer lcelmer@aasmnet.org 630-737-9700 American Academy of Sleep Medicine http://www.twitter.com/AASMOrg DARIEN, IL A neuroimaging study is the first to show that white matter damage caused by severe obstructive sleep apnea can be reversed by continuous positive airway pressure therapy. The results underscore the importance of the "Stop the Snore" campaign of the National Healthy Sleep Awareness Project, a collaboration between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, American Academy of Sleep Medicine, Sleep Research Society and other partners. Results show that participants with severe, untreated sleep apnea had a significant reduction in white matter fiber integrity in multiple brain areas. This brain damage was accompanied by impairments to cognition, mood and daytime alertness. Although three months of CPAP therapy produced only limited improvements to damaged brain structures, 12 months of CPAP therapy led to an almost complete reversal of white matter abnormalities. Treatment also produced significant improvements in nearly all cognitive tests, mood, alertness and quality of life. "Structural neural injury of the brain of obstructive sleep apnea patients is reversible with effective treatment," said principal investigator and lead author Vincenza Castronovo, PhD, clinical psychologist at the Sleep Disorders Center at San Raffaele Hospital and … Continue reading →

Researchers at Yale School of Medicine and their colleagues have uncovered a new pathway to help treat perinatal brain injuries. This research could also lead to treatments for traumatic brain injuries and neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimers and Parkinsons. The findings are published in the Sept. 8 issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Science. The MicroRNA molecule let-7 is known to cause the death of neurons in the central nervous system. The research team found that a synthetic molecule derived from the embryo called PreImplantation Factor (sPIF) protects against neuronal death and brain injury by targeting let-7. We would never have connected the dots between PIF and let-7 without prior knowledge and experience on let-7 and H19, a developmentally regulated gene that is highly expressed in the developing embryo, said senior author Dr. Yingqun Huang, associate professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences at Yale School of Medicine. Using a rat perinatal brain injury model, Huang and the team found that sPIF rescued damaged neurons and reduced inflammation. The team performed a series of in vivo and in vitro experiments and found that sPIF helped to stop the production of let-7. We showed that sPIF … Continue reading →

Brain injury treatment training planned By: KTVF Channel 11 Fairbanks … Continue reading →

Treatment providers are seeing an increase in the number of people who need help for methamphetamine addiction an affliction that is challenging to treat and devastating for families. And myths persist about treatment for meth addiction: Many still believe that it causes permanent brain damage and that there is no effective treatment for addicts. Neither is true, according to Dr. Brenda Roche, a neuropsychologist. She is the director of clinical and evaluation services at the Center for Families and Children, which works with 30 to 40 families a week who are dealing with meth addiction. Roche and other treatment providers, like law enforcement officials, are reporting an increase in meth use over the last 12 to 18 months. We are seeing a bit of an uptick (in meth use), which is distressing, said Lenette Kosovich, chief executive of Rimrock, a comprehensive treatment center in Billings for people with addictions and mental health issues. If the right level and length of treatment is provided, Roche said, outcomes for meth addiction are the same as for addiction to alcohol, cocaine and other controlled substances. But the recovery process is longer for meth addiction than it is for other substances. When asked how … Continue reading →

With a little help from some friends, 17-year-old Christian Mayberry of Muldrow will be able to get the rehabilitation he needs. Mayberry, who was severely injured in an ATV crash near Muldrow on Sept. 1, 2013, has been recovering in Fort Smith since March. He previously received treatment in Tulsa before being moved to Methodist Village Health, Rehab and Residential Living, and periodically had been undergoing rehabilitation therapy at the Gregory Kistler Treatment Center. Mayberry suffered a traumatic brain injury and requires long-term rehabilitation. On Wednesday, the family got word that Christian can receive treatment at the Florida Institute for Neurologic Rehabilitation in Wauchula, Fla. The hospital specializes in traumatic brain injury rehabilitation. For months, the family was unsure that Mayberry would receive the treatment he needs. Although his story has gained widespread, national attention, getting the necessary treatment from a local facility in Oklahoma or Arkansas seemed unfeasible, said Christians mother, Kim Mayberry. The family learned of the Florida facility after they were put in touch with a woman from Tampa whose son had suffered a similar injury after an ATV accident. The woman mentioned the hospital, and after a few phone calls, Kim Mayberry and other members of … Continue reading →