Category Archives: Brain Injury Treatment

A new study shows 1 in 5 middle- and high-school students in Ontario report they have suffered at least one head injury that knocked them unconscious for more than five minutes or required overnight hospitalization. The studys authors say that suggests traumatic head injuries are far more common among young people than previous statistics indicated, likely because many incidents go unreported. The paper, published in the latest issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, looks at the prevalence of such injuries among the provinces public school students in grades 7 through 12, as well as the circumstances surrounding them. Researchers at Torontos St. Michaels Hospital analyzed data from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Healths 2011 survey on drug use and health, which was filled out by close to 9,000 Ontario students aged 11 to 20. They found that roughly 5 per cent of students reported having a traumatic brain injury in the past year and more than half those cases (56 per cent) were sports-related. There was also a link with alcohol and cannabis, with frequent users showing significantly higher odds of a head injury in the past year than their tee-totalling peers. Boys were more likely … Continue reading →

By Rick Nauert PhD Senior News Editor Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on June 26, 2013 Researchers have discovered that children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are more likely to demonstrate a moderate disability after sustaining a mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) than children without ADHD. As such, researchers suggest that perhaps children with ADHD should be steered away from engaging in sports or hobbies that carry increased risks of sustaining a TBI, and that children with ADHD receive special monitoring if a TBI occurs. Detailed findings of the study are phenomenon are reported and discussed in an article found in the Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics. The researchers set out to find whether ADHD has an effect on outcome following mild traumatic brain injury (TBI). To do this, they examined the charts of all patients with ADHD who received a diagnosis of mild closed-head injury (an injury in which no neurosurgical treatment is required) at Childrens Hospital of Pittsburgh between January 2003 and December 2010. A mild closed-head injury results in what is termed a mild TBI, which is categorized by an initial Glasgow Coma Scale score of 13 to 15. From their review of patient charts, Dr. … Continue reading →

Victims of penetrating head injuries usually seek immediate attention, as the hole in their skull is difficult to miss. However, people with closed-head injuries may show few immediate signs of the trauma, and appropriate diagnostic equipment (primarily a CAT scanner) is often not immediately available. A Mexican-US team of researchers has now developed a simple, easy to operate, and inexpensive electromagnetic sensor for traumatic brain injuries, suited to on site use by field personnel and paramedics. Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a common feature of life around the world, causing some 60,000 deaths each year in the US alone. The primary causes of TBI include shootings, falls, and traffic accidents. Of additional concern has been the recent discovery of the long-term effects of mild but repeated TBI, usually in the form of concussions, in participants of sports such as football, hockey, and martial arts. Overall, about 20 percent of TBI lead to death within a month, with many others resulting in permanent brain dysfunction. Physicians believe many of these negative outcomes could be prevented by earlier diagnosis and treatment, ideally in the so-called "golden hour" immediately following the injury which offers the greatest chance of minimizing brain damage. Unfortunately, when … Continue reading →

By Traci Pedersen Associate News Editor Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on June 22, 2013 For some patients with mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI), or concussion, the abnormal distribution of white brain matter closely resembles the early stages of Alzheimers, according to a new study published in the journal Radiology. Findings of MTBI bear a striking resemblance to those seen in early Alzheimers dementia, said the studys lead author, Saeed Fakhran, M.D., assistant professor of radiology in the Division of Neuroradiology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Additional research may help further elucidate a link between these two disease processes. Despite the name, MTBI is by no means mild approximately 15 percent of these patients suffer with long term neurological symptoms. Sleep-wake disturbances are among the earliest findings of Alzheimers patients, and are also seen in a subset of MTBI patients, Fakhran said. Furthermore, after concussion, many patients have difficulty filtering out white noise and concentrating on the important sounds, making it hard for them to understand the world around them. Hearing problems are not only an independent risk factor for developing Alzheimers disease, but the same type of hearing problem seen in MTBI patients has been … Continue reading →

MORRISVILLE, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Oxygen Biotherapeutics, Inc. (OBI) (OXBT), is a development stage biomedical company currently focused on developing its perfluorocarbon-based intravenous oxygen carrier, Oxycyte, as a treatment for traumatic brain injury (TBI), stroke and other conditions where critical tissues are oxygen starved. Oxycyte is currently in Phase IIb clinical trials for TBI in Israel and Switzerland; however, the FDA has requested studies to explore the safety profile of Oxycyte with respect to immunocompetency as well as transient decreases in platelet numbers. The company announced today that with the successful completion of four important preclinical studies assessing Oxycytes potential effects on the immune system, OBI has moved several steps closer to addressing the questions posed by the FDA and demonstrating a favorable benefit to risk ratio for the product. These studies were funded as part of a $2.07 million cost reimbursement grant from the U.S. Army. The use of any drug that lowers the bodys resistance to infection must be considered carefully, especially in the long-term hospitalization setting. A recent study reported in the journal, Clinical Microbiology and Infection, found that in TBI patients, the most common infection encountered is ventilator-associated pneumonia, followed by surgical site infections, urinary tract infections, pneumonia, … Continue reading →

Oak Brook, IL (PRWEB) June 17, 2013 The distribution of white matter brain abnormalities in some patients after mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI) closely resembles that found in early Alzheimers dementia, according to a new study published online in the journal Radiology. Findings of MTBI bear a striking resemblance to those seen in early Alzheimers dementia, said the studys lead author, Saeed Fakhran, M.D., assistant professor of radiology in the Division of Neuroradiology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Additional research may help further elucidate a link between these two disease processes. MTBI, or concussion, affects more than 1.7 million people in the United States annually. Despite the name, these injuries are by no means mild, with approximately 15 percent of concussion patients suffering persistent neurological symptoms. Sleep-wake disturbances are among the earliest findings of Alzheimers patients, and are also seen in a subset of MTBI patients, Dr. Fakhran said. Furthermore, after concussion, many patients have difficulty filtering out white noise and concentrating on the important sounds, making it hard for them to understand the world around them. Hearing problems are not only an independent risk factor for developing Alzheimers disease, but the same type of hearing problem … Continue reading →

Public release date: 18-Jun-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ] Contact: Linda Brooks lbrooks@rsna.org 630-590-7762 Radiological Society of North America OAK BROOK, Ill. The distribution of white matter brain abnormalities in some patients after mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI) closely resembles that found in early Alzheimer's dementia, according to a new study published online in the journal Radiology. "Findings of MTBI bear a striking resemblance to those seen in early Alzheimer's dementia," said the study's lead author, Saeed Fakhran, M.D., assistant professor of radiology in the Division of Neuroradiology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. "Additional research may help further elucidate a link between these two disease processes." MTBI, or concussion, affects more than 1.7 million people in the United States annually. Despite the name, these injuries are by no means mild, with approximately 15 percent of concussion patients suffering persistent neurological symptoms. "Sleep-wake disturbances are among the earliest findings of Alzheimer's patients, and are also seen in a subset of MTBI patients," Dr. Fakhran said. "Furthermore, after concussion, many patients have difficulty filtering out white noise and concentrating on the important sounds, making it hard for them to understand the world around them. Hearing problems are not … Continue reading →

By Todd Feathers, Globe Correspondent For the past two years, Samantha Matteis family has hoped for a multimillion-dollar award in their suit against the MBTA to pay the burgeoning medical costs she has incurred since suffering a brain injury in a 2009 Green Line trolley crash but their hopes were dashed Monday. Mattei, a 23-year-old Salem resident who was studying mathematics at Merrimack College, was one of several passengers hurt. The MBTA admitted liability in the collision because the trolley operator was found to have been text messaging on his cellphone. Mattei took the transportation agency to court in 2011, asking for $8.6 million to pay for her treatment and compensate her for pain and suffering and loss of future income, according to court documents. But a jury in Essex Superior Court in Lawrence awarded her nearly $580,000, disappointing Mattei. After lawyers fees are deducted, the sum will barely pay for her medical expenses to date, which have already risen to about $390,000, her father Fred Mattei said today. It leaves us a very uncertain future about how were going to afford to take care of my daughter and pay her medical bills, he said. What dazzled me was that … Continue reading →

By Kim Walter Although disappointed with the final General Assembly budget, the Brain Injury Association of Virginia will continue fighting for improved and increased services for those with brain injury in underserved areas. Local residents living with brain injury or caring for someone who has suffered from one attended a budget hearing at Lord Fairfax Community College earlier this year. There, they shared personal stories of triumphs and setbacks with legislators, and pleaded for additional funding to support services that can't be found in the area. Community members also described their struggle with waiting lists for services and waivers. The Senate and House Appropriation Committee allocated $105,000 for brain injury service providers to go toward alleviating waiting lists, which is supposed to impact 87 people. Funding was not appropriated to expand core services to underserved areas such as the northern Shenandoah Valley. Anne McDonnell, director of the Brain Injury Association of Virginia, said the expansion of services is vital to the region. The northern Shenandoah Valley district has about 5,000 people living with a disability from a brain injury, she said. "That's not even including the people who claim to be recovered, or are just kind of hanging on," she … Continue reading →

Newswise The Department of Defense has established the world's first brain tissue repository to help researchers understand the underlying mechanisms of traumatic brain injury (TBI) in service members. The announcement follows Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel's Symposium on Traumatic Brain Injury. Secretary Hagel convened a group of senior defense officials, experts in the medical field, and outside organizations to discuss advancements and areas of collaboration regarding traumatic brain injury. "We have been at war for more than a decade and our men and women have sacrificed," said Dr. Jonathan Woodson, assistant secretary of defense (health affairs) and director, TRICARE Management Activity. "The military health care system is bringing all the resources it can to better understand how to prevent, diagnose and treat traumatic brain injuries and to ensure that service members have productive and long, quality lives. Our research efforts and treatment protocols are all geared toward improving care for these victims. And that will have benefits to the American public, at large." The Center for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine Brain Tissue Repository for Traumatic Brain Injury was established at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU) in Bethesda, Md., with a multi-year grant from the U.S. Army … Continue reading →