Category Archives: Brain Injury Treatment

Our knowledge about the dangers of sports-related concussions has come a long way in the past decade. There was a time when the NFL celebrated the biggest hits in popular weekly videos and many held the misguided belief that athletes, from pros to pee-wees, should be expected to play hurt and just shake it off when they had their bell rung. That thinking has not been eliminated, but the scientific evidence about how serious, even deadly, brain injuries can be has raised awareness about the risks involved with athletic competition. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates there are about 300,000 sports-related brain concussions in the United States each year. New Jersey was among the first group of states to address the issue at the scholastic level, when legislators passed an interscholastic athletics program in 2010 that required special head-injury and concussion diagnosis and treatment training for high school physicians, coaches and trainers. The law outlined protocols for when a student suffered a serious head injury. Shortly after that, the law was expanded to include cheerleaders. Last month, New Jersey legislators wisely expanded the program beyond athletes competing against other schools to include students participating in recreational and … Continue reading →

A study recently published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that ISRIB, a new drug, even when used weeks after the initial injury, can restore memory and learning functions in mice after traumatic brain injury (TBI). With almost two million TBI victims in the U.S. each year, the new drug offers a lot of hope for treatment where other drugs have failed. Since TBI can also cause Alzheimers and other types of dementia, ISRIB has the potential to treat these diseases as well. In the study, mice with focal contusions, which hinders spatial memory, and mice with concussive brain injuries, which tampers with memory capabilities, were both aided by ISRIB. Both types were tested in various abilities, including maze solving and swimming, before and after drug doses. The mice with TBIs, who struggled with the tests initially, performed just as well as normal mice after receiving treatment and kept their abilities and memory even when only a trace of ISRIB remained in the body. The drug works by inhibiting Integrated Stress Response, or ISR, which reduces the speed of DNA translation after an injury. When ISRIB blocks ISR it allows DNA translation to resume normally. However, … Continue reading →

EAST ST. LOUIS A Louisiana couple alleges the wife was injured by the negligent acts of two physicians. Donna Faye Deville and Charles Todd Menier filed a complaint on Aug. 1 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois against Z.H. Chowdhury MD and Andrew Johnson MD alleging negligence. According to the complaint, Denville sustained an anoxic brain injury, cardiopulmonary arrest and subsequent encephalopathy as a result of the defendants' actions or omissions on May 31, 2012. The plaintiffs holds Chowdhury and Johnson responsible because the defendants allegedly failed to follow appropriate life support guidelines in administering CPR and failed to properly monitor and threat Denville's pulmonary symptoms. The plaintiffs seek judgment against each defendant for damages of more than $75,000 plus costs expended for these actions. They are represented by Joseph A. Bartholomew of Cook, Ysursa, Bartholomew, Brauer & Shevlin LTD in Belleville. U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois case number 3:17-cv-00818 View post: Louisiana woman alleges brain injury as result of negligent medical treatment - Madison County Record … Continue reading →

SILVER SPRING, Md. Battle Signs: Using Art Therapy to Process TBI and PTS Injuries and Trauma, an exhibit featuring artworks produced by wounded warriors as part of an art therapy program, will be on display at the National Museum of Health and Medicine through September. The veteran-produced artwork was coordinated by the art therapy program at Intrepid Spirit One at Fort Belvoir Community Hospital, Virginia. The ISO supports active-duty service members in rehabilitative treatment for traumatic brain injury and psychological health conditions through interdisciplinary treatment. The shows title is reflective of a brain trauma indicator known as Battles sign, named for English physician William Henry Battle. As the artists wrote for the introduction to the exhibit, Like Traumatic Brain Injury and Post Traumatic Stress injuries, Battles signs often take time to show their impact upon an individual. This display of work and art are the Veterans processing of loss of friends and identity/guilt/grief, and a multitude of other struggles war and combat have placed upon them. Artists included in the exhibit are Army Sgt. Timothy Goodrich; Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. Zachary A. Burgart; retired Army Sgt. Joshua Ferguson with photographer and former Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Benjamin T. Stone; … Continue reading →

A taxi operator was left with horrific brain injuries after shocking film shows a hooded thug split open his head in a brutal iron bar attack. CCTV of the sickening incident shows Abbas Yasin, 25, and another driver working in the office of their family-run taxi business before they're ambushed by a lone thug. Shocking footage shows the hooded attacker wielding a metal bar shortly after entering the office before firing repeated blows at the dad-of-one's head, leaving him laying in puddles of his own blood. Abbas's skull was crushed into his brain after one devastating blow sent him smashing into the floor of the office. He has since undergone an eight-hour operation to remove fragments of bone from his brain and remains in intensive care. It is understood the violent attacker entered the taxi rank posing as a customer and had hidden the bar up his sleeve before flicking it down into his hand "like something out of a movie". He then fled Ace Budget Cars in Bradford, West Yorkshire, empty-handed in an Audi TT, but the motive behind the attack is not yet known. Taxi bosses say the office was left covered in blood following the savage attack … Continue reading →

In our Western world, weve been taught that when it comes to exercise, its no pain, no gain. But, research shows that this mindset may actually be antiquated. More and more research shows that when it comes to exercise for brain health benefits, a better mantra might be no pain, all gain. Thats because the Eastern form of exercise known as qigong (a form of tai chi) has been found to improve brain health and may even be a potential treatment for brain disease. Qigong (pronounced chee-GUNG and sometimes spelled chi gong) is a beautiful and graceful form of gentle exercise that originates in China as part of the countrys traditional system of medicine. A new study in the medical journal Complementary Therapies in Medicine found that people who participated in qigong three times a week for 8 weeks had improved cognitive function than prior to doing qigong. The researchers found that the gentle exercise improved attention, brain processing speed and overall mental capacity. As an added bonus, study participants experienced improved blood pressure, and heart and lung fitness. While the exercise has beneficial effects on the brains of healthy individuals, it also has proven itself helpful in the treatment … Continue reading →

The idea that pugilism leads to traumatic brain injury is nothing new. Even by the 1950s it was well-trodden ground among the boxing faithful. Once known simply as being punchy or punch drunk, modern science has taken a keener eye towards concussions and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (or CTE) as a result of sports competition. Much of the current research into these injuries is centered around the NFL, as fresh data suggests that the number of pro football players suffering from CTE may be staggeringly high. But, that doesnt mean its not still a haunting problem in the combat sports world. The latest fighter to bring up the issue is UFC flyweight Ian McCall. Uncle Creepy, as hes also known, has been sidelined since a decision loss to John Lineker in 2015. Following that fight, a myriad of issues have kept him out of the cage: first injuries to himself, then opponents who couldnt make weight or fell ill, and then his own bout of illness, which apparently has yet to be entirely cured. And while all those are setbacks in their own right, his most recent revelation, during an interview with Ariel Helwani on the MMA Hour, is much more … Continue reading →

"Any attempt to treat veterans with traumatic brain injuries begins with an accurate diagnosis," says Randall Benson, M.D., CNS Vice President and Medical Director. "Combat injuries are frequently mis-diagnosed resulting in inappropriate and unsuccessful treatment. We can and must do better. Better diagnoses lead to improved outcomes." Hope After Combat combines diagnostic testing including neurology, neuro-opthalmology and neuropsychology enhanced by CNS' advanced magnetic resonance imaging techniques (MRI), diffusion tensor imaging and susceptibility-weighted imaging. These advanced MRI techniques developed at CNS are significantly more sensitive than traditional MRI imaging and have worked successfully on hundreds of non-combat brain-injury victims. In the Hope After Combat study, once diagnostic testing is complete a treatment plan is developed and the veteran takes part in an individualized 60-day rehabilitation program based on his or her specific diagnosis. All disciplines continue to provide input and care for the victim and his/her family. The final study is expected to include more than 50 combat victims. "These veterans and their families are desperate for answers and we're trying to provide them," says John D. Russell, CEO and President of CNS. "The veterans have been real troopers in every sense of the word and we're learning from their individual … Continue reading →

(INSIDE EDITION)--An Arkansas family says their 3-year-old is miraculously [coming] back to life after she was left with brain damage after nearly drowning in a pool more than a year ago. Her personality is definitely back; shes got her sense of humor back," mom Kristal Carlson of Fayetteville told InsideEdition.com. "Shes into everything. Shes a little wobbly on her feet but shes getting better all the time." With some help from physical therapy, 3-year-old Eden Carlson is even learning to walk, but continues to use a walker or the support of another persons hand. In February 2016, just before her first birthday, little Eden was declared brain damaged. Brain injuries are very scary, its very scary,"Carlson said. [But] weve seen her miraculously heal her body in the hospital. Carlson recalled coming out of the shower and spotting Eden Carlson struggling in the pool after breaking out of the baby gate. I was completely panicked. Completely panicked, Carlson recalled. My kids heard me scream. Edens sister, who was 19 at the time, called 911. She survived the doctors first hypothesis that she wouldnt live, but the family then had to tackle the following diagnosis that Eden may never be the same … Continue reading →

A new study published in PLOS Medicine shows that by improving the classification of patients with traumatic brain injuries, a more accurate diagnosis and prognosis can be made. The results are the product of a collaboration between Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital and Helsingfors University Hospital. Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is one of the most common causes of death and permanent disability in people worldwide. Traumatic brain injuries are caused by external forces directed towards the head such as falls, car accidents or physical abuse. This may result in bleeding inside the skull, in or around the brain. Previously, TBI was considered a disease of the young. Yet, today more and more elderly people are affected and treated for TBI because of the aging population and the increasing use of antithrombotic medications. Patients who are suspected of having a bleed inside the skull are primarily diagnosed by computed tomography (CT) scanning of the brain. The CT scan provides a rapid diagnosis and shows if there are any bleedings that requires acute neurosurgical interventions. However, interpreting the results of CT scans is highly complex, particularly as different types of bleedings are often found. Various types of CT classification systems have been … Continue reading →