Category Archives: Brain Injury Treatment

Dr. Spiegel is a clinical instructor in emergency medicine at the University of Maryland Medical Center. Visit his blog at http://emnerd.com, follow him on Twitter @emnerd_, and read his past articles at http://bit.ly/EMN-MythsinEM. No one will deny that emergency medicine is currently experiencing a protracted love affair with the arylcyclohexylamine known as ketamine. It is used for procedural sedation, to manage acute pain, and as an induction agent in patients undergoing emergent intubation. It is a common participant in some of the most popular pharmacological mashups in the emergency department like rocketamine or ketofol. Ketamine possesses a number of properties that make it an ideal agent for patients who typically undergo intubation in the emergency department, but it has been traditionally avoided in patients with intracranial pathology due to the fear of increasing intracranial pressure (ICP). Ketamine's effects on ICP were first noted in articles published in 1972 describing its potentially detrimental influences in patients undergoing anesthesia for neurodiagnostic procedures. (Br J Anaesth 1972;44[12]:1298; Br J Anaesth 1972;44[11]:1200.) This series of articles described a small cohort of patients with anatomical obstruction to cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) who experienced a marked increase in their CSF after ketamine was administered. In typical dogmatic … Continue reading →

THERE was standing room only last week when Hereford-based specialist personal injury law firm Novum Law held a major one day conference for brain injury professionals in Hereford. There were over 55 at the event at The Courtyard which was chaired by eminent barrister, John Ross QC of 1 Chancery Lane, London. The delegates included therapists, psychologists, brain injury case managers and care and support professionals all involved in looking after people with brain injuries. The conference addressed the vital role of neuro rehabilitation in helping people whove suffered neurological damage due to traumatic brain injury. Huw Ponting, Director of Novum Law who heads up the Hereford office, said: Once the acute stage of medical treatment for a brain injury patient is over, neuro rehabilitation steps in to help the patient recover and improve their functional and cognitive abilities. The journey to recovery or to achieving improvements in brain function can be a long and arduous one but neuro rehabilitation treatment can make a huge difference to the quality of peoples lives, helping them realise their goals. The day saw a panel of renowned experts take to the floor to give thought-provoking talks including Dr. Dave Quinn, neuropsychologist at Halliday … Continue reading →

Michael Futch Staff writer @fo_futch PEMBROKE Ben Bahr is not one to say he's going to cure Alzheimer's. But the University of North Carolina at Pembroke faculty member regarded as an expert on age-related neurodegenerative disorders strives to be an important link in the research chain that may one day lead to a remedy for the irreversible, progressive brain disorder. He knows it's going to take the work of many researchers the world over to overcome Alzheimer's and other similar conditions that can destroy a person's mind. Inside the William C. Friday Lab found at the back of the Office for Regional Inquiries on the grounds of the COMtech Center, roughly five miles from the main college campus Bahr and his small group of researchers and biotechnology students are pursuing a treatment pathway no one has ever shown before. They carry on work to test a drug compound that Bahr stumbled on by mistake about two decades ago when he was working on his post-doctorate. It is one that may help clear the tangle of toxic proteins thought to contribute to Alzheimer's disease. The hope is that this compound abbreviated as PADK can slow and even reverse the progression of … Continue reading →

A TOTAL of 39 jobs are at risk of redundancy as Swindons only brain injury rehabilitation centre is set to close. Chalkdown House, which is based in Edison Park, was first opened in 2013 by Princess Anne as a multi-million pound state-of-the-art hospital that caters for up to 20 people needing specialist brain injury and mental health treatment. But in the four years that have followed, dwindling admission numbers, struggles to recruit staff as well as financial losses have left the trust in charge with no choice but to close the centre at the end of August amid fears of its long-term sustainability. The Brain Injury Rehabilitation Trust (BIRT), part of The Disabilities Trust, confirmed that despite the staff facing losting their jobs, they are currently consulting with them about redeployment opportunities within the wider organisation at other locations across the country or with local employers. The five people currently undergoing rehabilitation at the centre will be moved to other placements by the NHS organisations funding their care - although that could be anywhere in England. The families of people at the centre have also been informed, along with the funders, about the most sensitive and appropriate way to tell … Continue reading →

Joe Davidson The Washington Post WASHINGTON - As Republicans strive mightily - and perversely - for a health-care system that would increase the uninsured by 22 million people, they should ponder the impact on a particularly deserving group - veterans. It's not unexpected that heartless GOP plans would be hard on the vulnerable, but do they realize that includes many who continue to suffer from their service? These are people largely supportive of Republicans, including President Trump, who had the insight to call the House plan "mean." Republicans honor veterans, but you can't tell it by their current health-care proposals. The GOP plans do not directly affect the Veterans Affairs Department's extensive system of health services. About 7 million vets, however, get their care outside of VA services. After the Affordable Care Act, a.k.a. Obamacare, kicked in, the number of vets without insurance dropped by almost 40 percent, according to Sen. Jon Tester, Mont., the ranking Democrat on the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, and other committee members. Republicans would reverse that trend. Tester and his Democratic colleagues said the Senate bill could: Result in nearly 1.75 million disabled and low-income veterans losing Medicaid coverage Impose a tax on 600,000 veterans, … Continue reading →

A TOTAL of 39 jobs are at risk of redundancy as Swindons only brain injury rehabilitation centre is set to close. Chalkdown House, which is based in Edison Park, was first opened in 2013 by Princess Anne as a multi-million pound state-of-the-art hospital that caters for up to 20 people needing specialist brain injury and mental health treatment. But in the four years that have followed, dwindling admission numbers, struggles to recruit staff as well as financial losses have left the trust in charge with no choice but to close the centre at the end of August amid fears of its long-term sustainability. The Brain Injury Rehabilitation Trust (BIRT), part of The Disabilities Trust, confirmed that despite the staff facing losting their jobs, they are currently consulting with them about redeployment opportunities within the wider organisation at other locations across the country or with local employers. The five people currently undergoing rehabilitation at the centre will be moved to other placements by the NHS organisations funding their care - although that could be anywhere in England. The families of people at the centre have also been informed, along with the funders, about the most sensitive and appropriate way to tell … Continue reading →

Bethesda, Md. The brains of men and women are wired differently, and when it comes to traumatic brain injuries (TBI),women are more likely to develop subsequent neuropsychiatric disorders, like anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. Until now, its been unclear why that is, but a new study by researchers at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU) provides that missing link a potentially disrupted pathway in the brain. The study, Sex-dependent effects of mild brain blast injury on neuroendocrine stress response, was funded by theCenter for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine at USU. The findings will be presented at the upcoming Endocrine Societys annual meeting by lead author Ashley Russell, a Neuroscience Ph.D. candidate in the F. Edward Hebert School of Medicine at USU, and USU research assistant Elizabeth Shupe. Almost every tissue in the body is affected by the interaction between the nervous and endocrine systems. They produce the hormones that regulate sleep, mood, and metabolism. USU researchers, in collaboration with colleagues at Colorado State University, sought to better understand why it is that blast brain injuries have a different impact on women and men, specifically in the neuroendocrine system. They conducted hormonal, behavioral and anatomical studies measuring … Continue reading →

Dr. Justin Salerian, ThermoSuit co-inventor Robert Schock and Dr. Aimee Aysenne are leading a phase II clinical trial of ThermoSuit, which uses mild hypothermia to treat stroke patients. Not pictured is Dr. Robert Freedman, also a co-inventor of ThermoSuit. (Photo provided by Life Recovery Systems) Tulane researchers are investigating therapeutic hypothermiaa method of cooling the body that often works for cardiac arrest patientsas a treatment for stroke. Dr. Justin Salerian, the new director of the Tulane Comprehensive Stroke Center, and his team are currently testing the Life Recovery System ThermoSuit in phase II trials. Were the first center in the world testing this device on stroke patients, said Salerian, who is working with Dr. Aimee Aysenne and ThermoSuit co-inventors Robert Schock and Dr. Robert Freedman in the trials. This device is the first to use thin liquid convection to cool skin directly. Dr. Justin Salerian, director of the Comprehensive Stroke Center The patient stays inside ThermoSuit around half an hour; its cooling effects can last up to 24 hours after the patient has been treated. Like this story? Keep reading: Stroke: The minutes that matter most Go here to read the rest: Quick cooling ThermoSuit may prevent brain damage in … Continue reading →

Judges sympathy only goes so far Her son charged with a felony count of breaking and entering, the mother of Derek Murray appeared as a witness at his sentencing hearing in Rappahannock County Circuit Court on June 15 and spoke only as a mom could. Mrs. Murray recounted to Judge Jeffery W. Parker a story of her son, both tragic and encouraging. Tragic for the effects of a childhood brain injury, but encouraging for the improvements he has made with treatment. Until the last couple years, she explained, she didnt realize that a brain injury her now 29-year-old son suffered when he was a child might have been a factor in his alcohol and drug abuse and the crimes he committed in Rappahannock and surrounding counties. On April 6, Derek, a Castleton resident, pleaded guilty in Rappahannock County Circuit Court to a felony charge of breaking into and entering Hope Hill Baptist Church in Castleton on Sept. 16, 2015. Besides damage to the doors, the only evidence of his presence were two empty juice boxes. He did not take anything from the church. After hearing from Mrs. Murray and three other witnesses, Parker sentenced Derek to four years in the … Continue reading →

Dr. Justin Salerian, ThermoSuit co-inventor Robert Schock and Dr. Aimee Aysenne are leading a phase II clinical trial of ThermoSuit, which uses mild hypothermia to treat stroke patients. Not pictured is Dr. Robert Freedman, also a co-inventor of ThermoSuit. (Photo provided by Life Recovery Systems) Tulane researchers are investigating therapeutic hypothermiaa method of cooling the body that often works for cardiac arrest patientsas a treatment for stroke. Dr. Justin Salerian, the new director of the Tulane Comprehensive Stroke Center, and his team are currently testing the Life Recovery System ThermoSuit in phase II trials. Were the first center in the world testing this device on stroke patients, said Salerian, who is working with Dr. Aimee Aysenne and ThermoSuit co-inventors Robert Schock and Dr. Robert Freedman in the trials. This device is the first to use thin liquid convection to cool skin directly. Dr. Justin Salerian, director of the Comprehensive Stroke Center The patient stays inside ThermoSuit around half an hour; its cooling effects can last up to 24 hours after the patient has been treated. Like this story? Keep reading: Stroke: The minutes that matter most The rest is here: Quick cooling ThermoSuit may prevent brain damage in stroke ... … Continue reading →