Category Archives: Brain Injury Treatment

By Fay Farivar Its difficult to know exactly how many of the two million people who have served the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan in past 13 years have been afflicted with three common combat ailments; post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injury (TBI), and chronic pain. Studies have shown that people with severe mental illnesses die 25 years earlier than the general population, mainly due to poorly recognized and treated medical illnesses. Chronic pain and mental illnesses are highly prevalent problem among U.S. veterans and these problems can have a significant negative impact on their quality of life, families, and society as a whole. It would not be an exaggeration to state that military veterans mental health is in crisis in the United States. The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) reports that 60 percent of the total healthcare expenditure in 2010 was spent for the care of patients with PTSD or TBI. In patients diagnosed with PTSD, the first year treatment is twice more costly than each year after. Over 50 percent of veterans from the two recent wars have been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injuries by military doctors. Doctors usually prescribe them anti-anxiety medication and strong … Continue reading →

Topics: disability, reverse stroke, toowoomba, united states AN INJECTION that could repair brain damage suffered 23 years ago sounded at first to be a bit like magic dust to Toowoomba mum Coralie Graham. But intense investigation and a substantial financial commitment have her convinced there is a good chance a procedure popularly known as a reverse stroke will remove the fog shrouding her son Joel Shepherd's mind. Mr Shepherd was three-and-a-half years old when complications arising from gastroenteritis caused fluid to put pressure on his brain. He was extremely fortunate to survive, but did not escape brain damage that has left him in need of 24-hour care. His mother, who has worked as a nurse as well as a psychologist, was fascinated to see a 60 minutes report in which a stroke victim in the United States had her symptoms reversed by a procedure known as perispinal etanercept. It involved injecting the drug etanercept, used in treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, into a large blood vessel at the base of the patient's neck. "I know that Joel kind of lives in this fog," Ms Graham said. "Sometimes you will see him out of the fog and you will see just glimpses … Continue reading →

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE: 19-May-2014 Contact: Eleanor Cowie eleanor.cowie@ed.ac.uk 44-131-650-6382 University of Edinburgh Premature babies' risk of brain injury is influenced by their genes, a new study suggests. Researchers have identified a link between injury to the developing brain and common variation in genes associated with schizophrenia and the metabolism of fat. The study builds on previous research, which has shown that being born prematurely before 37 weeks is a leading cause of learning and behavioural difficulties in childhood. Around half of infants weighing less than 1500g at birth go on to experience difficulties in learning and attention at school age. Scientists at the University of Edinburgh, Imperial College London and King's College London studied genetic samples and MRI scans of more than 80 premature infants at the time of discharge from hospital. The tests and scans revealed that variation in the genetic code of genes known as ARVCF and FADS2 influenced the risk of brain injury on MRI in the babies. Researchers say that future studies could look at how changes in these genes may bring about this risk of or resilience to brain injury. Read the original post: Genes play key role in brain injury risk for premature babies … Continue reading →

When Cori Lathans company, AnthroTronix, was tasked by DARPA with building technology to help diagnose traumatic brain injury or post-traumatic stress disorder in war zones, she didn't immediately envision technology's promising use in the civilian market. AnthroTronixs app, DANA (Defense Automated Neurocognitive Assessment), is "designed to give quick insights, almost like a thermometer for brain function. It takes five minutes to run through, and feels kind of like an Android-based brain game. We then added on more and more capability for the contiunuum of care, like complete diagnostics, psychological tests, and memory tests, to make it part of a full fleet of tests a physician could deploy. Leveraging the answers respondents give, their response time, and even balance and movement information picked up by the smartphones sensors, DANA--which runs on Android phones and tablets--gives feedback a medical professional can then use to help potentially diagnose brain injuries or PTSD. DANA is currently being tested in multiple Defense Department-funded clinical trials. One study done in conjunction with the VA in Hawaii is using it to test for signs of PTSD in returning veterans. Another study at Johns Hopkins University focuses on treatment of severe depression and is trying to see if … Continue reading →

Patients misdiagnosed with CFS when they have brain damage Post-traumatic hypopituitarism (PTHP) is often cause by head injury Symptoms include depression, obesity, fatigue and chronic pain By Joanna Lane Published: 16:00 EST, 17 May 2014 | Updated: 16:01 EST, 17 May 2014 1,701 shares 10 View comments Thousands of British patients suffering from chronic pain and fatigue could be misdiagnosed with psychological problems when they unknowingly have a type of brain damage. Those people who complain of the symptoms are not given a series of blood tests that can pinpoint the problem, meaning the true cause is not spotted. Patients are then condemned to years of misery and ineffective therapies. The major cause of the damage is head injury, which can be relatively mild. However, viruses, tumours and even animal bites can be a trigger. Christine Wrighton, who died in 2011, was incorrectly diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome when in fact she was suffering from a brain damage called hypopituitarism See original here: How doctors are failing to spot the brain injury that could be behind 30,000 cases of 'chronic fatigue' … Continue reading →

Traumatic Brain Injury Treatment with Dr. Stephen Grifka On Amazing Mind, Dr. Stephen Grifka talks about traumatic brain injury treatment. You can find Dr. Stephen Grifka at http://www.AmenExpert.com. By: Hypnosis TV … Continue reading →

DECATUR Jared E. Seymour , 31, was arraigned Friday on one count of aggravated battery to a child, with exceptionally brutal or heinous behavior indicative of wanton cruelty, for shaking, battering and biting his 3-month-old son, Sebastian, causing traumatic brain injury. If convicted of the Class X felony, Seymour is facing six to 60 years in prison. The state is asking for his bond to be raised from $25,000 to $500,000, based on additional facts, including that the baby is on life support. The victim has suffered severe and permanent brain damage and will require extensive and ongoing medical treatment, most likely for the rest of his life, if he does survive, Assistant State's Attorney Mary Koll wrote in her plea for a higher bond. The bond decision will be considered at his preliminary hearing May 29. Seymour, who has been held in the Macon County Jail since his arrest May 9,was granted a public defender byAssociate Judge Timothy Steadman. Seymour was arrested May 9 after he admitted to police that he shook his infant son six or seven days earlier, so vigorously that he went into an apparent seizure, then rigid and subsequently limp. Instead of taking the baby … Continue reading →

Seremban: Sister Julianna Lim may have irreversible brain injury after being attacked with a helmet in the compound of a church here early on Wednesday. The 69-year-old from the Holy Infant Jesus order based in Kampung Pasir has several blood clots in the head after being repeatedly struck with the helmet at the Church of Visitation here. Members of the Roman Catholic order specialise in helping the poor and homeless and is famous worldwide for reaching out to the marginalised, making sure they get opportunities to make a better life for themselves. Church member P. Mary Josephine, 65, said doctors had conveyed this to church officials as Lims condition had not improved since she was wheeled after the attack. Her pressure was extremely high when she was brought in but has since dropped. Doctors are trying their best to stabilise her but there are no signs of recovery yet, she said. Several church members have been praying by Lims bedside at the hospital since she was brought in for treatment. Josephine said Lim suffered severe internal head injuries and bleeding. It is a painful time for the family, relatives as well as church members. We are praying that she pulls … Continue reading →

Older migraine sufferers may be more likely to have silent brain injury, according to research published in the American Heart Association's journal Stroke. In a new study, people with a history of migraine headaches had double the odds of ischemic silent brain infarction compared to people who said they didn't have migraines. Silent brain infarction is a brain injury likely caused by a blood clot interrupting blood flow to brain tissue. Sometimes called "silent strokes," these injuries are symptomless and are a risk factor for future strokes. Previous studies indicated migraine could be an important stroke risk factor for younger people. "I do not believe migraine sufferers should worry, as the risk of ischemic stroke in people with migraine is considered small," said Teshamae Monteith, M.D., lead author of the study and assistant professor of clinical neurology and chief of the Headache Division at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. "However, those with migraine and vascular risk factors may want to pay even greater attention to lifestyle changes that can reduce stroke risk, such as exercising and eating a low-fat diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables." High blood pressure, another important stroke risk factor, was more common … Continue reading →

Vienna, VA (PRWEB) May 15, 2014 The Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA) has endorsed the bipartisan Jacob Sexton Military Suicide Prevention Act of 2014. Sen. Joe Donnelly (D-IN) and Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) introduced the legislation last week ahead of the Senate Armed Services Committees consideration of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2015. Donnelly and Wicker will push for passage of the act as part of this years NDAA. As a nation we have to understand what it takes to be a warrior, said BIAA President and CEO Susan Connors. We ask young men and women to devote themselves to duty, honor our democratic ideals, and sacrifice their safety to protect our freedoms. In turn, we must be prepared to care for them in war and in peace. The Brain Injury Association of America applauds Sen. Donnelly and Sen. Wicker for taking positive action to ensure access to the best mental health care possible. The legislation is named after Indiana National Guardsman Jacob Sexton, who took his own life while home on leave from Afghanistan in 2009, and focuses on improving the identification and treatment of service members who may experience mental health concerns, including: … Continue reading →