Category Archives: Brain Injury Treatment

Suffering a concussion can be a different experience for everyone and now, new imaging research has revealed that the recovery process may actually be more difficult for one gender than the other. In a new study published online in the journal Radiology, researchers from the University of Pittsburgh utilized diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) on concussion patients to determine how males and females recover from injury. Their scans revealed that males may take longer to overcome a concussion also known as a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) than females with similar injuries. According to the researchers, these findings indicate that DTI could be used to provide more tailored treatment for concussions in the future. Currently, its difficult to determine which patients will have a smoother recovery from concussion, as opposed to those who will struggle. The thing that got us curious is you see differences [in concussion recovery] between males and females all the time, Dr. Saeed Fakhran, assistant professor of neuroradiology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. We wanted to know: Is it a gender difference or something else? No one had really looked at the imaging, so we didnt even know there would be a difference. Approximately … Continue reading →

Editor's note: A version of this article was published in December 2009. A concussion or mild traumatic brain injury occurs when a person receives a bump or blow to the head that causes the brain to shake inside the skull. This force disrupts the way the brain typically functions and can cause a change in mental status such as loss of consciousness, amnesia, disorientation, confusion or mental fogginess. A concussion is often a misunderstood injury because its symptoms are not always straightforward, said Michael Collins, Ph.D., a neuropsychologist and assistant director of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Centers Sports Medicine Concussion Program. Monday Medical columns publish weekly in the Steamboat Today's Yampa Valley Health section. Read more columns here. What: ImPACT Baseline Testing (parents must be present) When: 4:45 p.m. May 13 Where: SportsMed at Yampa Valley Medical Center Call: 970-871-2370 I see daily in my clinic that no two concussions are alike, and the injurys effects and recovery period are different in each individual, he said. Collins said research has shown that allowing enough healing and recovery time for the brain after a concussion is crucial in preventing further damage. See the original post: Monday Medical: Concussion management … Continue reading →

Ischemic brain injury due to heart and vascular surgery cause more than 100,000 deaths annually in Europe and the United States. In addition, approximately 10-20% of patients undergoing heart and vascular surgery -- at least 1.5 million people in Europe and the United States every year -- suffer from ischemic brain injury as a side-effect of their surgery. Researchers from the Institute of Biotechnology at the University of Helsinki, Finland, have found that water-only fasting or protein-free diet before stroke reduce the amount of damaged brain tissue in rats by nearly 40%. Academy Research Fellow Jaan-Olle Andressoo notes that reducing brain damage caused by surgery, some of which results in what are known as "silent strokes," would be extremely important. A silent stroke, often left undiagnosed, may disrupt the brain's capacity to process information. Patients may experience cognitive difficulties after heart surgery, e.g. find that they can no longer complete everyday tasks as easily as before. "Minimising brain damage is the main target of our research, and we are now seeking partners to enable us to test the pre-surgery diets on patient groups." Academy Research Fellow Kaisa Hartikainen, a neurologist at the Behavioural Neurology Research Unit at the Tampere University … Continue reading →

Toward Ecological Validity in Brain Injury Treatment 504 http://braininjuryhelp.com 1-800-992-9447. By: TBIVoices … Continue reading →

Behavioral Neurology & Neuropsychiatry (BN & NP) is a medical specialty committed to better understanding links between neuroscience and behavior and to the care of individuals with neurologically based behavioral disturbances.1 Neuropsychiatrists specialize in the assessment and treatment of the cognitive, emotional, and behavioral symptoms from disorders such as traumatic brain injury, epilepsy, Parkinson disease, and Alzheimer disease. The CME article in this issue and 4 articles in this Special Report are devoted to several important topics in this field. In their CME article, John J. Campbell III, MD, and Annya Tisher, MD, describe subtypes of deficits in executive functioning. They suggest a practical guide to its assessment, including pertinent history, and easy to perform office evaluations. Hal S. Wortzel, MD, offers a balanced perspective on a hot topic that we are frequently asked aboutchronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE)and urges caution before prematurely concluding that we know more than what we do about the prevalence and risk factors for this disorder. The most accurate perspectives about CTE may not be gleaned from reports in the media. Marco Mula, MD, PhD, reviews the evaluation and treatment of patients with epilepsy. His article highlights that patients with epilepsy not only have seizures, but … Continue reading →

Nashville, Tennessee (PRWEB) April 30, 2014 Polly Nelson, founder of Nashville Neuro-Training, a certified Brainwave Optimization provider in middle Tennessee shares an impressive study that uses this non-invasive technology for those suffering from symptoms such as trouble sleeping and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following a traumatic brain injury (TBI). Brain State Technologies, creator of Brainwave Optimization recently announced the presentation of notable results from a case series of 21 individuals with persisting symptoms following traumatic brain injury who enrolled in an open label research study using Brainwave Optimization, at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. Most of our clients come to us from their therapists, doctors, or from word of mouth, says Nelson. As research efforts continue and more and more reports of sound evidence supporting the effectiveness of Brainwave Optimization are publicized, more individuals unfamiliar with this efficient, drug-free, non-invasive process are becoming interested in trying it. This study is one of many that have been conducted at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center to investigate the role and value of Brainwave Optimization for a variety of health objectives. About the Study The presentation was made at the International Brain Injury Associations Tenth World Congress on Brain Injury in San Francisco … Continue reading →

Quick links to other pages on this site | Still can't find it? see Site Index Football equipment companies are focusing attention on developing safer helmets for youth football players, but football isn't the only sport that puts children at risk for concussions and other brain injuries. Parents need to be aware of the signs of problems that can appear weeks or even months after an injury. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File) Former Chicago Bears defensive back Dave Duerson. Former Atlanta Falcons safety Ray Easterling. Former San Diego Chargers linebacker Junior Seau. These are just a few of the former NFL players who have taken their own lives. All three were found to have signs of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative condition largely believed to result from repetitive blows to the head. These are tragic examples of the long-term effects of brain injuries in sports. Are high school or middle school athletes without those long playing careers at risk for suicide and other mental health problems as well? We have long feared that concussions and other traumatic brain injuries (TBI) could be more damaging for adolescents since their brains are still developing. A younger patient with a traumatic brain … Continue reading →

Scanner is shedding new light on brain injuries 8:00pm Tuesday 29th April 2014 in News By Barry Nelson, Health Editor SCIENTISTS say a 1.5m MRI hospital scanner is shedding new light on brain injuries and could lead to better treatment for patients. The first results gathered using a scanner purchased as a joint venture between Durham University and South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust have been published as part of wider research that could ultimately benefit people suffering from brain injuries or stroke. The findings confirm Durham University as a leader in the field of neuroscience and, in partnership with colleagues in the NHS, researchers believe their work will feed directly into medical practice. The scanner, based at the James Cook Hospital, in Middlesbrough, was opened in 2011 and is used for clinical treatment and research. Researchers from Durham Universitys department of psychology, scanned the brains of 20 healthy volunteers to examine how different areas of the brain interact when faced with difficult visual search tasks. Activity in part of the participants brains was briefly decreased by delivering a very weak electrical current via electrodes in contact with their heads before they carried out the tasks in the scanner. This … Continue reading →

By Marcus Johnson A common blood pressure drug, Cozaar (losartan), has been found to prevent epilepsy and impede further brain damage caused by seizures in patients that already have epilepsy. It is estimated that between 10 to 25 percent of all epilepsy attacks are a direct result of serious head trauma. Seizures caused by epilepsy can create further brain damage and worsen current brain injuries. Dr. Daniela Kaufer of the University of California is excited about the results of the current study, saying, This study for the first time offers a new mechanism and an existing, FDA-approved drug to potentially prevent epilepsy in patients after brain injuries and once they develop an abnormal blood-brain barrier, said Kaufer. Researchers at the University of California at Berkeley, Charit-University Medicine in Germany, and Ben-Gurion University in Negev completed an animal study on rats to come to the findings. In rats with extreme head trauma, the drug was able to prevent seizures in 60 percent of those treated. The remaining 40 percent had seizure rates of one quarter of those typical for rats who were not treated. The treatment regimen lasted 3 weeks and prevented seizures for the following few months. Human based clinical … Continue reading →

By Greg Vellner 21st Century Media News Service The Upper Southampton Township Zoning Hearing Board, host of three hours-long vocal hearings, is expected to render a decision within 45 days. The board must decide if Delaware Valley Residential Care of Chalfont can construct and operate a two-story, 16,000-square-foot facility on a vacant 6.5-acre tract zoned Residential at 1216 Street Road. The planned facility also is to include five 4,200-square-foot, single-story buildings to house a maximum of 40 traumatic brain injury patients, ages 18 and older. In hearings begun in January, irate homeowners from an adjacent singe-family development shouted down the plan. Some said it would lessen property value, while others said TBI patients were not normal and pose a danger to the community. Some called the plan an unadulterated nightmare and said they feared TBI patients might wander from the center into the neighborhood. The center is planned along the south side of Street Road, east of the Southampton Post Office and next to a restaurant/bar. Ian Yannuzzi, executive director of DVRC, said he is confident the center will gain zoning board approval. Were very satisfied with our presentation, he said. We feel were within all the requirements. The proposal … Continue reading →