Category Archives: Brain Injury Treatment

Treatment for traumatic brain injury depends on the extent of the injuries sustained. In most minor cases, doctors instruct patients to rest and let the injury heal on its own. For patients with serious injuries, the treatment is more intensive and may require ongoing care. Regardless of the situation, a victim who has sustained a traumatic brain injury should seek immediate medical attention to treat the injury and prevent complications. The first step in treating an open head injury or closed head injury is to perform emergency care to prevent any further damage. Doctors and support staff begin by evaluating the patient's injury and treating any open wounds to prevent infection and blood loss. Next, doctors work diligently to ensure the patient is receiving adequate air supply and blood flow. This may include placing the patient on a respirator and carefully monitoring the pulse. If necessary, doctors perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and/or defibrillation. To prevent further complications, doctors monitor blood pressure and may place patients on a ventilator to increase blood flow to injured brain tissues. Once a patient has stable vital signs, the doctors create a more detailed treatment plan. Closed head injuries and open head injuries are treated … Continue reading →

Research could lead to new drugs to halt or prevent secondary TBI With the ever-more-frequent news reports of athletes' careers and even their lives ending following a seemingly minor head injury, and tens of thousands of military personnel returning from combat with severe brain injuries, public awareness of the problem has increased dramatically. When you add the occurrences of post-traumatic stress disorders that so frequently manifest after these brain injuries, the severity of the problem becomes even more apparent. It's a terrible problem that calls for a more comprehensive approach than is currently available. So says Dr. Adrian Harel, a renowned neurobiologist with many years of experience in the pharmaceutical and biotech industry. Dr. Harel and his research team at Mediocortex USA Ltd. are working to develop a more comprehensive approach to treating traumatic brain injury, or TBI. Says Dr. Harel, "Acute neurodegenerative conditions, and especially traumatic brain injury, are widely recognized as the leading cause of CNS (central nervous system) impairment. In the US alone, this 'silent epidemic' affects more than 1.7 million individuals annually." Dr. Harel explains that the greatest incidence of TBI occurs among 1-5 year old children, 15-24 year old males, and people over 75 years … Continue reading →

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 8, 2014 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- Facing a traumatic brain injury (TBI) can be an extreme hardship for accident victims and their families just in terms of focusing solely on the physical aspect of healing. When other needs are factored in, such as the need for financial support, lifestyle accommodations and more, fears about how one will manage their future can become overwhelming. The Life Care Solutions Group says the development of a life care plan for those who have sustained a traumatic brain injury from a car accident or other serious accident can be their saving grace under these circumstances. What is a traumatic brain injury? A traumatic brain injury (TBI) can range from a mild concussion to a severe head injury. It is caused by a blow to the head or body, a fall, or another injury that jars or shakes the brain. This can cause bruising, swelling, or tearing of brain tissue. For more information about traumatic brain injury, please visit http://www.webmd.com/brain/tc/traumatic-brain-injury-topic-overview Traumatic Brain Injury Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a serious public health problem in the United States. Each year, traumatic brain injuries contribute to a substantial number of deaths and cases of permanent disability. … Continue reading →

SAN ANTONIO A local cellular and structural biology professor has patented a new way to treat traumatic brain injury, the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio announced Wednesday. Professor James Lechleiter received a U.S. patent last week for his discovery that two compounds called 2-methylthio-ADP and MRS2365 stimulate the brain's caretaker cells to reduce swelling inside the skull, according to a news release. The caretaker cells are called astrocytes. Lechleiter and associate neurosurgery professor Dr. Murat Digicaylioglu have published research that showed treating astrocytes with the two compounds in a brain-injured mouse significantly reduced swelling, according to the release. Yet-to-be-published research found similar results in human brain tissue. With this treatment, astrocytes themselves, as well as neurons, live longer, Lechleiter said in a prepared statement. It is hoped these preliminary studies will soon lead to a new class of safe and effective drugs that can be administered if a traumatic brain injury, even a mild one, is suspected to have occurred. jlloyd@express-news.net Twitter: @jlloydster Here is the original post: S.A. prof patents discovery that combats brain injury … Continue reading →

Cognitive rest speeds recovery from concussions, new research shows.(Photo: Jared Soares for USA TODAY) (USA TODAY) -- Letting a young person rest his or her brain after a concussion - limiting reading, online activities, even homework - can result in quicker recovery, a new study says. Although reducing cognitive activity to rest the brain is commonly recommended for concussion treatment, there has been limited research to back up that advice. But the new study in January's Pediatrics, published online today, lends support to the idea. In the study of 335 children and young adults, ages 8 to 23, those reporting the greatest levels of cognitive activity (including homework, playing video games, doing crossword puzzles, text messaging and online activities) after a concussion took the longest to fully recover from their symptoms - approximately 100 days on average, compared to approximately 20 to 50 days for patients reporting lesser levels of activity. Cognitive activities were defined as "activities that require you to think harder than usual" and study participants were grouped according to the average amount of cognitive activity - from complete cognitive rest to a full schedule - that they reported doing between each visit to a concussion clinic. In … Continue reading →

Courtesy Of NBC Jahi McMath, 13, was released fromChildrens Hospital & Research Center in Oakland, Cali. on Jan. 5 into her parents care after her familys month-long fight to have her taken to a facility where she would be treated like she has hope for recovery and not as a lifeless body. Though Jahi was declared brain dead by doctors and the court after complications from a tonsil surgery, her parents have faith theres a chance she will wake up again. Transportation to a new hospital is the familys first major victory. Jahis family has gotten one step closer in their fight to have their daughter transported to a new hospital with a different treatment plan for the brain dead teen, as Jahi has been released from the hospital and put in her mothers care. The body of Jahi McMath was released by Childrens Hospital & Research Center Oakland to the coroner, David Durand, the hospitals chief of pediatrics said in a statement, reported CNN. The coroner has released her body to the custody of her mother, Latasha Winkfield, as per court order, for a destination unknown. Jahis exact hospital destination has not been revealed for the sake of her … Continue reading →

A head injury is any trauma that injures the scalp, skull, or brain. The injury may be only a minor bump on the skull or a serious brain injury. Head injury can be either closed or open (penetrating). Head injuries include: Head injuries may cause bleeding: Common causes of head injury include: Most of these injuries are minor because the skull protects the brain. Some injuries are severe enough to require a stay in the hospital. Symptoms of a head injury can occurright away.Or symptoms develop slowly over several hours or days. Even if the skull is not fractured, the brain can bang against the inside of the skull and be bruised. The head may look fine, but problems could result from bleeding or swelling inside the skull. In any serious head trauma, the spinal cord is also likely to beinjured. Some head injuries cause changes in brain function. This is called a traumatic brain injury. Concussion is a mild traumatic brain injury. Symptoms of a concussion can range from mild to severe. Learning to recognize a serious head injury and give basic first aid can save someone's life. Read the original here: Head injury - first aid: MedlinePlus Medical … Continue reading →

If youve sustained a concussiona brain injury from head trauma that can manifest in such symptoms as headaches, confusion, and amnesiadoctors recommendlots of rest. Taking dietary supplements to accelerate recovery or prevent traumatic brain injury wont help, they say. That hasnt stopped some supplement makers from marketing products as concussion cures, a practice the U.S. Food and Drug Administrationwarned consumers about this week. We were taken aback that anyone would make a claim that a supplement could treat [traumatic brain injury], FDA regulator Jason Humbert said in the agencys alert.Claims that supplements can help heal concussions could be dangerous if they led athletes with head injuries to return to play before theyre ready, the FDA says. In 2012 the agency warnedtwo companies that made such claims. The FDA sent a warning letter to a third, Star Scientific (STSI), on Dec. 20. The FDA learned about the claims from the military, the agency said. News of concussions lasting effects on football playershas increased public awareness of traumatic brain injuries. Heightened concerns may have led to new purported treatments,saysGerald Gioia, chief of pediatric neuropsychology and director of the concussion recovery program at the Childrens National Health System. We see more and more … Continue reading →

CLIFTON The newest version of the Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Act is one closer to the President's desk. Sponsored by Clifton's representative, Congressman Bill Pascrell (D-N.J.-9), the TBI act was originally passed in 1996 and reauthorized in 2000 and 2008. Now, after approval from the House Energy and Commerce Committee, the 2013 reauthorization, also sponsored by Pascrell, has to be passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives before it warrants the president's signature. "I thank the Energy and Commerce Committee for moving to improve services and care for civilians and soldiers who have suffered a traumatic brain injury," Pascrell was quoted in a press release issued by his office. "For more than 12 years I have fought to make the treatment of this devastating injury a priority and I am grateful to see it get the attention it deserves." According to the Center for Disease control, a TBI is caused by a bump, blow or jolt to the head or a penetrating head injury that disrupts the function of the brain. The CDC estimates that 1.7 million TBIs occur every year in the United States. The results range from a temporary change in brain function to permanent, debilitating … Continue reading →

The last hope for Jahi McMath to be kept on a ventilator may come from a former Long Island, N.Y., hairdresser who runs a brain-injury treatment center dedicated to Terri Schiavo, the Florida woman whose case sparked a fierce nationwide end-of-life debate. The news of the possible transfer came as the state Department of Public Health confirmed Tuesday it is investigating Childrens Hospital Oakland and its handling of the Oakland, Calif., 13-year-old following her tonsil surgery and two other procedures to remove throat and nasal tissue, complications from which left her brain dead. On Tuesday, the Terri Schiavo Life & Hope Network said publicly for the first time that it has been helping Jahis family for weeks to find a place to transfer the girl. The network has worked in relative silence for the sake of the sensitivity of her case. Jahi McMath has been labeled a deceased person. Yet she retains all the functional attributes of a living person, despite her brain injury, the organization said in a news release. This includes a beating heart, circulation and respiration, the ability to metabolize nutrition and more. Jahi is a living human being. According to a court filing from the familys … Continue reading →