Category Archives: Brain Injury Treatment

Featured Article Academic Journal Main Category: Autism Also Included In: Neurology / Neuroscience Article Date: 01 Aug 2013 - 4:00 PDT Current ratings for: Autism: 'different developmental brain chemistry' Researchers have discovered that children with autism can be set apart from those with other developmental disorders through differences in chemical changes in the brain. The study, published in JAMA Psychiatry, reveals that gray matter chemical changes that occur between the ages of 3 and 10 years differentiate children with autism spectrum disorder from those with idiopathic (an unknown cause) developmental disorder. Researchers from the University of Washington, Seattle, analyzed three groups of children in different age groups: one group at age 3 to 4 years, one at 6 to 7 years and one at 9 to 10 years. All groups had a mix of children with autism spectrum disorder, developmental disorder and "typical development." The participants with autism spectrum disorder and idiopathic developmental disorder were analyzed using data from proton magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), while those with typical development were assessed using cross-sectional data. Between 3 and 10 years of age there were specific differences in rates of change in the brain chemicals cerebral gray matter N-acetylaspartate, choline and creatine. … Continue reading →

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 1, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --J. Shaffer Smith & Associates is dedicated to assisting those who need help the most. That's why, for the ideal Los Angeles brain injury lawyer, J. Shaffer Smith is always the optimal choice. For years, Mr. Smith has garnered a reputation as the personal injury and construction accident attorney Los Angeles trusts to win ample settlements over $ billion to date! Not surprisingly, in the late summer, when many people find themselves enjoying the outdoors, an unusually high number of those in need of a first-class attorney are dog bite victims. Thus, it's always a great relief to learn that the team at J. Shaffer Smith & Associates includes the dog bite attorneys Los Angeles can rely on. Almost one half of all dog bites involve an animal owned by the victim's family or neighbors, and research shows that a large percentage of dog bite victims are young children. In fact, approximately 4 million Americans are bit by dogs every year, and around 800,000 of these victims seek medical treatment. Expert attorney, J. Shaffer Smith, points out that no matter how friendly and lovable a dog may be it might attack when threatened. Further … Continue reading →

ROCKVILLE, Md., Aug. 1, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --Neuralstem, Inc. (NYSE MKT: CUR) announced that a paper published in the journal "Cell Transplantation - The Regenerative Medicine Journal," reported that Neuralstem's spinal cord-derived human neural stem cells, NSI-566, improved cognitive function in rats who'd received radiation to the brain, as assessed by two separate cognitive tasks (http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/cog/ct/pre-prints/ct1048acharya ). In the paper, "Transplantation of Human Fetal-Derived Neural Stem Cells Improves Cognitive Function Following Cranial Irradiation," researchers at the University of California Irvine showed that rats who received NSI-566 transplants after brain irradiation improved hippocampal spatial memory as well as contextual fear conditioning performance, a brain function that relies on intact amygdala function. Both the amygdala and the hippocampus are parts of the brain involved with memory formation. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20061221/DCTH007LOGO ) The transplanted cells developed into a significant number of new neurons in the hippocampus, as well as a smaller portion of glial subtypes. There was no evidence of teratoma, or tumor growth, in these cells. Radiation after tumor-removal surgery is a common therapy in the treatment of brain cancer in humans, but can result in significant cognitive defects. "We are broadening our neural stem cell therapy programs from treating motor deficits to treating … Continue reading →

El Paso, TX, August 1, 2013 Premier Biomedical, Inc. (BIEI) On July 10, 2013, Premier Biomedical, Inc. and the US Army hosted a joint press conference in El Paso, Texas to announce their new partnership and a potential breakthrough cure for traumatic brain injury and suicidal ideation. Army Lieutenant Colonel Shawna Scully, chief neurologist of the William Beaumont Army Medical Center, and Premier Biomedical, Inc.s CEO William A. Hartman spoke at the announcement ceremony. Army Lt. Col. Dr. Shawna Scully, chief neurologist at WBAMC, commented on the history of traumatic brain injury and suicidal ideation and the alarming prevalence of these cases among active duty military and veterans. Scully noted that initial laboratory testing indicates that Premier Biomedicals technology may be effective in removing the molecules that cause such neurological problems for soldiers with brain injuries. Scully also commented on the separate but recent achievement by Premier Biomedical, Inc. and the University of Texas at El Paso in developing a drug therapy for mice with breast cancer that greatly outperformed chemotherapy in its early trials. Highlights of the Joint Conference can be found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvXUphEbEuM. Full length videos of the conference and of individual speakers can be found on the … Continue reading →

WHITE PLAINS, NY--(Marketwired - July 30, 2013) - For millions of children, buttoning their shirts or tying their shoes are simple tasks of everyday life. This was not the case however for Kathleen Friel and the approximately one million people in the U.S. who suffer from cerebral palsy, a disorder of movement and posture caused by injury to the developing brain. Around her first birthday, Kathleen was diagnosed with cerebral palsy and was given a poor prognosis for becoming an independently-functioning adult. But with unfettered determination, Kathleen began developing compensatory motor strategies to make up for her significant deficits with movement. Being unable to grasp Cheerios, her favorite cereal, she developed a strategy of licking her fingertip, inserting them into the center of the O and bringing the snack to her mouth. It is with this keen understanding of cerebral palsy and the ability to develop solutions to seemingly unsolvable problems that Kathleen Friel, Ph.D., joins Burke Medical Research Institute's Early Brain Injury Recovery Program that became fully functional at the end of July. Being part of this program lends itself to her mission of helping others who suffer from the same disease she has battled throughout her life. "In … Continue reading →

RACINE The term polytrauma is defined as a serious injury to two or more body systems which result in physical, cognitive or psychological impairments that limit a persons ability to function. Traumatic Brain Injury frequently occurs in polytrauma. It can be difficult to navigate the maze of benefits information at the Department of Defense and Veterans Administration. Fortunately, case management is an integral part of the Polytrauma System of Care. A clinical case manager will work with veterans, service members and their family to help: n Transition from a military hospital to a VA medical center. n Communicate between veteran/service member, family and VA rehabilitation team. n Identify various VA, DoD, and community resources. n Apply for appropriate VA benefits. Early into a service members admission to a treatment facility, they will meet various points of contact. Some POCs will focus mostly on clinical (medical) issues. Others will focus on non-clinical services. Information on services and benefits changes from time to time. It is therefore important to check with the appropriate POCs at the Veterans Benefits Administration periodically for updates. The Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center Family Caregiver Giver Course provides extensive information on how to navigate services and … Continue reading →

Sports medicine physician Joseph H. Rempson, MD, received several concussions as a soccer player in high school and college in the late 1970s and early 1980s. At the time, such head injuries commonly were dismissed as getting your bell rung. After the dazed feeling wore off, we just got back in the game and played, said Dr. Rempson, chief of the Dept. of Rehabilitation at Overlook Medical Center in Summit, N.J. We had persistent headaches [and] we had A students who became C students, but we didn't know what the problem was. In recent years, the medical community and the rest of the nation have gotten a better understanding about the severity of such injuries and their lasting impact. During the past decade, public awareness and concerns about traumatic brain injuries have surged, due in part to the identification of a progressive brain disease among more than 40 former National Football League players and reports of more than 200,000 cases of TBI in members of the U.S. military. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has advocated that TBIs, including the more mild cases known as concussions, should be considered a serious public health problem. Although efforts have been made … Continue reading →

DURHAM, N.C. It can happen in an instant and change lives forever. Close to two million people are affected by traumatic brain injury every year. Worldwide, its a major cause of death and disability. Now, researchers are hoping something that our body produces naturally can help bring the first ever TBI treatment to those who need it. As I was driving, I blacked out behind the wheel and the car went into the back of a parked 18 wheeler, Lester Talley told Ivanhoe. Health issues lead to Lester Talleys near fatal accident. The husband and father of two suffered a serious traumatic brain injury. My brain had started swelling, Lester said. There really is no definitive therapy for the treatment of acute brain injury, Daniel Laskowitz, MD, MHS, Professor Medicine (Neurology), Neurobiology, & Anesthesiology, and Director, Neurovascular Laboratories at Duke University Medical Center, told Ivanhoe. Lesters wife Ashley feared the worst. Seemed like my world was coming to an end, Ashley told Ivanhoe. While in a coma, Lester was enrolled in a phase three trial called SyNAPSe. The study is testing if progesterone could help treat TBI. Its a natural hormone produced in men and women, thats most often associated … Continue reading →

VALHALLA, N.Y., July 30, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via PRWEB - Thermopraxis, LLC, (http://www.thermopraxis.com/) an early stage, innovative medical device company with emergency treatment for concussions/traumatic brain injury (TBI) and spinal cord injury is proud to announce that it will continue expansion of its US operations and base its new headquarters at New York Medical College's (NYMC) Valhalla campus in Westchester. Thermopraxis continues to advance a highly collaborative, creative "praxis" (meaning the act of applying, or practicing ideas or concepts) designed to engage their expanding network of entrepreneurs, researchers, investors, and partners, who are working together to make meaningful change in health through the development of therapies for traumatic or hypoxic-ischemic brain and spinal cord injuries, and other systemic injuries (contusions) using the recognized therapeutic effects of hypothermia or cooling. "We are excited to retain our headquarters in New York and leverage the abundant resources in the growing cluster in and around the Hudson Valley," stated Renato Rozental, MD, PhD, CEO and Chief Scientific Officer of Thermopraxis. "We are equally excited about our ongoing developments with Thermocrown, the first device that will enable emergency thermotherapy care out in the field to confer brain protection post-traumatic injury. At current, there are … Continue reading →

Life with a Traumatic Brain Injury My sister Emily is 29 and has lived the past 10 years of her life with a traumatic brain injury after she was in a car accident. This is her life and recover... By: saranade25 … Continue reading →