Category Archives: Brain Injury Treatment

The Bottom Line This compassionate account of the thrills and risks of extreme sports makes it required viewing for both aspirants and enthusiasts. Sundance Film Festival (Documentary Premieres) Lucy Walker PARK CITY Competitive snowboarding isnt much older than Kevin Pearce, the professional snowboarder at the center of Lucy Walkers thrilling and compelling new documentary. By the time the film catches up with Pearce as he trains to qualify for the 2010 US team, it had only been an Olympic sport for a dozen years. With such a brief history, snowboarding has become a magnet for youthful enthusiasts worldwide who are thrilled by the sport and watching young riders compete. This global audience that extends even beyond most winter-sports regions gives The Crash Reel potential for distribution in multiple territories, where it could readily capitalize on upcoming winter seasons in both hemispheres. PHOTOS: Sundance 2013: The Scene in Park City Pearce, a Vermont native, began snowboarding as a young boy, then competing in local and regional competitions, and in 2005 at the age of 18 he went pro. Earning awards in numerous national events, Pearce frequently competed against Shaun White, an eventual Olympic gold medal winner. But in the run-up to … Continue reading →

ANCHORAGE - Around 800 Alaskans suffer a traumatic brain injury (TBI) every year, according to the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services. DHSS says the highest rates of TBI are among Alaska Natives, residents of rural Alaska and young people ages 15 to 19 in motor vehicle crashes. The number one cause of TBI across the country and in Alaska is falls. "And that can be a high level fall or a ground level fall, said trauma surgeon Dr. Regina Chennault. Especially in Alaska, icy conditions can catch many people off guard, but its not just the outdoors where people are falling. Dr. Chennault had a patient who woke up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom. And he fell and hit underneath his chin on the dresser and that caused a fracture in his and he also had a traumatic brain injury from that fall, said Chennault. It's older Alaskans who are especially vulnerable to taking what could be a dangerous or even fatal step. The second most common cause of TBI is in a motor vehicle crash. One Alaskan who knows all about that is Jeffry Kellerman. See the rest here: Heads Up Alaska: … Continue reading →

By ALISON DORF Published January 17, 2013 at 2:59am Updated January 17, 2013 at 2:59am A statewide collaboration is furthering the treatment of traumatic brain injuries within Arizona. The National Institutes of Health chose Arizona as the only state to evaluate the national standards for pre-hospital emergency care of traumatic brain injury, according to an Arizona Department of Health Services news release. Some attribute this success in treating severe brain injuries to the Excellence in Pre-hospital Injury Care, or EPIC, program. The UA College of Medicine is currently involved with EPIC, which is the only project of its kind in the country. It is a major collaboration between the Arizona Department of Health Services, the UA, Arizona Fire Departments and EMS agencies. Through EPIC, it is possible to track how its guidelines are helping patients by collecting data from paramedics and EMTs, and linking it to the Arizona State Trauma Registry. It is then possible to determine different scenarios for patients, including survival, length of stay in the hospital and cost, according to Dr. Ben Bobrow, medical director at the Bureau of EMS and Trauma System and a professor of emergency medicine at the UA College of Medicine on the … Continue reading →

Jan. 16, 2013 For the first time, scientists at Carnegie Mellon University's Center for Cognitive Brain Imaging (CCBI) have used a new combination of neural imaging methods to discover exactly how the human brain adapts to injury. The research, published in Cerebral Cortex, shows that when one brain area loses functionality, a "back-up" team of secondary brain areas immediately activates, replacing not only the unavailable area but also its confederates. "The human brain has a remarkable ability to adapt to various types of trauma, such as traumatic brain injury and stroke, making it possible for people to continue functioning after key brain areas have been damaged," said Marcel Just, the D. O. Hebb Professor of Psychology at CMU and CCBI director. "It is now clear how the brain can naturally rebound from injuries and gives us indications of how individuals can train their brains to be prepared for easier recovery. The secret is to develop alternative thinking styles, the way a switch-hitter develops alternative batting styles. Then, if a muscle in one arm is injured, they can use the batting style that relies more on the uninjured arm." For the study, Just, Robert Mason, senior research psychologist at CMU, and … Continue reading →

PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- InfraScan, a medical device company specializing in brain injury diagnostic products, announced today that it has obtained U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval to market the Infrascanner Model 2000, a noninvasive handheld brain hematoma detector. The Infrascanner Model 2000 is a handheld device with a disposable patient interface that uses Near-Infrared (NIR) technology to detect intracranial bleeding, identifying those patients who would most benefit from immediate referral to a CT scan and neurosurgical intervention. FDA approval in the U.S. allows InfraScan to offer an industry first, powerful tool for use by civilian and military medical professionals to quickly triage head trauma patients, said Baruch Ben Dor, President and CEO of InfraScan, Inc. Shortening the time to treatment through effective detection of intracranial bleeding can mean preserving brain function in a patient and even saving lives. The Infrascanner Model 2000 was developed in partnership with U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. The Model 2000 features upgrades that meet the specifications of the U.S. Marine Corps and is a ruggedized, integrated, user-friendly unit. Before the Infrascanner, first responders had to rely on imprecise methods to detect brain bleeds in patients, potentially delaying treatment, said Dr. Joseph Maroon, Professor and Vice Chairman … Continue reading →

It is estimated that 1,000 people die every week from traumatic brain injuries in the United States. But if you suffer a severe brain injury in Arizona, the National Institutes of Health say you will likely receive the best emergency services treatment available in the country. The National Institutes of Health chose Arizona as the only state to evaluate the national standards for prehospital emergency care of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). With Arizonas Excellence in Prehospital Injury Care (EPIC) project. Nearly 100 fire departments and ground/air ambulance companies have been trained in the national standards, covering more than 80 percent of the population. Those agencies send treatment information to the Arizona Department of Health Services and The University of Arizona College of Medicine for tracking and evaluation. The EPIC partnership across the state is allowing the implementation and evaluation of state-of-the-art treatment at the scene of an accident and is tracking how EMS care impacts the final outcome of patients, said Dr. Daniel Spaite, Professor of Emergency Medicine at The University of Arizona College of Medicine. We know that treatment decisions immediately after a severe brain injury are critical. That response, in the first few minutes after TBI, may have … Continue reading →

Jan. 10, 2013 Repeat traumatic brain injury affects a subgroup of the 3.5 million people who suffer head trauma each year. Even a mild repeat TBI that occurs when the brain is still recovering from an initial injury can result in poorer outcomes, especially in children and young adults. A metabolic marker that could serve as the basis for new mild TBI vulnerability guidelines is described in an article in Journal of Neurotrauma, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. In an Editorial, "The Window of Risk in Repeated Head Injury," accompanying this article, John T. Povlishock, PhD, Editor-in-Chief of Journal of Neurotrauma and Professor, VCU Neuroscience Center, Medical College of Virginia, Richmond, states that recent studies of TBI in animal models have shown that while repeat injury can exacerbate structural, functional, metabolic, and behavioral responses, "these responses only occur when the injury is repeated within a specific time frame post-injury." "Specifically, this window of risk is greatest when the interval between injuries is short, hours to days, while any risk for increased damage is obviated when the intervals between injuries are elongated over days to weeks," says Dr. Povlishock. It is not yet clear if these time … Continue reading →

A new study sponsored by Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York shows that having a traumatic brain injury does not place victims at greater risk for late-life dementia, but does increase risk of re-injury. John Demas of Demas Law Group, a Sacramento personal injury attorney, discusses the implications of these findings for those who have suffered traumatic brain injuries in accidents. Sacramento, CA (PRWEB) January 09, 2013 The studys senior author noted that many people who suffer traumatic brain injury at a young age fear that they will develop mental problems when they are older. However, the study found no link to dementia or other degenerative brain disorders in those who had suffered brain trauma. However, the study did find that, among the 4,000 adults whose records were reviewed, a traumatic brain injury was more common in those who later died of other causes. They also found the highest statistical relationship between those who sustained a traumatic brain injury with loss of consciousness after age 55 and re-injury. In fact, the risk of re-injury doubled for those who sustained a TBI before the age of 25 and was four times greater for those who were injured after age 55. … Continue reading →

A man who ended up with a brain injury after being held in police cells here and who now requires full time care will not face any criminal charges. Although RCMP officers wanted Robert Wright charged after he was arrested for impaired driving last year, a government lawyer concluded there was no substantial likelihood of conviction given the level of force used by RCMP officers against Wright and because of injuries he suffered. Wright was arrested April 21, 2012 after Terrace RCMP officers responded to reports of a possible impaired driver. While in police custody, Wright, then 47, was injured and after being taken to the local hospital three times during the night, was taken to the Royal Columbian Hospital in New Westminster for intensive treatment. Police subsequently recommended charges of impaired operation of a motor vehicle, refusing to provide a breath sample and obstructing a peace officer. A provincial lawyer then looked at evidence from the roadside when Wright was first stopped in his vehicle, evidence from his subsequent arrival at the Terrace RCMP detachment and interaction with police while in custody and evidence of his mental and physical condition before and after he was taken to hospital for … Continue reading →

Pleasantville, New York (PRWEB) January 09, 2013 New York traumatic brain injury (TBI) attorney Shana De Caro has been chosen to moderate the annual educational program of the Traumatic Brain Injury Litigation Group (TBILG) of the American Association for Justice at its meeting to be held in San Francisco, California in July 2013. The all day program features attorneys discussing the latest developments in the law affecting TBI victims and updates in medical issues pertaining to traumatic brain damage. The national litigation group comprises attorneys throughout the country who represent individuals who have sustained traumatic brain injuries. The groups purpose is to provide lawyers with cutting edge education on the latest medical and legal issues in the litigation of a traumatic brain injury case. Each year the group presents an educational program at the American Association for Justice Conference. De Caro has been recognized by her peers as a leading attorney in representing victims of brain injury caused by automobile accidents, bus and truck accidents, work site injuries, unsafe buildings, and medical or hospital malpractice. She is the lead author of a leading treatise on NeuroLaw published by Psychiatric Clinics of North America and a contributor to the New York … Continue reading →