Category Archives: Brain Injury Treatment

ScienceDaily (Oct. 8, 2012) Using animal models, scientists at the Gladstone Institutes have discovered how a protein deficiency may be linked to frontotemporal dementia (FTD) -- a form of early-onset dementia that is similar to Alzheimer's disease. These results lay the foundation for therapies that one day may benefit those who suffer from this and related diseases that wreak havoc on the brain. As its name implies, FTD is a fatal disease that destroys cells, or neurons, that comprise the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain -- as opposed to Alzheimer's which mainly affects brain's memory centers in the hippocampus. Early symptoms of FTD include personality changes, such as increased erratic or compulsive behavior. Patients later experience difficulties speaking and reading, and often suffer from long-term memory loss. FTD is usually diagnosed between the ages of 40 and 65, with death occurring within 2 to 10 years after diagnosis. No drug exists to slow, halt or reverse the progression of FTD. A new study led by Gladstone Senior Investigator Robert V. Farese, Jr., MD, offers new hope in the fight against this and other related conditions. In the latest issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, available today online, … Continue reading →

Public release date: 8-Oct-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ] Contact: Carolann Murphy CMurphy@KesslerFoundation.org 973-324-8382 Kessler Foundation West Orange, NJ. October 8, 2012. Scientists from Kessler Foundation are presenting recent findings during Progress in Rehabilitation Research, the 2012 Conference of the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine and the American Society of NeuroRehabilitation (ACRM-ASNR). A.M. Barrett, MD, Amanda Botticello, PhD, Peii Chen, PhD, Abhijit Das, MD, Gail F. Forrest, PhD, Yael Goverover, PhD, Denise Krch, PhD, Karen Nolan, PhD, and Mooyeon Oh-Park, MD, are addressing a variety of topics that represent the Foundation's rehabilitation research in stroke, brain injury, multiple sclerosis and spinal cord injury. A.M. Barrett, MD, the current president of ASNR, is director of Stroke Rehabilitation Research at Kessler Foundation. Drs. Barrett and Chen will present promising results of prism adaptation treatment for spatial neglect, a common post-stroke hidden disability. Dr. Park, the assistant director of Stroke Rehabilitation Research, will present the Foundation's work on the impact of post-stroke cognitive deficits on patient satisfaction surveys of inpatient rehabilitation. Dr. Chen, research scientist in Stroke Rehabilitation Research, will discuss the Kessler Foundation Neglect Assessment Process (KF-NAP)-a new standardized tool for reliable functional assessment evaluation of spatial neglect. Drs. Chen and … Continue reading →

by Michael Pines, Accident & Injury Prevention Expert Kids and brain injury: now that the school season has begun, learn what you can do to prevent brain injury for your little one. When people talk about traumatic brain injury, many assume its the type of injury reserved for professional athletes or those who serve our country. But the truth is, brain injury can happen to anyone, and when it does, lives can be changed forever. When children get injured, not only does the risk for permanent disability skyrocket, but the severity of the injury can increase substantially. Fortunately, most people who sustain a TBI including children will recover from the incident within a few days or weeks. Some mild brain injuries can heal with proper medical care. However, some brain injuries even mild concussions can lead to long-term damage. Now, researchers at The American Academy of Neurology are determining how brain injury affects children and how repetitive TBIs or even one severe blow to the head can lead to a neurodegenerative disease called chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). CTE is a type of brain injury that can leave an injured person with irreparable brain atrophy similar to Alzheimers disease. Essentially, repetitive … Continue reading →

SUNNYVALE, Calif., and NOKOMIS, Fla., Oct. 8, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Amarantus BioSciences, Inc. (AMBS), a biotechnology company developing new treatments for brain-related disorders including Parkinson's disease and Traumatic Brain Injury ("TBI") centered on its proprietary anti-apoptotic therapeutic protein MANF, and Rainbow Coral Corp. (RBCC) biotech subsidiary Rainbow BioSciences, have selected NuroPro, Amarantus' Parkinson's disease blood test in development to diagnose symptomatic and asymptomatic Parkinson's sufferers, as the target product candidate for the proposed joint venture ("JV"). The pending JV agreement will see the two entities partner towards the commercialization of NuroPro. "This is a cutting edge approach to diagnosing a debilitating disease that afflicts millions of people worldwide," said RBCC CEO Patrick Brown. "The marketplace is crying out for new breakthroughs in the diagnosis of neurological diseases, and we believe NuroPro has the potential to accurately diagnose people who suffer from Parkinson's disease, allowing physicians to initiate treatment regimens earlier, as well as conduct clinical research on disease-modifying treatments in development on a younger population of patients." The deal is being structured to enable completion of the final stages of the NuroPro program, resulting in a commercially viable product to be introduced to the market place. NuroPro is being developed for … Continue reading →

News Friday, October 5, 2012 MANCHESTER Brain Injury and Stroke Education and discussion group for individuals with a brain tumor, brain injury, or stroke, as well as their family and friends. From 6-7:30 p.m. second Tuesday of the month. Group held at Catholic Medical Center. For more information and to register, call Bob Vieira, LICSW, at 663-6662. Im a Survivor This group is geared towards those who have completed or are finishing treatment for cancer. Family members are also welcome. From 4-5 p.m. the last Wednesday of the month at Norris Cotton Cancer Center 87 McGregor St. Call Jane Pinard, LICSW at 629-8683 the day of the group to ensure that the session is being held that day. Living with Cancer Education and support for patients, their loved ones and caregivers, facing the daily challenges of living with cancer. From 3-4 p.m. the second Wednesday of the month at Norris Cotton Cancer Center 87 McGregor St. Call Jane Pinard, LICSW at 629-8683 the day of the group to ensure that the session is being held that day. Phone support groups Read the original post: Local cancer support groups … Continue reading →

News Friday, October 5, 2012 Brain Injury and Stroke Support Group Education and discussion group for individuals with a brain tumor, brain injury, or stroke, as well as their family and friends. From 6-7:30 p.m. second Tuesday of the month. Group held at Catholic Medical Center. For more information and to register, call Bob Vieira, LICSW, at 663-6662. Im a Survivor This group is geared towards those who have completed or are finishing treatment for cancer. Family members are also welcome. From 4-5 p.m. the last Wednesday of the month at Norris Cotton Cancer Center 87 McGregor St. Call Jane Pinard, LICSW at 629-8683 the day of the group to ensure that the session is being held that day. Living with Cancer Education and support for patients, their loved ones and caregivers, facing the daily challenges of living with cancer. From 3-4 p.m. the second Wednesday of the month at Norris Cotton Cancer Center 87 McGregor St. Call Jane Pinard, LICSW at 629-8683 the day of the group to ensure that the session is being held that day. Phone support groups The Norris Cotton Cancer Center offers several telephone support groups, including Caring for Someone with Cancer, Living Beyond Breast … Continue reading →

From a helmet swallowed as a pill to binoculars that provide automatic eye exams, out-of-the-box thinking may help prevent traumatic brain injury in U.S. warfighters. The mildest form of such injury, known as a concussion, is a problem familiar with sports fans. But military medical experts often refer to traumatic brain injury, or TBI, as the signature injury from Afghanistan and Iraq. In September, the departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs combined more than $100 million to fund two new consortia, one aimed partly at improving diagnosis and treatment of TBI. Here are six promising TBI-related technologies they might consider, under development by U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command (USAMRMC). Head gear in a pill? Can neuroprotective drugs improve the outcome following acute brain trauma? NNZ- 2566 is just such a pill. According to USAMRMC and its partners, a fighter could swallow such a pill before the risk of head trauma even crops up. The drug would protect the neurological tissue in the event of a blow to the head. Beyond protection from initial injury, a drug that could stimulate or improve neuronal healing and repair could also help reduce long-term damage. An analog of a naturally occurring small-molecule … Continue reading →

http://www.armytimes.com/news/2012/10/ap-fort-campbell-seeks-hlep-addressing-ptsd-tbi-100212/ By Kristin M. Hall - The Associated Press Posted : Tuesday Oct 2, 2012 20:26:54 EDT FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. Fort Campbell is reaching out to the medical community in Kentucky to help address the challenges of post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injury among returning service members and veterans. Experts from the militarys top behavioral health and brain injury research agencies came to the Army installation on the Tennessee-Kentucky state line Tuesday to teach civilian behavioral health professionals about the militarys current research and treatments into the invisible wounds that have become prevalent among troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255) Col. Paul R. Cordts, the commander of Blanchfield Army Community Hospital at Fort Campbell, Ky., noted that President Obama issued an executive order in August that directed ways to improve mental health care for troops within the military and veterans under the Department of Veterans Affairs. We cannot do this alone on Fort Campbell, Cordts said. We depend on the community and we need your help in addressing these issues, especially around our mental health services. Faced with rising suicide rates, the Army and Fort Campbell held suicide prevention and awareness training for … Continue reading →

Johnson Rehabilitation Institute again named among best facilities in nation BY KATHY CHANG Staff Writer Arlen Ray (r), clinical manager and physical therapist at the Johnson Rehabilitation Institute in Edison, works on the knee of Louise Ventrella of Westfield. PHOTOS BY ERIC SUCAR staff EDISON A knee replacement, a brain injury, or a stroke can be a scary ordeal. It changes your life and changes the way you do things, said Louise Ventrella, of Westfield, who had knee-replacement surgery in July. Marci Gietter, assistant administrator at the Johnson Rehabilitation Institute (JRI), said that basically life is interrupted, with such occurrences, especially with braintrauma patients. I have seen all ages, whether it was a dirt-biking or diving incident, she said. A lot of our older patients have brain injuries, as well [as other medical issues]. For Ventrella, her journey started six years ago. She had two partial knee replacements then, and on July 26, she had a full left-knee replacement at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City. She began as an in-patient at JRI and is down to a once-a-week session with physical therapist Arlen Ray. Louise Ventrella uses one of the exercise stations at the Johnson Rehabilitation … Continue reading →

Less than a month after suffering a traumatic brain injury while herding cattle, Lane Allred, 18, of Thatcher was released from treatment in Tucson and has returned home. Lane is the son of Graham County Sheriff P.J. Allred. Lane was injured in the late afternoon of Sept. 7 when he was apparently bucked from his horse while herding cattle on Paddy's River Road. The area is near the Deer Creek turnoff of Bonita/Klondyke Road at the base of the Galiuro Mountain Range. Lane lost consciousness and was flown to the University Medical Center-University Campus in Tucson, where he remained in a coma for eight days, according to Allred. After the swelling of his brain subsided and Lane came out of his coma, he was transferred to a HealthSouth rehabilitative hospital located behind the Tucson Medical Center on Sept. 21. HealthSouth hospitals provide a higher level of inpatient rehabilitative care to those who are recovering from serious conditions, including neurological disorders, pulmonary conditions, brain and spinal cord injuries and amputations. Lane's condition continued to improve at a startling rate, and soon he was walking and talking on his own. His quick recovery amazed his health providers, and they decided he was … Continue reading →