Category Archives: Brain Injury Treatment

ScienceDaily (May 20, 2012) In an advance that may someday provide health benefits for soldiers and athletes, a team of researchers has discovered a mechanism that could be the cause of traumatic brain injuries (TBI) in blast-exposed soldiers. The breakthrough study, published recently in the journal Science Translational Medicine, finds that the brain injuries suffered by soldiers from improvised explosive devices (IEDs) are due to the head rotation or motion from the blast wind. The research team created a blast neurotrauma mouse model that controlled head motion during blast exposure. The study showed that the brain injuries observed in mice exposed to blasts -- equivalent to battlefield exposures -- are identical to the brain injuries suffered by soldiers from military blasts, such as IEDs, when the heads were allowed to move. However, when the head motions were restrained, there were no brain injuries or other neurological effects in the mice. The researchers also compared brain tissue samples from four soldiers with known blast exposure and/or concussive injury with brain tissue samples from three amateur American football players and a professional wrestler with histories of repetitive concussive injuries. In addition, they compared the brain tissue samples to those from a control … Continue reading →

GLEN CARBON, Ill., May 20, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Morningstar Spinal Correction Center announced that chiropractor Dr. Andrew L. Morningstar ("Dr. Andy") is a graduate of the Spine Research Institute of San Diego's (SRISD) "Whiplash and Brain Injury Traumatology" program. The program educates chiropractors about the latest auto injury treatments with a special focus on whiplash injuries and mild brain trauma. Dr. Andy is using the program's teaching to enhance the auto injury treatment options available at his Center. Chiropractor Dr. Andrew L. Morningstar ("Dr. Andy") announced that he has completed the SRISD's "Whiplash and Brain Injury Traumatology" program. Designed by Dr. Arthur Croft, the program is dedicated to advancing the treatment of auto accident injuries through a deeper understanding of the nervous system, brain trauma, and spinal trauma. "Chiropractic care is a dynamic, evolving field, and I am a firm believer that new scientific developments must be fused into our treatment protocols," said Dr. Andy. "I recently completed Dr. Croft's 'Whiplash and Mild Traumatic Brain Treatment' program. Thanks to this cutting-edge program, I am proud to offer Glen Carbon neck pain and back pain patients the latest care." Auto accident injuries affect millions of Americans each year. Whiplash is … Continue reading →

ScienceDaily (May 20, 2012) Treatment of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in children normalizes disturbances in the neuronal network responsible for attention and executive function, according to a new study. "OSA is known to be associated with deficits in attention, cognition, and executive function," said lead author Ann Halbower, MD, Associate Professor at the Children's Hospital Sleep Center and University of Colorado Denver. "Our study is the first to show that treatment of OSA in children can reverse neuronal brain injury, correlated with improvements in attention and verbal memory in these patients." The results will be presented at the ATS 2012 International Conference in San Francisco. In the study, children (ages 8-11) with moderate-severe OSA were compared to healthy controls. Brain imaging with magnetic resonance spectroscopy imaging was performed at baseline in 15 OSA patients and seven controls, along with neuropsychological testing. OSA treatment consisted of adenotonsillectomy followed by monitored continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) or nasal treatments. Brain imaging and neuropsychological testing was performed again in 11 OSA patients and the seven controls six months after treatment. Compared with controls at baseline, children with OSA exhibited significantly decreased N-acetyl aspartate to choline ratios (NAA/Cho) in the left hippocampus and left … Continue reading →

Alex Cottier Alex Cottier (21) was taken to the Lakes District Hospital from the rugby sevens in January after he suffered an arteriovenous malformation and collapsed in the crowd. Vanessa Cottier Mr Cottier said he and his mother met the board's general manager Ian Winwood and the hospital's operations manager Norman Gray last week, and they promised to formally investigate the incident. "I got a call last week and they said they were doing a full clinical review into the whole situation." He said the meeting went well and he expected a response from the board within five weeks. On the day he collapsed, when Mr Cottier was taken by ambulance to the hospital, the staff had assumed his unconscious state was a result of heavy drinking, but he had had four standard beers before vomiting and passing out. Only when hospital staff were approached the following day by a nurse who had seen the incident the day before, did they concede it was more than a hangover, and he was sent to Invercargill hospital for a CT scan of his head. The scan detected bleeding on the brain and 30 minutes later he was flown to Dunedin Hospital, where … Continue reading →

Researchers at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center have determined that a new device for treating traumatic brain injury can reduce the size and extent of damaged tissue and prevent cell death. The research was the focus of a three-year, $1.5 million study funded by the U.S. Defense Department. A report has been published in the journal Neurosurgery. The technology, tested in rats, is called mechanical tissue resuscitation. It uses negative pressure to create an environment that fosters cell survival. Similar negative-pressure devices have been used to treat wounds and burns. "The Department of Defense has identified this as an area that is ripe for medical advancement," said study co-author Dr. Stephen Tatter, professor of neurosurgery at Wake Forest Baptist. "We believe it will soon be ready for a clinical trial." The Wake Forest Baptist research team was led by Dr. Louis Argenta and Michael Morykwas, professors in the department of plastic surgery and reconstructive surgery. The team used the device to remove fluid and other toxins that cause cell death from an injury site deep in the brain. When the brain is injured by blunt force, explosion or other trauma, the cells at the impact site are irreversibly damaged and … Continue reading →

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) occurs when an external force, such as a violent blow, damages the brain. Depending on the severity of the injury, this could end in serious long-term damage or even death. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that about 1.7 million people will experience a TBI each year. Brain injury The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is the special education law in the United States. It defines TBI as "an acquired injury to the brain caused by an external physical force, resulting in total or partial functional disability or psychosocial impairment." Ricardo Jorge Komotar, neurological surgeon at the University of Miami School of Medicine, said that people should know about the chronic nature of the condition. "Most of the focus is on concussions but people need to understand that there are repercussions 10 to 15 years down the road, not just right now." Frank Toral, senior partner at Toral Garcia Battista (a brain and spinal cord injury law firm), explained that TBI the leading cause of death anddisabilityfor children 14 and under. Causes There are two basic forms of TBI: Closed head injuries (blows to the head) and penetrating injuries (penetration of brain by foreign … Continue reading →

MCKINNEY, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- A local 27-year-old Dallas man, Mike Black, survives after being thrown from his car and landing 40-feet away on his head. Black was not expected to live after suffering the most severe brain injury possible in an accident. With a Glasgow coma scale of only three and a dim prognosis from doctors, his family had little hope. In search of answers, they turned to the internet to get information and peer support from others who have had a loved one experience a traumatic, life-changing tragedy or illness. The online search for information on their sons condition offered quite a bit of technical information related to Blacks injuries, but no place to discuss their tragedy with someone who had experienced the same and learned ways to live through it and give them hope. The family formed a page on Facebook, The Beans Recovery Group, where friends and family could follow Blacks (The Beans) progress from coma, to his first meal to his first words and first steps. Eventually, others who had experienced similar traumas found the Facebook page and began sharing their own positive stories of recovery, giving hope to Black and his family. After Blacks insurance ran … Continue reading →

ELKMONT, AL (WAFF) - Many families are fans of football, but for one Elkmont High school freshman, the sport nearly killed him. Last August, 15 year old Quentin Wise's dream of playing football was suddenly taken away. During practice, Quentin was hit during a play. His mom, Tona Underwood said it instantly changed his life. Underwood said,"He got hit by three seniors, one was right here in the front of the head, one was in the back of the head and one was on the side, so he got sandwiched. he didn't even have the ball, it was like a fake up the middle." After practice, Quentin fell over in the locker room. The team trainer told Tona to keep a close eye on him because the hit may have affected his speech. That evening, Tona took Quentin to the hospital, but he was sent home. The next day, she took him to see a neurologists and was admitted to the hospital for a week. Several tests showed he suffered major brain and nerve function. His speech, vision, hearing and his balance was affected. Doctors said his symptoms were similar to Shaken Baby Syndrome. Quentin said,"Everything is kind of mixed … Continue reading →

ROBERT MacLEOD From Saturday's Globe and Mail Published Friday, May. 11, 2012 6:13PM EDT Last updated Friday, May. 11, 2012 11:02PM EDT Female and younger athletes show more symptoms of a concussion, and take longer to recover from its effects, a U.S. study has found. The research, out of Michigan State University, suggests that physicians and athletic trainers should now take both age and sex into account when dealing with an athlete who has suffered a brain injury. Ian Dawe, physician-in-chief at Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences, in Whitby, Ont., said the study findings concur with what he and other Canadian experts in concussion and traumatic brain injury are seeing. Women tend to have a higher mortality rate following a severe traumatic brain injury than men, Dawe said Friday. Outcomes do seem worse and recovery seems to be longer from those severe injuries. It wouldnt be a stretch to look at concussions and see a similar pattern. Other studies, which have included hockey players, have also shown an apparent increased risk in females. We dont know the exact reasons but concussion risk may be influenced by gender, neck strength/weakness, reaction time, symptom reporting, etc, said Dr. Michael Stuart … Continue reading →

ROBERT MacLEOD From Saturday's Globe and Mail Published Friday, May. 11, 2012 6:13PM EDT Last updated Friday, May. 11, 2012 11:02PM EDT Female and younger athletes show more symptoms of a concussion, and take longer to recover from its effects, a U.S. study has found. The research, out of Michigan State University, suggests that physicians and athletic trainers should now take both age and sex into account when dealing with an athlete who has suffered a brain injury. Ian Dawe, physician-in-chief at Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences, in Whitby, Ont., said the study findings concur with what he and other Canadian experts in concussion and traumatic brain injury are seeing. Women tend to have a higher mortality rate following a severe traumatic brain injury than men, Dawe said Friday. Outcomes do seem worse and recovery seems to be longer from those severe injuries. It wouldnt be a stretch to look at concussions and see a similar pattern. Other studies, which have included hockey players, have also shown an apparent increased risk in females. We dont know the exact reasons but concussion risk may be influenced by gender, neck strength/weakness, reaction time, symptom reporting, etc, said Dr. Michael Stuart … Continue reading →