Can deep brain stimulation affect how well and what we remember? An x-ray shows EEG-recording electrodes under the skull of an epilepsy patient. For some of the approximately 10 million people worldwide with traumatic brain injury (TBI), forming and holding onto new memories can be one of the hardest things theyll do in a day. Now imagine a device implanted in the brain that can help them encode memories by means of small electric shocks. Initial steps toward such a memory neuroprosthetic are being taken at the University of Pennsylvania, where researchers have started tests on brain surgery patients to try to locate, and influence, the processes that control memory formation. When people suffer brain injuries, several things happen. Neurons might be damaged from the initial impact or from bruising or swelling in the brain afterward. The axons that connect brain regions might be severely jarred during impact, in some cases literally separating from neurons. The brain is a complex network of neurons that all have to communicate with each other, says Matthew Kirschen, a pediatric neurologist at the Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia, who is not involved in the Penn research. All you need is a little disruption in axonal … Continue reading →

Boston, Mass (PRWEB) April 02, 2015 In the wake of the two-year anniversary of the Boston Marathon bombings, a new tradition is blossoming in the city of Boston. April 15 will now be recognized as "One Boston Day" to honor the citys resilience, generosity and strength during and after the 2013 attacks, according to Boston Mayor Marty Walsh. Mayor Walsh envisions One Boston Day as an opportunity for Boston residents to give back. Dr. Diane Roberts Stoler, Ed.D. (Dr. Diane), a Massachusetts neuropsychologist, board certified sports psychologist, trauma therapist, and co-author of "Coping with Concussion and Mild Traumatic Brain Injury," is doing just that. "If you were within a quarter mile of the Boston Marathon blasts, and are still suffering from persistent symptoms including headaches; fatigue; impaired concentration and decision-making ability, sleep disturbances; dizziness; gait imbalance; loss of taste and smell; loss of sex drive; reading and communication difficulties; and emotional or behavioral problems, then you likely sustained a concussion, a form of traumatic brain injury, and are dealing with Post Concussion Syndrome, said Dr. Diane, who specializes in concussion and brain injury. You do not have to come into physical contact with an explosion for it to cause significant … Continue reading →

IMAGE:A staffer in Dr. Margaret Naeser's lab demonstrates the equipment built especially for the research: an LED helmet (Photomedex), intranasal diodes (Vielight), and LED cluster heads placed on the ears... view more Credit: Photo courtesy of Naeser lab Following up on promising results from pilot work, researchers at the VA Boston Healthcare System are testing the effects of light therapy on brain function in veterans with Gulf War Illness. Veterans in the study wear a helmet lined with light-emitting diodes that apply red and near-infrared light to the scalp. They also have diodes placed in their nostrils, to deliver photons to the deeper parts of the brain. The light is painless and generates no heat. A treatment takes about 30 minutes. The therapy, though still considered "investigational" and not covered by most health insurance plans, is already used by some alternative medicine practitioners to treat wounds and pain. The light from the diodes has been shown to boost the output of nitric oxide near where the LEDs are placed, which improves blood flow in that location. "We are applying a technology that's been around for a while," says lead investigator Dr. Margaret Naeser, "but it's always been used on the … Continue reading →

Traumatic brain injury, or TBI, results from sudden head trauma that interrupts brain function. This can be caused by direct or indirect force, by rotational and/or deceleration with both direct and indirect force, if the head abruptly and forcefully hits an object, or when an object penetrates the skull and damages brain tissue. Rapid force or rapid deceleration of the head can cause the brain to strike the inside hard surface of the skull, which is a bony vault. The severity of traumatic brain injury is determined by several factors, including the nature, speed, and location of the brains movement and impact. In the U.S., approximately 1.6 million people sustain a traumatic brain injury each year. Symptoms of Traumatic Brain Injury Interestingly, persons with mild, moderate, or even severe traumatic brain injury often display many of the same symptoms, although some indications are exclusive to one or the other. Someone with mild TBI may experience disorientation with no actual loss of consciousness, or may experience only a brief loss of consciousness remaining unconscious for a few seconds or minutes, while the symptoms of moderate TBI are similar but usually more serious and long lasting. Some common signs of both mild … Continue reading →