Innovative angles of attack in research that focus on how the human brain protects and repairs itself will help develop treatments for one of the most common, costly, deadly and scientifically frustrating medical conditions worldwide: traumatic brain injury. In an extensive opinion piece recently published online on Expert Opinion on Investigational Drugs, Henry Ford Hospital researcher Ye Xiong, M.D., Ph.D., makes the case for pioneering work underway in Detroit and elsewhere seeking to understand and repair brain function at the molecular level. "To date, all attempts at treating traumatic brain injury with experimental drugs have failed once testing moved from animal studies to clinical trials in humans," Dr. Xiong explains. "Although this is disappointing, we believe innovations now at the preclinical stage hold great promise for a deeper understanding of traumatic brain injury and how to treat it." Also known as TBI, traumatic brain injury most commonly results from a sudden, violent blow to the head, in some cases driving broken bone into the brain, or from a bullet or other object piercing the skull and entering the brain. This trauma sets off a complex "cascade" of reactions in the brain that can impair thinking and reasoning, behavior and movement. … Continue reading →

DETROIT - Innovative angles of attack in research that focus on how the human brain protects and repairs itself will help develop treatments for one of the most common, costly, deadly and scientifically frustrating medical conditions worldwide: traumatic brain injury. In an extensive opinion piece recently published online on Expert Opinion on Investigational Drugs, Henry Ford Hospital researcher Ye Xiong, M.D., Ph.D., makes the case for pioneering work underway in Detroit and elsewhere seeking to understand and repair brain function at the molecular level. "To date, all attempts at treating traumatic brain injury with experimental drugs have failed once testing moved from animal studies to clinical trials in humans," Dr. Xiong explains. "Although this is disappointing, we believe innovations now at the preclinical stage hold great promise for a deeper understanding of traumatic brain injury and how to treat it." Also known as TBI, traumatic brain injury most commonly results from a sudden, violent blow to the head, in some cases driving broken bone into the brain, or from a bullet or other object piercing the skull and entering the brain. This trauma sets off a complex "cascade" of reactions in the brain that can impair thinking and reasoning, behavior … Continue reading →

WASHINGTON, March 23, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- An initiative from the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center (DVBIC) is raising awareness about traumatic brain injury (TBI) diagnosed in nondeployed settings. A Head for the Future relaunched today with a new website and resources. Since 2000, more than 320,000 service members have been diagnosed with TBI. According to Defense Department data, the vast majority of TBIs were diagnosed in noncombat settings. Concussions a mild form of brain injury are the most common form of TBI in the military. Common causes of TBIs include motor vehicle collisions, falls and sports-related incidents. "Raising awareness about the signs and symptoms of brain injury, educating service members about ways to be safe during daily activities and encouraging them to seek help will preserve the health of our military force," Army Col. Sidney Hinds II, M.D., DVBIC's national director. A Head for the Future is a multi-year initiative to promote awareness, prevention of and recovery from traumatic brain injury, including concussion. Today's relaunch of the website at dvbic.dcoe.mil/aheadforthefuture expands the variety of resources available to service members, veterans and their families as well as line leaders, health care providers and caregivers about TBI diagnosis, treatment and recovery. … Continue reading →

CBS Pittsburgh (con't) Affordable Care Act Updates: CBSPittsburgh.com/ACA Health News & Information: CBSPittsburgh.com/Health PITTSBURGH (KDKA) Treating brain tumors can be difficult, especially if theyre rare or are in a particularly complicated part of the brain. Now, a combination of technologies is helping to map out a better treatment. Auto parts store owner Jeffrey Kowalski was dizzy and staggering. His heart checked out. So, he went for a brain scan next. An unexpected finding drastically changed his life. The doctors saw a tumor, deep in the brain, the size of a golf ball. I was scared. I didnt want to die, he said. Surgery to remove it was complicated because of its location. It was in the ventricle, a fluid filled space in the central part of the brain. With deeper-seated tumors, it becomes an issue of getting to the tumor safely without injuring important brain structures, Forbes Regional Hospital Neurosurgeon Dr. Eugene Bonati said. More here: New Technology Helping To Treat Brain Tumors … Continue reading →

Lexington, MA (March 23, 2015) - Research results published in the Journal of Neurotrauma and conducted by the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR) as part of a collaboration with Concert Pharmaceuticals, Inc. showed that a novel deuterium-containing sigma-1 agonist invented at Concert, called C-10068, demonstrated anti-seizure and anti-inflammatory effects in a preclinical model of traumatic brain injury (TBI). C-10068, a novel metabolically-stabilized morphinan derivative, is based on a compound first identified at WRAIR in the 1990s as possessing anticonvulsant properties. In the current study C-10068 demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in frequency and duration of seizures following TBI in a preclinical model developed at the WRAIR. C-10068 affects multiple neurochemical pathways, including sigma-1 receptors which have a widespread modulatory role in the central nervous system (CNS).1 The C-10068 study was conducted under a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) granted to Concert in collaboration with the WRAIR. "We are highly encouraged by the results with C-10068 in this study. The compound previously demonstrated anti-seizure activity in multiple non-TBI animal models, and our preclinical testing with C-10068 similarly showed significant seizure protection in our unique model of refractory, TBI-induced brain seizure activity," said Dr. Frank Tortella, whose team conducted … Continue reading →