Contact Information Available for logged-in reporters only Newswise New technology being introduced at NYU Langone Medical Center could help researchers advance blood biomarker capabilities that show changes in low concentrations of specific proteins present following a neurological injury. The single molecule array (Simoa) technology developed by Quanterix, and the fully automated HD-1 analyzer, offers unprecedented improvement in protein sensitivity over current technologies for the detection of blood-based biomarkers as much as 1,000 times more sensitive than conventional immunoassays. Specifically, it allows for more effective measurement of low concentration of proteins, such as tau a normal protein that is released from brain cells following a brain injury. Utilizing this technology, researchers hope to develop and validate a simple, more objective blood biomarker for the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of traumatic brain injury (TBI). This diagnostic advancement provides us with a more precise ruler for measuring the effectiveness of diagnosis, treatment and progression of TBI, says Mony J. de Leon, EdD, director of the Center for Brain Health at NYU Langone, professor of psychiatry and an investigator with NYUs Steven and Alexandra Cohen Veterans Center. We know that increased tau proteins in the cerebrospinal fluid are a marker for TBI. Having more … Continue reading →

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is ubiquitous and is increasingly being recognized in both the media and diverse clinical practices because of significant prevalence and morbidity. It is estimated that approximately 5.3 million people in the US have TBI-related disability.1 In the US, up to 1.7 million people sustain a TBI every year, of which 1.4 million are treated in emergency departments, yielding 275,000 hospitalizations and 52,000 fatalities, with an overall cost of $76.5 billion.2 Males are at increased risk for sustaining TBIs.3,4 More than 70% of the cases of TBI are mild (mTBI), which makes this subgroup of particular clinical interest. The cost of managing mTBI in the first year ($4600) is much less than that for managing moderate or severe TBI ($36,000), but because the vast majority of brain injury cases are mild, they are the main contributor to cumulative costs. Many clinicians are uncomfortable with the diagnosis and management of mTBIprobably because of the lack of validated and standardized treatments as well as a poor understanding of the natural history of TBI. Considerable overlap exists between TBI and disorders in cognition, behavior, and personality, which can provide even greater clinical challenges for health care professionals. This review on … Continue reading →

In the 1990s, neuroscientists identified a class of drugs that showed promise in the area of stroke. NMDA receptor antagonists could limit damage to the brain in animal models of stroke. But one problem complicated testing the drugs in a clinical setting: the side effects included disorientation and hallucinations. Now researchers have found a potential path around this obstacle. The results were published in Neuron. "We have found neuroprotective compounds that can limit damage to the brain during ischemia associated with stroke and other brain injuries, but have minimal side effects," says senior author Stephen Traynelis, PhD, professor of pharmacology at Emory University School of Medicine. "These compounds are most active when the pH is lowered by biochemical processes associated with injury of the surrounding tissue. This is a proof of concept study that shows this mechanism of action could potentially be exploited clinically in several conditions, such as stroke, traumatic brain injury and subarachnoid hemorrhage." In a mouse model of ischemic stroke, a NMDA receptor antagonist called 93-31 can reduce the volume of damaged brain tissue by more than half, researchers found. At the same time, giving mice 93-31 does not seem to lead to the side effects seen … Continue reading →