PUBLIC RELEASE DATE: 11-Nov-2014 Contact: George Hunka ghunka@aftau.org 212-742-9070 American Friends of Tel Aviv University @AFTAUnews As football players are learning, a violent blow to the head has the potential to cause mild to severe traumatic brain injury -- physical damage to the brain that can be debilitating, even fatal. The long-term effects run the gamut of human functioning, from trouble communicating to extensive cognitive and behavioral deterioration. To date, there is no effective medical or cognitive treatment for patients with traumatic brain injuries. But a new study from Tel Aviv University researchers points to an "enriched environment" -- specially enhanced surroundings -- as a promising path for the rehabilitation of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) patients. The research, published in Behavioral Brain Research, was led by Prof. Chagi Pick of TAU's Sagol School of Neuroscience and Sackler Faculty of Medicine and conducted by a team of researchers from both TAU and TAU-affiliated Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center. Mice move on up The study, conducted on mice at a TAU laboratory, followed two groups of animals with minimal traumatic brain injury. The first group was kept in standard cages and maintained under routine conditions, while the second enjoyed "enriched environments," … Continue reading →

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. (KABC) -- He's now back in Orange County, but one memory from the war continues to haunt him. "I had a traumatic brain injury, cerebral spinal fluid and blood coming out of my ears, and watched my best friend burn alive," Warren said. In 2006, Warren and his team were in a Humvee hit by an IED blast. Remarkably, no one died. But while Warren's physical wounds healed, his psyche was damaged. He didn't know how badly, until he returned to civilian life. "Everybody was a threat, so I was always sizing people up, seeing if they had a bomb," Warren said. He was showing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder - anxious, depressed and unable to sleep. He tried to self-medicate by using pain killers, alcohol and marijuana. He tried therapy. Nothing worked. Then about a year ago, someone referred him to the Brain Treatment Center in Newport Beach. "We're using very powerful magnetic fields to change literally how the brain is working, the frequencies of which the brain is running," said Dr. Robert Silvetz, chief science officer and physician liaison at Brain Treatment Center. Known as neuromodulation, the treatment is typically used to help children with … Continue reading →

On 19 March, 2004, an AH-6 Little Bird pilot and instructor with the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR), CW4 (R) Greg Coker, was shot down south of Fallujah. His resulting traumatic brain injury changed me mentally, emotionally and physically, he says. 11 combat tours and 14 surgeries later he still believed like most elite forces that he was immortal. Now, after years of painful recovery: mentally, emotionally and physically, he knows, teaches and advises others on his crusade to help those who have helped our country and want to serve in the general population. SFC Green Beret Andrew Marr knew he had multiple traumatic brain injuries (TBI) over the years, but his performance was never an issue and he says he was never a liability to his team team. However, after seeing four of my Green Beret buddies commit suicide in 16 months, I knew we had a problem, and I had a problem. He turned to numerous primary care physicians (PCPs), neurologists, endocrinologists and even psychologists before he decided to learn more about brain injuries and methods of diagnosis and treatment that didnt need months of waiting for an appointment and testing. After being shot 27 times at … Continue reading →

(Ivanhoe Newswire) ST. LOUIS, Mo. -- About 100,000 Americans have sickle cell disease a genetic condition where the body's red blood cells are deformed, clogging up arteries, and causing pain, disability or major stroke, even in kids. Patients who suffer strokes often have regular blood transfusions to prevent a repeat attack. Researchers now say those transfusions can be crucial for many more young sickle cell patients, even those who are showing no outward signs of brain injury. Twelve-year-old Alexis Haynes has come a long way. At age six, a sudden stroke put her in a coma for a full month. The doctors told us that she wouldn't be able to walk, she wouldn't be able to talk, she wouldn't remember us, Kelvin Haynes, Alexis' father told Ivanhoe. Every six weeks, Alexis spends hours getting her blood transfused. New red blood cells replace her sickle-shaped ones. While Alexis' stroke was apparent, experts say one in three children with sickle cell suffer silent strokes. These are injury to parts of the brain that don't control speech, they don't control movement in an arm or a leg, so they typically go unnoticed, Michael Noetzel, M.D., and Pediatric Neurologist at Washington University School of … Continue reading →

Norfolk, Va. (WTKR) A former Virginia Beach police officer, suffering from a traumatic brain injury after being hit by a drunk driver, has finished 40 sessions of hyperbaric oxygen therapy. NewsChannel 3 first brought you Ted Marriners story in early September. Read about it here: New hope for Virginia Beach Police Officer hit by a drunk driver. On Veterans Day, Marriner completed his final treatment and says the differences in his life have been noticeable. I would say the drop in the number and severity of headaches and the addition of actual sleep, to me that was a big difference, Marriner told NewsChannel 3s Todd Corillo Tuesday. You feel like youve come out of a fog. You dont have all the daily confusion. You can actually live life without working at it so hard, he continued. Staff at Hampton Roads Hyperbaric Therapy held a fundraiser to help cover the cost of Marriners treatment since his insurance wouldnt pay for it. NewsChannel 3 viewers also Took Action and Got Results. The words thank you dont even cover remotely the feelings that I have and that my wife has, Marriner said. Its very rewarding getting to see them coming in and having … Continue reading →

After a five-year health struggle that he tried to hide from the public, Glenn Beck is opening up about his private battle with some debilitating medical conditions. The conservative TV personality revealed the shocking secret on Monday night on his network, TheBlaze TV, where he opened up about his diagnosis with several devastating diseases that have caused him to lose functionality in his brain. But thanks to a team of expert doctors, Beck said he is on the mend, despite having previously been told that in five or 10 years, he "would no longer be able to function." NEWS: Jaime King opens up about her fertility struggles "I have never lied to you, but I have omitted a few really important facts becausethey scared me," Beck admitted to the audience, fighting back tears. "I didn't have any answers, and the answers I was being given at the time meantthe end of our time together." He says that about five years ago he first began experiencing inexplicable health issues, including vocal cord paralysis and eyesight problems. "While I was at Fox, the pain would get so bad that my camera crew, our executive producer Tiffany and I, had worked out hand … Continue reading →