5 hours ago Researchers from the Biomedical Engineering Department of Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey recently demonstrated the use of their "Brain-on-a-Chip" microsystem to assess specific effects of traumatic axonal injury. While their model uses the three dimensional cell structure and networks found in intact animals, it is capable of visualizing individual axons and their responses to mechanical injury. This is done by utilizing organotypic slices taken from specific areas in the brain that are susceptible to injury during a traumatic brain injury event. "What's really nice about the system is that it is very versatile, in that specific physiologically relevant pathways or networks can be monitored depending on the orientation of the slices placed in the device, or by which brain slices are used," says Jean-Pierre Doll, Ph.D, lead author. Through the use of very small microchannels, the authors direct the natural response of brain slices to extend axons to connect one brain slice to another. Once the extending axons have traversed the distance and made functional connections between the brain slices, these axons are ready to be selectively injured. This innovative approach was used to characterize the biochemical changes that are induced following traumatic axonal injury … Continue reading →

Study finds even mild injury can cause brain damage 9:13pm Wednesday 16th July 2014 in News EVEN mild traumatic brain injury may cause thinking and memory problems, according to new research by North-East academics. The study, carried out by Newcastle University and published in the American journal Neurology, saw 44 people with a mild traumatic brain injury and nine people with a moderate traumatic brain injury compared to 33 people with no brain injury. The patients, who had all been treated by the Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, had suffered various accidents, including falling from bicycles with no helmet, falling from ladders doing jobs around the home, slipping and falling while just going about their daily life, being involved in motor vehicle accidents or being assaulted. They needed hospital attention but were treated and discharged either on the day of their injury or following a few days of observation and treatment in hospital. All participants were tested on their thinking and memory skills. At the same time, they had a type of MRI scan that is better at detecting damage to brain cells. The people with brain injuries had their scans an average of six days after they suffered the … Continue reading →

A long-term study reveals how the brain responds to a mild impact, and could guide future intervention Credit: Rugby Streaming/flickr At Sundays World Cup Final, German soccer player Christoph Kramer knocked his head against an Argentine opponents shoulder with such force that Kramer spun to the ground and fell face down. The blow was one of many at this years competition, which further fueled a rising debate about concussion, the damages of ftbol versus football and the best response to head injuries. Part of the challenge in understanding these injuries is how varied they can be. Although much attention has gone to severe forms of traumatic brain injury (TBI) such as concussion-induced coma, far more common are the milder impacts that come from falling off a bicycle, a low-speed car accident or taking a weak punch in a fistfight. These injuries may not entail losing consciousness but rather just a brief lack in responsiveness before recovering. Now a group of researchers in the U.K. at Newcastle University, the University of Aberdeen and the University of Edinburgh have released results of a longer-term investigation of individuals who have suffered such first-time, minor head injuries. Their findings hint that the contusions leave … Continue reading →