ScienceDaily (Nov. 7, 2012) Seizures during childhood fever are usually benign, but when prolonged, they can foreshadow an increased risk of epilepsy later in life. Now a study funded by the National Institutes of Health suggests that brain imaging and recordings of brain activity could help identify the children at highest risk. The study reveals that within days of a prolonged fever-related seizure, some children have signs of acute brain injury, abnormal brain anatomy, altered brain activity, or a combination. "Our goal has been to develop biomarkers that will tell us whether or not a particular child is at risk for epilepsy. This could in turn help us develop strategies to prevent the disorder," said study investigator Shlomo Shinnar, M.D., Ph.D. Dr. Shinnar is a professor of neurology, pediatrics and epidemiology and the Hyman Climenko Professor of Neuroscience Research at Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York City. Seizures that occur during the course of a high fever, known as febrile seizures, affect 3 to 4 percent of all children. Most such children recover rapidly and do not suffer long-term health consequences. However, having one or more prolonged febrile seizures in childhood is known to increase the … Continue reading →

The rehabilitation medicine team at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, in conjunction with Jackson Rehabilitation Hospital, has been awarded a federal Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems (TBIMS) grant of more than $2 million. Funded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR), the five-year grant will enhance rehabilitation services and research aimed at meeting the special needs of individuals with brain injuries as they progress through the clinical continuum, from emergency care to rehabilitation and community reentry. The highly competitive selection process for the prestigious U.S. Department of Education funding resulted in UM/Jackson being the only Florida award recipient, making it one of just 16 sites nationally that were awarded the grant. Last year, UM/Jackson also was awarded a Spinal Cord Injury Model Systems program grant, which is directed by Diana Cardenas, MD, MHA, chair of rehabilitation medicine at the Miller School of Medicine and chief of rehabilitation at Jackson Memorial Hospital. This will make us one of a select group of rehabilitation medicine departments in the country that have both a spinal cord injury and a traumatic brain injury model system program, Cardenas said. The centers selected for this grant provide a multidisciplinary system … Continue reading →

Sales of the Infrascanner Model 2000, a ruggedized handheld brain hematoma detector, are launched at MEDICA trade fair in Dusseldorf, Germany Philadelphia, PA (PRWEB) November 08, 2012 The Infrascanner Model 2000 is a handheld device that uses Near-Infrared (NIR) technology to detect intracranial bleeding, identifying those patients who would most benefit from immediate referral to a CT scan and neurosurgical intervention. In the triage of head trauma patients, the Infrascanner can identify patients most likely to have intracranial bleeding. The Infrascanner Model 2000 is based on the Infrascanner Model 1000, following the specifications of the US Marine Corps. The US Navy and Marines supported the development of the technology. The improvements in the Infrascanner Model 2000 include: The Infrascanner is designed to assist first responders and emergency room personnel in identifying life threatening brain hematomas, allowing expedient assessment of patients and potentially facilitating life-saving treatment. An estimated 1.5 million individuals seek medical treatment for head trauma in the U.S. each year, and a total of 10 million individuals seek head trauma treatment annually worldwide. Intracranial hematomas resulting from a traumatic brain injury are life-threatening and have been reported to occur as the primary injury in 40% of patients with severe … Continue reading →

Braintree Rehabilitation Hospital, located at 250 Pond St., has completed extensive renovations to its 35-bed brain injury program unit on the second floor, and when it reopens Nov. 14, it will be the only dedicated brain injury in-patient unit in the metropolitan area south of Boston. Weve had a brain injury unit for about 30 years, but now it has been redone, said Jinia Drinkwater, director of patient care services, during a Nov. 5 open house at the hospital attended by, among others, Mayor Joseph Sullivan and Police Chief Russell Jenkins. The work took about six months to complete. The patients were moved to another floor while the renovations were in progress. Officials emphasized that the Neurobehavioral Brain Injury Unit is tailored to meet the needs of a specific patient population at the hospital, which opened in 1975 and is owned by FiveStar Quality Care of Newton. The unit is used for appropriate therapy as an adjunct to traditional therapy, Drinkwater said. Dr. Douglas Katz, medical director of the acquired brain injury program, stated that the renovations underscore the hospitals commitment to service patients with the most complex cases, including those who are unconscious or minimally conscious. In contrast to … Continue reading →