The suicide of former pro football star Junior Seau is putting a new focus on trauma to the head. Researchers say a lot of advances are being made in recognizing and treating brain injury, but a lot of mysteries still remain. Up until a year ago Lisa Huey was part of medical team studying and treating brain and spinal cord injuries. She is now learning to walk and talk again after an illness cut off oxygen to her brain. But its kind of ironic uh? asked Huey. Her journey to recovery could become a path for others to follow. A strong support system keeps her focused. Its hard sometime but you take it as it comes one day at a time my mom has been really helpful with that, said Huey. Huey and her mother were among the featured guest at a symposium on recent advances in treatments for brain injury and stroke. New innovations in imagining technology are making it easier to understanding the physical damage caused by a brain injury, but understanding the emotional damage, thats not as clear cut. Injuries that happen during sporting events, as well as, those on a battlefield have increased awareness. According to … Continue reading →

CONCORD, N.H.A commission created to study post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury among New Hampshire veterans is distributing a new survey around the state, while also using new mapping tools to generate policy questions it hopes will lead to better treatment and services. The commission, which was created by the Legislature last year, has focused so far on collecting data about veterans from the agencies that serve them. But aside from statistics provided by the VA Medical Center in Manchester, there wasn't a lot of data to collect, said Jo Moncher, the commission's chairwoman and head of community based military programs for the state Department of Health and Human Services. And while those returning from deployment go through extensive screenings, they might not always be honest because they are so eager to just get home, she said. In hopes of getting better information from the veterans themselves, the group worked with the UNH Survey Center to develop an 11-question survey that will be distributed at conferences, agencies serving veterans and other locations around the state. It also is available online at http://www.nh-veteran.com. "Today is a beginning," Moncher said. "We are not here to answer the questions and solve the … Continue reading →

Robyn Williams: Do you remember a series of programs I did in 1976 on dyslexia? The therapist who achieved some quite remarkable results with her young patients did so by teaching them to dance. Then here was the comedian Terry Thomas, with whom I did something on TV in 1971. He was already stiff and awkward, showing signs of Parkinsons disease. Later, in a TV documentary, Jonathan Miller showed how Terry Thomas could barely walk through a doorway, but he could easily dance through it. Music, the magic ingredient - now a new book shows why it works. This is Professor Roger Rees in Adelaide: Roger Rees: The distinguished author and neurologist Oliver Sacks has been lobbying the US Congress for music therapy to be recognised as a necessary treatment for people recovering from trauma and for people experiencing mental health difficulties. In the UK a study is examining the psychological impact of being exposed to bird song including whether it helps us to relax, can assist our ability to complete tasks and even think creatively. Meanwhile in Australia the SBS documentary titled The Musical Brain illuminates how the brain uses music to shape human experience. Pioneering music therapy has … Continue reading →

Hoping to finally have a useful treatment to offer for serious head injuries, doctors at San Antonio Military Medical Center will begin today giving the hormone progesterone to many patients. SAMMC, one of the region's two Level 1 trauma centers, is taking part in a national federally funded study of progesterone in patients with moderate to severe brain injuries. For the last 30 years, there have been a lot of drug trials, and every one of them has failed. There's a lot of hope with this, said Col. Randall McCafferty, chief of neurosurgery at SAMMC. Progesterone is mostly known as a female reproductive hormone, but men's bodies also produce some. And in the brain, it works the same in men and women: reducing swelling, inflammation and cell death. Smaller studies have shown the treatment cuts the risk of death by half. Because many brain-injured patients are unable to give permission to take part in the study, under federal law, people can opt out in advance by calling 210-916-1827 or going online to http://www.protectiii.com. While the military is interested in a better treatment for head injuries, which are common on the battlefield, most San Antonio-area patients are likely to be civilians, … Continue reading →

NOKOMIS, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Rainbow BioSciences, LLC, the biotech subsidiary of Rainbow Coral Corp. (RBCC), today announced the collaboration of its latest target, Amarantus BioSciences, Inc. (OTCBB: AMBS.OB - News), with Brewer Sports International(BSI) to increase awareness about new medical therapies in development to effectively treat traumatic brain injuries, commonly referred to as concussions, occurring primarily as a result of football and other contact sports. The Coalition for Concussion Treatment campaign, known under its Twitter handle as #C4CT, has reached the critical milestone of 100 people signing a petition endorsing the movement and seeking to disseminate critical information about promising new therapies BSI will be identifying and raising awareness for over the next several months. Raising awareness of new advancement in developing treatments for TBI is critically important because it will allow the broader community to support drug developers efforts. Recent research on concussions suffered by athletes of all ages, including children, is rapidly changing the publics view of the impact these injuries have on players, including horrific side effects such as dementia and even suicide, as has been seen by the recent tragic deaths of certain current and former NFL and NHL players. The newly formed Coalition for Concussion Treatment … Continue reading →