Traumatic Brain Injury News and Research

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Traumatic brain injury (TBI), a form of acquired brain injury, occurs when a sudden trauma causes damage to the brain. TBI can result when the head suddenly and violently hits an object, or when an object pierces the skull and enters brain tissue. Symptoms of a TBI can be mild, moderate, or severe, depending on the extent of the damage to the brain. A person with a mild TBI may remain conscious or may experience a loss of consciousness for a few seconds or minutes. Other symptoms of mild TBI include headache, confusion, lightheadedness, dizziness, blurred vision or tired eyes, ringing in the ears, bad taste in the mouth, fatigue or lethargy, a change in sleep patterns, behavioral or mood changes, and trouble with memory, concentration, attention, or thinking. A person with a moderate or severe TBI may show these same symptoms, but may also have a headache that gets worse or does not go away, repeated vomiting or nausea, convulsions or seizures, an inability to awaken from sleep, dilation of one or both pupils of the eyes, slurred speech, weakness or numbness in the extremities, loss of coordination, and increased confusion, restlessness, or agitation.

MRI techniques can help spot, track cognitive impairment in professional fighters

Images of the brain's gray and white matter obtained with multiple MRI techniques can help identify and track cognitive impairment in active professional fighters, according to a new study published online in the journal Radiology.

25 Jul 2017

Scientists receive NFL grant to study role of active rehabilitation strategies for concussion management

The NFL will fund a $2.6 million international study on the role of active rehabilitation strategies in concussion management, led by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the Medical College of Wisconsin.

25 Jul 2017

Alzheimer’s drug may be promising treatment for traumatic brain injury

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major cause of disability and death globally, but medications have generally failed to benefit patients. A new study found that memantine, a drug that is used to treat dementia associated with Alzheimer's disease, may be a promising therapy.

21 Jul 2017

Research shows how dietary essential fatty acids can help treat Alzheimer’s, other diseases

Understanding how dietary essential fatty acids work may lead to effective treatments for diseases and conditions such as stroke, Alzheimer's disease, age-related macular degeneration, Parkinson's disease and other retinal and neurodegenerative diseases.

18 Jul 2017

Researchers discover new role of enzyme in promoting self-destruction of axons

Scientists in the Vollum Institute at OHSU have identified an enzyme that plays a crucial role in the degeneration of axons, the threadlike portions of a nerve cell that transmit signals within the nervous system.

14 Jul 2017

Study finds markers of long-term brain injury in the blood of boxers and fighters

Boxers and mixed martial arts fighters may have markers of long-term brain injury in their blood, according to a study released today that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's Sports Concussion Conference in Jacksonville, Fla., July 14 to 16, 2017.

14 Jul 2017

Study finds key physical difference in the brains of people with PTSD

The part of the brain that helps control emotion may be larger in people who develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after brain injury compared to those with a brain injury without PTSD, according to a study released today that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's Sports Concussion Conference in Jacksonville, Fla., July 14 to 16, 2017.

11 Jul 2017

New inflammatory biomarkers may pave way for pre-hospital or pitch-side test to detect brain injury

Researchers at the University of Birmingham have identified inflammatory biomarkers which indicate whether the brain has suffered injury.

10 Jul 2017

History of traumatic brain injury not related to cognitive decline, study shows

Although much research has examined traumatic brain injury (TBI) as a possible risk factor for later life dementia from neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), little is known regarding how TBI influences the rate of age-related cognitive change.

5 Jul 2017

Color-tinted sunglasses may provide relief from photophobia in post-concussion patients

Following a concussion or mild traumatic brain injury (TBI), patients may suffer from light sensitivity or photophobia, making it challenging to return to normal activities.

5 Jul 2017

Study finds psychosocial risk factors, unexplained bruising in fatal or near-fatal child abuse cases

Analysis of fatal and near-fatal physical abuse cases of children under 4 years of age revealed that psychosocial risk factors in the home, such as criminal history, were present in all cases.

29 Jun 2017

Insomnia drug appears to have opposite effect for patients with neurologic conditions

In a new systematic review in JAMA Neurology, Michigan Medicine researchers found reason to further explore the surprising effects of zolpidem that have been observed outside the scope of its primary Food and Drug Administration approval.

27 Jun 2017

NKI's I-Portal devices can accurately measure mTBI symptoms, study shows

Neuro Kinetics, Inc., the global leader in clinical eye tracking and neural functional assessments, has co-authored a study indicating that a battery of OVRT (oculomotor, vestibular, and reaction time) tests, in combination with NKI's I-Portal devices, can accurately measure mTBI (concussion) symptoms both initially and during convalescence.

21 Jun 2017

AAN hosts free bike helmet giveaway in Minneapolis to raise awareness of head injuries

For a sixth consecutive year, the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) will be giving away 1,000 bike helmets to children and adults on Saturday, June 17, 2017, at the Mill City Farmers Market.

16 Jun 2017

Biomedical engineering professor wins $2 million grant for concussion research

Barclay Morrison, professor of biomedical engineering at Columbia Engineering, has won a $2 million five-year grant from the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation to study the underlying mechanisms of concussion.

15 Jun 2017

New research uncovers subcellular-level changes in the brain after concussion

New research has uncovered details about subcellular-level changes in the brain after concussion that could one day lead to improved treatment.

14 Jun 2017

Study examines how sex alters time-course of inflammation in the brain after TBI

Male mice have much greater brain distress in the week following a traumatic brain injury (TBI) than female mice, including skyrocketing inflammation and nerve cell death, say researchers at Georgetown University Medical Center.

13 Jun 2017

Study finds increase in suicide risk for people with physical health conditions

Suicide continues to be a major driver of mortality in the United States. Each year, more than 45,000 people die by suicide and in the past 15 years, the suicide mortality rate has risen by an alarming 24%.

12 Jun 2017

Study uncovers crucial piece into why playing a musical instrument can protect brain health

A recent study conducted at Baycrest Health Sciences has uncovered a crucial piece into why playing a musical instrument can help older adults retain their listening skills and ward off age-related cognitive declines.

2 Jun 2017

BrainScope One study shows one-third potential reduction of avoidable CT scans in mild TBI patients

BrainScope Company, Inc. today announced a publication describing the use of its flagship product, BrainScope One, in an independent clinical trial demonstrating the potential reduction of one-third (33.3%) of unnecessary computed tomography scans of mildly presenting head injured patients in hospital emergency rooms.