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.

Traumatic brain injury incidence could be six times higher than previously estimated

The first study to estimate rates of traumatic brain injury (TBI), without relying on official figures, suggests the worldwide incidence of TBI could be six times higher than previously estimated.

22 Nov 2012

Citicoline not superior to placebo in treating traumatic brain injury

Although approved for use for treating traumatic brain injury (TBI) in nearly 60 countries, use of citicoline in a randomized trial that included more than 1,200 participants with TBI did not result in improvement in functional and cognitive status, according to a study appearing in the November 21 issue of JAMA.

22 Nov 2012

MRI reveals changes in brains of people with post-concussion syndrome

MRI shows changes in the brains of people with post-concussion syndrome (PCS), according to a new study published online in the journal Radiology. Researchers hope the results point the way to improved detection and treatment for the disorder.

21 Nov 2012

TBI, age-related dementia and stroke fuel neurologic disability in India

The 'Global Perspectives' published in the Nov. 20, 2012 issue of Neurology-, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, features "Neurologic Disability: A Hidden Epidemic for India".

20 Nov 2012

Study provides first picture of college enrollment and STEM participation for young adults with ASD

It's a popularly held belief that individuals with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) gravitate toward STEM majors in college (science, technology, engineering mathematics).

16 Nov 2012

Breakthrough treatment for survivors of traumatic brain injury

The first treatment breakthrough of its kind for survivors of traumatic brain injury (TBI) or stroke will be published in the December 1 issue of the journal CNS Drugs, with an accompanying editorial.

15 Nov 2012

Brevetoxin-2 stimulates nerve cell growth and plasticity in cultured mouse neurons

A new study using brevetoxin-2, a compound produced naturally by marine algae, stimulated nerve cell growth and plasticity in cultured mouse neurons. This research advances a potentially new pharmacological treatment to aid recovery of brain function following a stroke or other traumatic brain injury.

14 Nov 2012

Study evaluates benefits of HBO2 therapy on post-concussion symptoms in military personnel with TBI

The average incidence of traumatic brain injury (TBI) among service members deployed in Middle East conflict zones has increased 117% in recent years, mainly due to proximity to explosive blasts. Therapeutic exposure to a high oxygen environment was hoped to minimize the concussion symptoms resulting from mild TBI, but hyperbaric oxygen (HBO2) treatment may not offer significant advantages, according to an article in Journal of Neurotrauma, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers.

14 Nov 2012

Close monitoring needed in year after traumatic brain injury

Patients are at particularly high risk for developing epilepsy during the first year after traumatic brain injury, a study shows.

9 Nov 2012

Longer looks: People with mental disabilities have a vote; Genome sequencing raises hope - also anxiety

I may get Alzheimer's disease, I was told after getting my DNA analyzed. I could suffer the consequences of an abnormal blood clot in my heart or my brain. Or perhaps I'll suffer from a disease called primary myelofibrosis that's caused by an overactive bone marrow. All of these were possible outcomes, based on my genetic profile. In each case, the test only gives an increased risk for disease, not a definitive diagnosis.

9 Nov 2012

Teleconcussion for diagnosis and management of mild TBI in athletes

Concussion is a common disorder estimated to affect no fewer than 1.7-3.8 million people in the U.S. each year. Many more people with concussion likely do not seek medical care for symptoms of concussion and may suffer long-lasting, progressive, and profoundcognitive, psychiatric, and neurologic effects.

9 Nov 2012

Mayo Clinic and collaborators to test new ways to provide specialized TBI care

For people who are hospitalized for traumatic brain injury, recovery may involve physical and cognitive problems that linger for years. The road back to health can be even more arduous for those who live in remote rural areas and don't have access to brain rehabilitation specialists. Mayo Clinic and collaborators, have received a $2.2 million federal grant to test new ways to provide specialized TBI care, with a focus on reaching rural areas and underserved urban populations.

7 Nov 2012

Comprehensive review article on baroreflex sensitivity after SCI

Spinal cord injury (SCI) can disrupt the body's sensitive signaling mechanisms that control blood pressure, breathing, and oxygen delivery to the heart and other organs during changes in body position. Cardiovascular (CV) disease is a leading cause of illness and death following SCI, and changes in baroreflex sensitivity-the body's ability to detect and respond to changes in blood pressure-may be predictive of a CV event.

6 Nov 2012

Ischemic stroke: an interview with Dr Gregory Ford

A stroke is a sudden interruption of blood flow to the brain which deprives the brain of oxygen and nutrients. Approximately two millions brain cells die each minute during a stroke. This can lead to brain damage, physical and mental disability and death.

1 Nov 2012

Single dose of etanercept can improve chronic neurological dysfunction from stroke or TBI

A new ground-breaking study about to be published in the Adis journal CNS Drugs provides clinical evidence that, for the first time, chronic neurological dysfunction from stroke or traumatic brain injury can rapidly improve following a single dose of a drug that targets brain inflammation, even years after the stroke or traumatic event.

1 Nov 2012

Telephone-based tinnitus-management program shows promise

Results from a pilot study suggest that people with tinnitus benefit from a progressive management program including cognitive behavioral therapy.

30 Oct 2012

Baylor Institute for Rehabilitation receives $2.2 million grant

Baylor Institute for Rehabilitation (BIR) has received a $2.2 million grant extending for another five years the institute's designation as a National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research Model System site for traumatic brain injury.

29 Oct 2012

SUNY Downstate to join Neurological Emergencies Treatment Trials network

SUNY Downstate Medical Center has been selected by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to join the Neurological Emergencies Treatment Trials (NETT) network, which is dedicated to improving emergency care for neurological injuries that require immediate care, such as stroke, seizures, and traumatic brain injury, as well as other illnesses affecting the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nervous system.

24 Oct 2012

Intensive glycemic control does not reduce mortality in neurocritical care patients

A new study in BioMed Central's open access journal Critical Care suggests that intensive glycemic control does not reduce mortality in neurocritical care patients and could, in fact, lead to more neurological damage. Complicating the picture, poor glucose control also leads to worse recovery and should be avoided.

22 Oct 2012

Brain Injury Research Center of Mount Sinai receives fund to research on TBI

The Brain Injury Research Center of Mount Sinai has received two prestigious grants totaling $6.65 million to fund research on traumatic brain injury over the next five years.

20 Oct 2012