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.

UC Davis research reveals a novel role for how tau functions in healthy nerve cells

In Alzheimer's Disease and other neurodegenerative dementias, proteins that normally play a role in healthy brain tissue turn bad, clumping together to form insoluble plaques and tangles as neurons wither and die.

25 Aug 2022

Surprising culprit contributes significantly to the brain destruction after stroke or TBI

In the aftermath of a stroke or TBI, a group of amino acids that typically support brain function contribute significantly to the brain destruction that can follow both these injuries, scientists report.

23 Aug 2022

Novel optical fiber sensor device monitors key biomarkers following traumatic brain injury

The 'promising' results from tests on animal brain tissues suggest it could help clinicians to better monitor both disease progression and patients' response to treatment than is currently possible, which indicate the high potential for future diagnostic trials in humans.

23 Aug 2022

Day-of-injury blood tests predict which TBI patients are likely to die or survive with severe disability

A study finds that blood tests taken the day of a traumatic brain injury can predict which patients are likely to die or survive with severe disability, allowing clinicians to make decisions earlier on possible treatment of TBI.

19 Aug 2022

Novel peptide helps prevent seizures, protects neurons in research models of both Alzheimer's and epilepsy

A novel peptide augments the brain's natural mechanism to help prevent seizures and protect neurons in research models of both Alzheimer's and epilepsy, scientists report.

16 Aug 2022

Study quantifies the prognostic accuracy of two protein biomarkers

Blood tests taken within 24 hours of a traumatic brain injury (TBI) flag which patients are likely to die and which patients are likely to survive with severe disability, according to a study headed by UC San Francisco, the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Michigan. Their results -- available within minutes -- may confirm the need for prompt surgical interventions or may help guide conversations with families in cases of devastating injury.

11 Aug 2022

Blood-based biomarkers can accurately predict a patient's risk of death or disability after TBI

A study funded by the National Institutes of Health found that biomarkers present in the blood on the day of a traumatic brain injury (TBI) can accurately predict a patient's risk of death or severe disability six months later.

10 Aug 2022

Study reveals a direct connection between the vagus nerve and learning centers of the brain

Researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus have shown a direct link between vagus nerve stimulation and its connection to the learning centers of the brain.

28 Jul 2022

Researchers describe negative impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the treatment of TBIs

Researchers affiliated with the Council of State Neurosurgical Societies investigated the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the treatment of traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) by evaluating data from the Michigan Trauma Quality Improvement Program (MTQIP).

26 Jul 2022

Research reveals molecular clues associated with traumatic brain injury

New research led by scientists at Arizona State University has revealed some of the first detailed molecular clues associated with one of the leading causes of death and disability, a condition known as traumatic brain injury (TBI).

23 Jul 2022

Exploring the connection between Parkinson's disease and gut microbiota to uncover potential therapeutic targets

Scientists have published a new review focusing on the relationship between PD and gut microbiota.

15 Jul 2022

Study investigates consumer product-related traumatic brain injuries among school-aged children

A major public health concern, traumatic brain injury is the leading cause of death and disability in children 0-4 and 15-19 years of age. With 308,000 average annual cases in the United States, such accidents have become frequent among school-aged children participating in sports and playground activities that involve equipment (e.g., bicycling, football, basketball, and soccer).

14 Jul 2022

Lifestyle factors may be more important than age in determining a person's cognitive function

Individuals with no dementia risk factors, such as smoking, diabetes or hearing loss, have similar brain health as people who are 10 to 20 years younger than them, according to a new Baycrest study. The study found that a single dementia risk factor could reduce cognition by the equivalent of up to three years of aging.

13 Jul 2022

Study examines the use of eye movements as a biomarker for dual-diagnosis of traumatic spinal cord and brain injury

Silvana Costa, PhD, of Kessler Foundation received a two-year $199,800 grant from the New Jersey Commission on Spinal Cord Research.

11 Jul 2022

Gestures can help to get the message across for people with language disorders

When words fail, gestures can help to get the message across - especially for people who have a language disorder. An international research team has now shown that listeners attend the gestures of people with aphasia more often and for much longer than previously thought. This has implications for the use of gestures in speech therapy.

7 Jul 2022

Researchers develop new method based on magneto-active polymers to study cellular behavior

Scientists from 4D-BIOMAP, an ERC research project at the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M), have developed a new experimental method, based on magneto-active polymers, to study cellular behavior.

28 Jun 2022

Innovative treatment reduces post-traumatic headache related disability, study finds

The first therapy to be developed specifically for post-traumatic headache significantly reduced related disability in veterans following a traumatic brain injury (TBI).

27 Jun 2022

Traumatic brain injury changes the connections between nerve cells across the entire brain

Scientists from the University of California, Irvine have discovered that an injury to one part of the brain changes the connections between nerve cells across the entire brain.

17 Jun 2022

Neuropsychiatric symptoms among patients with long COVID

More than two years after the COVID-19 pandemic erupted, scientists have become increasingly aware of a group of patients -; so-called 'long haulers' -; who remain plagued by a combination of symptoms long after the infection passes.