...diagnosed in CT scans. Scrolling down in the article is a link to the abstract of a meta-study of 11 biomarkers in concussion, by the same lead researcher and another team. The current featured articles in Neurotrauma are a stunning review of studies around concussion and TBI, including two very interesting articles on why air evacuation can do more harm than good (unless absolutely necessary) for TBI patients (altitude lowers oxygen levels) and how mild TBI suffered by retired NFL players has long-term negative metabolic and pituitary effects. All paywalled unless you have library access or a friend with subscription... Continue Reading
Search Results for tbi
NIH funds in vivo CTE research with $16 million–$0 from NFL; “Concussion” released
...Related reading: Science Underground ‘This is your brain on CTE’ podcast with Dr Stern. Famed NY Giants quarterback and later broadcaster Frank Gifford, who died earlier this year aged 84, also had behavioral signs of CTE in the latter part of his life, which was confirmed upon a family-authorized brain autopsy. Daily Mail We’ve been covering CTE and related brain injuries since at least 2012. Our CTE-related coverage since late 2012 is indexed here; also our index on TBI gives a broader perspective. Yahoo’s article on Concussion’s director has a few comments by this Editor. The movie itself has created... Continue Reading
‘Neuroprosthetic’ in development to ‘Restore Active Memory’ for PTSD, TBI
The continuing work in PTSD and TBI of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, better known as DARPA, is developing on two tracks. The first is memory manipulation for those with PTSD–altering how a memory is formed. An international team is already investigating optogenetics, a biological technique that uses a light tool (AS-PaRac1–Activated Synapse Targeting Photoactivatable Rac1) to change procedural (action) memories, which are located in specific parts of the brain. The other is restoring memory–developing a neuroprosthetic that fills in the gaps for those with TBI, which affects declarative (factual) memory–storing and retrieving. Two universities, UCLA and Pennsylvania, have... Continue Reading
DARPA testing electricity to self-heal the body
...by a needle, analyzes an anomaly and delivers an electrical signal to nerve pathways to correct it. For diabetics, it could stimulate insulin production; to treat depression, control inflammation in the brain; for PTSD patients, stimulate the vagus nerve for neural plasticity. Controlling inflammation has other benefits, such as in spinal injury and in TBI. While the Gizmag article spends time musing on ‘super-soldiers’ and the negative aspect, this Editor sees this research on the relationship between neural circuits and health as a significant development for both medicine and for Version 3.0 of digital health. DARPA web page on ElectRX.... Continue Reading
Digital health supporting daily living with autism
...support worker at the Wirral Autistic Society. Other promising technology includes biometric wristbands to monitor signs of stress and provide feedback to identify and work to modify the autistic person’s reactions; the Kaspar assistance robot for socializing children; the Proloquo2go tablet app which speaks for those without speech by using speech-producing icons. AT for the autistic is at the very early part of the development curve, but this Editor could see dual or triple uses for these technologies for those with TBI, stroke or dementia. Studies on cost savings are early, but the Brain in Hand test in Devon estimated... Continue Reading
TBI neuromodulation therapy in phase 3 trials with US Army
Helius Medical Technologies and the US Army Medical Research and Materiel Command (USAMRMC) jointly announced the phase 3 trial of Helius’ mPoNS (Portable Neuromodulation Stimulator), a non-invasive brain stimulation device for the treatment of balance disorder in patients with mild-to-moderate traumatic brain injury. This commercializes the research of USAMRMC and University of Wisconsin-Madison we covered two years ago [TTA 28 Feb 13] in using electrical stimulation of the cranial nerves located in the tongue. The phase 3 study will be at three sites for seven months: the Montreal Neurofeedback Center, the Oregon Health & Science University Center for Regenerative Medicine,... Continue Reading
TBI, early brain aging and a seismic analogy
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) has been receiving extra study in the past few years due to battlefield blast/IED injury as well as football and other sports injuries as early as junior high. The insidious nature of TBI is that long-term effects of accelerated brain aging can appear in those who have mild injuries, or who never experienced the usual symptoms indicating TBI such as dizziness, nausea and disorientation. Researchers have struggled for the reasons why “51 percent of sufferers of mild head injuries were reported as still having disability one year later at follow-up” and why a large proportion of... Continue Reading
Smartphone and sensors the latest ‘medic’ for diagnosing battlefield TBI
[grow_thumb image=”https://telecareaware.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Ahead-200.jpg” thumb_width=”150″ /]Finally a more reliable device for combat medics to screen for TBI in the field. The US Department of Defense, before its EHR bombshell (so to speak) yesterday, issued this short Armed With Science article on a sensor-smartphone for quick field diagnosis of TBI. The FDA-cleared BrainScope Ahead 200 marries an Android smartphone with a headset and disposable sensors to measure brain electrical activity, The app in the smartphone then analyses the brain data using algorithms to correlate them to elements relating to TBI. Currently, most combat-related TBI tests are subjective, based purely on symptoms such as... Continue Reading
Possible early detection test for chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE)
...It requires far more confirming work and a more specific imaging agent. Unfortunately treatments are still experimental, but it will help athletes who are concerned about the cumulative effects of head trauma (not just in football, but also in soccer and hockey) and the DOD plus VA for soldiers subjected to IEDs but without obvious TBI make decisions about their health and future. Study: Brain scans may identify concussion-related disease (AP); PNAS (abstract only; full access to article PDF requires subscription or fee). Earlier in TTA: Brain Games 16 May 2014; GCRI presentation 5 June 2013. Articles to 2012 index.... Continue Reading
‘Chaplain Care for Veterans’ launches (US)
...with a Chaplain civilian services, the veterans’ version is oriented to service-related issues. HCCN has also done groundbreaking work with the US Navy’s Chaplain Corps to brief chaplains and mental health clinicians on spiritual care for those with PTSD and TBI [TTA 2 Apr 14]. The launch was held appropriately on the USS Intrepid on Four Chaplains Day, commemorating the selfless sacrifice of four chaplains (Roman Catholic, Methodist, Dutch Reformed and Jewish) on the torpedoed USAT Dorchester on 3 February 1943 in the North Atlantic. Previously: Patient engagement meets ‘palliative care’ with VOX Telehealth, Northwestern University and Princeton Medical Center.... Continue Reading
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