While protection against concussive and sub-concussive head blows that lead to brain trauma (TBI) and may lead long-term to chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is being developed in several areas, by DARPA, US Army research, universities and the NFL‘s helmet providers, the final test has to involve cranial bone similar to those belonging to 20-30 year olds. Testing on humans is out of the question, deceased animal and older human crania are dissimilar and surgical implants do not react like real bone. The US Army Research Laboratory (ARL) along with university partners are developing synthetic cranial bone that behaves like real... Continue Reading
Search Results for tbi
Brain neuroprosthetics, stimulation for TBI, PTSD
A signature injury of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars has been traumatic brain injury (TBI), as well as an outcome of all wars–post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Over 270,000 veterans since 2000 have been diagnosed with TBI–along with 1.7 million civilians per year. The US Department of Defense (DOD) has been funding research in several areas to help veterans–and eventually civilians–with these traumas. DARPA’s RAM: Restoring Active Memory program is seeking to compensate for brain injury by developing a neuroprosthetic to aid memory function. The focus is on restoring declarative memory–knowledge which can be consciously recalled like events, times and places–which... Continue Reading
More on DARPA’s ‘brain chips’ for PTSD, TBI
DARPA’s continued research on deep brain stimulation (DBS) implants to treat PTSD and TBI, as well as other neuropsychological conditions, is given the once-over in this Defense One article. New information from the time this Editor last wrote about it in December is that the SUBNETS program (Systems-Based Neurotechnology for Emerging Therapies), funded with $12 to 26 million, will work with the University of California at San Francisco, Lawrence Livermore National Lab and Medtronic to create an implant with electrodes reaching into the brain and which does not require staying still under a machine in a lab. The prototype development... Continue Reading
The role of spiritual care in PTSD and TBI
Online ‘ChatWithAChaplain’ service also debuts In our focus on technology, particularly on how it can assist in determining risk or helping patients to better manage the effects of PTSD and TBI, we neglect the critical role of personal spiritual care. In the military, the first line of this type of care are chaplains. This excellent 100 page handbook issued by the US Navy’s Chaplain Corps and their Bureau of Medicine and Surgery is a brief for chaplains explaining the medical and psychological nature of PTSD and TBI, how they can provide service members with culturally appropriate spiritual care, and how... Continue Reading
DARPA’s brain injury ‘blast gauge’
This Editor, as our long-term readers know, has been following the issue and the dangers of soldier TBI and PTSD for several years. One of the problems with TBI is measuring the amount of blast a soldier has actually sustained in battle–and thus the medical danger. A cheering development is the further development of the ‘blast gauge’ developed by DARPA and the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), the testing of which we noted in mid-2012 [TTA 12 June 12]. It is now smaller than a wristwatch (now thumb-sized) and worn in three positions attached to a soldier’s body armor: chest,... Continue Reading
NIH-NFL research grants on brain injury awarded (US)
...Last week they announced eight projects to be supported. Two ($6 million each) are cooperative agreements focusing on brain injury and after multiple concussions. These research projects are: Boston University, which has pioneered major CTE research [TTA 5 June], and the VA on CTE; the pathology of CTE and delayed TBI from Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. The six other studies are ‘pilots’ totalling about $2 million over two years and range from cortical GABA in pediatric sports concussion, the Spot Light concussion management app developed by Inlightened, LLC, and eye movement tracking for concussion detection. FNIH release... Continue Reading
Further evidence of brain affect of sub-concussive blows
...in less than 7 percent of a normal population, McAllister said. Those performing worse exhibited more changes in the corpus callosum region of the brain — a bundle of nerves connecting the left and right sides of the brain — than athletes who scored as predicted.” Whether these changes reversed after the season was over was not in the scope of the study–an important factor in bolstering the validity of and preventing chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in sports. HealthDay Previously in TTA: Quantifying concussion and sub-concussion, Contact sports, long term effects and CTE, Acknowledging the reality of TBI in sports... Continue Reading
The inevitable: class action lawsuit against 23andMe
...domain, this Editor discovered that Mr. Ankcorn, a trial lawyer with a major-league track record of wins, recently joined the high-powered CaseyGerry firm of San Diego, which specializes in high-profile personal injury/death class action lawsuits including litigation against the NFL on TBI and CTE plus the 2011 Reno Air Races crash. Our readers should not be surprised as our article last week was blunt on the red carpet 23andMe was figuratively rolling out for the lawyers: Get what your product does (your implied warrant of service) rock solid (23andMe is not at this point) and backed up by studies. Structure... Continue Reading
Brain stimulation therapy explored by DARPA
[grow_thumb image=”https://telecareaware.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/SUBNETS_144_144.png” thumb_width=”150″ /]The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is investigating the use of DBS (deep brain stimulation) implants for possible treatment of several chronic neuropsychological conditions. They are seeking to evaluate neural and behavioral processes in PTSD, TBI, major depression, borderline personality disorder, general anxiety disorder, substance abuse/addiction and fibromyalgia/chronic pain through the SUBNETS program (Systems-Based Neurotechnology for Emerging Therapies). All these conditions are on the rise with service members and veterans. DBS is currently used in neurological diseases that impair motor function–Parkinson’s and dystonia–and is being researched for treatment of depression, obsessive compulsive disorder, Tourette’s and... Continue Reading
International CES unveils in NYC
...drinks. Most notable: Reebok’s new Checklight, which fits in a skullcap and measures impact with a simple red-yellow-green display on the athlete’s neck (red being the highest level of impact). [grow_thumb image=”https://telecareaware.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Reebok-Checklight.jpg” thumb_width=”150″ /]This product reflects the growing concern with sports concussions, TBI and CTE. Reebok claims it can be worn with or without a helmet; this would benefit athletes who don’t wear helmets in sports such as baseball, soccer (football), rugby and lacrosse but have significant impacts and possible brain trauma. It does not currently send data via M2M but their representative told me Reebok is working on this.... Continue Reading
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