The New South Wales (NSW) State Brain Clot Bank, in Sydney, is aiming to collect over 1400 specimens from donors at the hi-tech facility over the next four years. Researchers will focus on cryptogenic stroke – those caused by a blood clot of unknown origin. These make up between 30 and 40 per cent of all patients whose stroke was caused by a blood clot and can be difficult to treat since the cause is not known.

Researchers at the University of South Carolina analysed studies tracking 500 stroke survivors (aged 54 to 71) as they completed aerobic exercise programmes. Participants, aged 54 to 71, attended two to three sessions per week for about three months. Of nearly two dozen different exercise groups, walking was the most common type of activity, followed by stationary cycling and then mixed mode aerobic exercise. Physical abilities were tested before and after the intervention.

The annual suicide rate for US veterans with a TBI was measured as 86 out of 100,000 ‘person years’, versus 37 out of 100,000 for those with no previous TBI diagnosis. Person years factor in both the number of people in a study and the amount of time each person spends in it. In this case sample data was taken from the Veteran’s Health Administration (VHA) and the National Death Index between 2005 and 2015, alongside more than 1.4 million US military veterans’ electronic medical records, were used throughout this study. Firearms were the leading means of suicide for both TBI and non-TBI veterans with 68 per cent of the case studies indicating the use of the gun.

Scientists are exploring the relationship between nerve cells and immune cells in the brain which seem to play key roles in the onset of both diseases. These include neurons and the cells that form them, creating the body’s nervous network and allowing the brain to monitor and control it; and microglia – immune cells which patrol the brain, defending  neurons from threatening invaders. Led by the New York Stem Foundation Research Institute, researchers launched newly created diseased and healthy cell samples into space to observe them away from the Earth’s gravitational pull.

A new study suggests that closer focus on levels of the protein tau in children with traumatic brain injury (TBI) could improve diagnosis, giving a clearer picture of the individual’s outlook. Tau has long been associated with traumatic brain injury, with studieslinking it to both acute symptoms and long-term complications. It is also known to have a role in the onset of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. A new study has provided further evidence that levels of tauincrease in children with brain injuries and could be used to gauge their severity. It could also reduce the need for CT scans, amid some concerns about the potential impact of radiation and sedation on young children.

Researchers at the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation analysed data generated between 2010 and 2013 at 66 emergency centres in the US. Collectively, the data represented an estimated 4.1 million non-fatal traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) in children and adolescents. Around one in four TBIs among children aged one and under was caused by the infant falling from their bed, while 14 per cent were caused by trips or falls on the floor itself. Meanwhile, older children more often suffered injuries outside, with American football and basketball among the major causes of TBI in adolescents. The study follows on from a report by the US Centre for Disease Controls in 2018 which found that approximately one million infants and adolescents suffer TBIs per year in the US.

A study, by the University of Saskatchewan in Canada, found that children with severe epilepsy also experienced improvements in their quality of life after taking low doses of the medicinal cannabis oil. Researchers tested the effects of medicinal cannabis oil with 95 per cent CBD, which does not create a high, and 5 percent THC, the substance which can be intoxicating in large enough doses.  Studying an evidence-based scientifically guided dosage regimen, the research team found no evidence of THC intoxication when using CBD-enriched whole plant extracts. 

Research published by American Academy of Neurology shows that elevated levels of certain biomarkers can help to predict concussion recovery times. Researchers matched 41 high school and college American footballers, who experienced concussion during a full season, with 43 players of the same age and ability who did not. None of the players fell out of consciousness with their concussions. All of the participants had blood tests at the beginning of the season. Those with concussion had blood tests within six hours of the injury, then again 24 to 48 hours later – and also eight, 15 and 45 days later. Those who did not have concussion had tests at similar times for comparison.