Brain injury
Researchers have made advances in studying how the brain re-wires itself in neurological disease, which could yield breakthroughs in rehabilitation and therapy as a result.
Previously, scientific knowledge has revealed that the polio virus affects the spinal cord, but not the brain. However, a team from Trinity College Dublin has now discovered previously unknown changes also occurring in the brain networks. The findings suggest, say the team, that brain networks engage in an abnormal but active communication with muscles in patient groups studied.
Signs of traumatic brain injury, dementia and schizophrenia could be detected at an earlier stage as a result of the development of a new sensor which measures weak magnetic signals in the brain.
Through the development of the new Optically Pumped Magnetometer (OPM) sensor, scientists are hopeful of enabling a greater understanding of connectivity in the brain, which could have significant benefits in the chances of early diagnosis.
In the hours and days after a traumatic brain injury, inflammation inside the brain can accelerate to the point that more brain damage occurs, says a scientist working to better understand the acceleration and whether interventions like cannabinoids can improve patient outcomes.
While some TBI patients do well, most would benefit from therapy to create a better balance between the vigorous inflammation needed in the immediate injury aftermath to clean up the site and the deceleration needed to complete healing and avoid more brain damage, says Dr. Kumar Vaibhav, translational neuroscientist in the Department of Neurosurgery at the Medical College of Georgia. "You cannot suppress the entire pro-inflammatory process otherwise it would be difficult to recover from your injury," Vaibhav says. But in this case, there is too much inflammation, a major factor in the reality that one-third of hospitalized patients with a TBI die from damage that continues after their acute injury.
Drivers are being urged to reduce their speed on the roads to avoid the potential for crashes - the estimated cause of up to 50 per cent of traumatic brain injuries.
New research has revealed the extent of the problem of speeding on the UK’s roads, with a third of all drivers admitting having been in a vehicle which has exceeded 100mph. More than a quarter of men - 28 per cent - said they had driven at such a speed on a public road, compared to 9 per cent of women, with those in the 25 to 34 year old bracket being the most prolific offenders, research from road safety charity Brake has revealed.
Neuroscientists exploring the lasting impacts of COVID-19 on the brain are recruiting participants for a study which has been created to provide answers for healthcare professionals and improved care for millions of patients across the world.
The COVID-19 Brain Study is looking to find 50,000 people globally who received a confirmed positive diagnosis of the virus, in order to answer some of the main questions about the disease’s direct and indirect effects on the brain.
The study, which has been translated into three languages, hopes to break new ground in understanding the neurological impact of COVID-19, which so far remains largely unknown.
A study has found that 68% of people believe they should ‘reach out’ to carers more often – with 60% of respondents only asking carers how they are ‘now and again’, ‘rarely’ or ‘almost never’; leaving carers at risk of feeling forgotten.
Furthermore, 72% of respondents worried that carers struggled with ‘loneliness’ thanks to the full-on nature of care leaving them little time for socialising. Throughout the pandemic, caregivers have been at the forefront of the fight, looking after the most vulnerable in society and putting their own lives on the line to do so. In light of this, a campaign called #ReachOutAndHelpOut has been launched to encourage support for carers as they continue to deliver essential care to those in need – amidst fears that carers’ wellbeing is often overlooked.
Has your partner experienced a brain injury of any kind? Do you and your partner have one or more children aged between 7 and 17?
If so, your input could be hugely valuable to a new research project. Research shows that following a brain injury, family members may go through a period of grieving and loss, and children can experience emotional and behavioural changes.
Using chemical biomarkers released by the brain immediately after a head injury occurs, researchers are able to pinpoint when patients need urgent medical attention. This saves time in delivering vital treatment and avoids patients undergoing unnecessary tests where no injury has occurred.
The technique was developed by multi-disciplinary team of researchers in the group of Advanced Nanomaterials, Structures and Applications (ANMSA) led by Dr Pola Goldberg Oppenheimer at the University of Birmingham.
Following a proof-of-concept study, the group has now completed Innovate UK’s commercialisation programme, iCURE, to identify commercialisation routes for the revolutionary technique, identifying potential partners across eight countries.
Brain fog and other neurological symptoms seen in those recovering from COVID-19 may be due to post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), new research has revealed.
Growing numbers of people recovering from the virus are reporting factors including lapses in concentration, headaches, extreme fatigue and sleep disruptions - all of which can be exacerbated among brain injury survivors, many of whom experience such factors in their everyday lives without the effect of COVID-19.
Specific rehabilitation and resources are being identified for those with brain injuries, whose symptoms have worsened, often significantly, in the aftermath of contracting the virus and the rise in ‘Long Covid’ making recovery increasingly difficult, particularly among those with existing conditions.
Patients with brain injury and other neuro conditions are being supported with pelvic, obstetric and gynaecological matters through a link-up between a clinic and specialist physiotherapist, believed to be the first of its kind.
Kirsten Barrett is part of the team at Neuro Physio Wales and supports its clients with issues including bladder and bowel issues and sexual dysfunction.
Access to such specialism is usually available via separate referral, but through Kirsten’s partnership with the clinic, patients are able to access the specialist support directly.
Kirsten, who has worked in pelvic, obstetric and gynaecological physiotherapy (POGP) for 15 years, is seeing a growing number of patients with neurological conditions, or who are living with a brain injury, spinal cord injury or stroke as part of her case load.
