FAQ/Help |
Calendar |
Search |
Today's Posts |
|
Traumatic Brain Injury and Post Concussion Syndrome For traumatic brain injury (TBI) and post concussion syndrome (PCS). |
Reply |
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
|
02-28-2010, 01:22 AM | #1 | ||
|
|||
Legendary
|
The increase in risk of dementia or Alzheimer's Disease is anywhere form twice as likely to as much as 18 times more likely. The NFL players with strong histories of concussions develop Alzheimer's at 18 times the normal rate.
pbob, I am glad to see you use the term sub-concussive blows. That is a new term that has been promoted by just a few doctors. These doctors have noticed that many concussion subjects will develop symptoms from minor impacts that do not cause any concussion symptoms at the time of the impact. They have coined the term sub-concussive because of the lack of immediate symptoms. Their research and direct experience shows that there is substantial damage done by these sub-concussive blows, especially when there are multiples of them. There is research with soccer players that shows more injury from the many sub-concussive blows of a heading drill than the occasional strong header. Soccer research also shows that soccer players who routinely head the ball have a 10% lower IQ. The important issue to understand with concussions or other impacts to the head is that they defy logic. The long held belief that degree of impact was directly related to degree of injury has been shown to be wrong. Even length of Loss Of Consciousness (LOC) has minimal impact on degree of injury, except when this LOC leads to a coma. Post Traumatic Amnesia (PTA) also has no direct relationship to degree of injury, especially residual injury. The recent studies of sports concussions has suggested that only one in ten concussions is reported. Many are so short term in immediate symptoms that they are dismissed by the player as not a concussion. The NFL is looking at a helmet system that records the impact forces. Dr Robert Thatcher is developing a wearable mini-EEG system that will record the interruptions to brain function. As technology advances, the ability to track concussions is improving. There are some with hope for a radical cure to injured brains but those with the most understanding of the brain's capabilities to heal are not holding their breath. The direction is heading toward prevention of concussions in sports and early detection so that therapies that stop the cascade of damage can be started. The auto accident insurance industry is fighting to deny concussion as causing long term symptoms but the personal injury attorneys are learning how to win.
__________________
Mark in Idaho "Be still and know that I am God" Psalm 46:10 |
||
Reply With Quote |
02-28-2010, 09:52 AM | #2 | |||
|
||||
Magnate
|
Thanks for the great posts Mark and mhr4!
I'm still trying to read through and understand them. Ironically, my injury makes it so difficult to understand my injury. I wish I could take you guys with me to my next neuro appointment. That would sure wipe the smug smile off that SOB's face. Cheers |
|||
Reply With Quote |
02-28-2010, 06:03 PM | #3 | ||
|
|||
Junior Member
|
Mark, I'm a typically long poster too and always have been, I enjoy reading your posts regardless of their length.
Even though I probably wont like the answer, I am interested as to what this cascade of damage is and what therapies stop it starting? If there's something I could have done when I got concussed then I'll be rather eff'd off |
||
Reply With Quote |
"Thanks for this!" says: | Hockey (02-28-2010) |
03-01-2010, 01:32 AM | #4 | ||
|
|||
Legendary
|
The cascade of damage is based on the need for the brain tissue to stop trying to use damaged cells. The damaged cells release a message, either by tRNA (transmitting RNA) or some other system of messenger that causes the surrounding cells that show any signs of stress to shut down (die). Think of it as cutting out a piece of electrical wire that is shorting out to ground, if you understand electrical principles.
There are two natural ways the brain can lessen this cascade of damage or cell death. In women, the body releases higher levels of progesterone so that the development of a fetus can tolerate the stresses of development. This same system appears to be helpful in head injury patients. Research is being completed that suggests an IV infusion of progesterone immediately after a head injury or stroke can drastically reduce this cascade of cell death. The protocol for use of progesterone in emergency rooms is being currently investigated. The last I read, it sounds like a daily infusion of progesterone for the first 8 days to 2 weeks then decreasing the frequency for a few weeks. It sounds very promising. A key point that makes it available is the fact that they have not found any negatives, even when used with males. The FDA may decide it is an exempt therapy because of this lack of negative risk. The question will be the availability of bio-identical progesterone. The patented progesterones used by women would not likely pass this 'no negative risk' criteria. Plus, I would personally be very hesitant to use a modified progesterone. There is also those who suggest a specially modified magnesium can help with this cascade of damage and death. It sounds like this is targeted at the failure of magnesium in the synapse to allow correct ion exchanges to happen. This modified magnesium is promoted as able to restore this function. I posted an article last week about the magnesium being considered. There is a hope that stem cell therapies can help the damaged and stressed brain cells based on early studies. It sounds like the stems cells can present a message that over-rides the "shut down and die" message sent out by the damaged cells. This is likely a few years or more in the future. There was a post about this research last week too under neural cell rescue. For the time being, my wife knows to ask if I can get an infusion of progesterone if I suffer another brain injury. I just did a search on the progesterone issue and found this article; http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...0219204407.htm
__________________
Mark in Idaho "Be still and know that I am God" Psalm 46:10 |
||
Reply With Quote |
03-01-2010, 02:38 PM | #5 | |||
|
||||
Member
|
hi guys and gurls
this one really humming, there have been study's done but hey lets not get into self for filling proficiency here , or crystal ball gazing as to our long term prognosis I have looked into this some time ago, and found conflicting reports, but what they all tend to point to is the younger you are pre morbidity the better the long term out look , but I think we could draw that analogy with many illnesses please see below Longitudinal cognitive changes in traumatic brain injury A 30-year follow-up study L. Himanen, PhLic, R. Portin, PhD, H. Isoniemi, MD, H. Helenius, PhLic, T. Kurki, MD, PhD and O. Tenovuo, MD, PhD From the Departments of Neurology (L.H., R.P., H.I., O.T.), Biostatistics (H.H.), and Radiology (T.K.), Turku University and Turku University Hospital, Finland. Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. L. Himanen, Department of Neurology, Turku University Hospital, P.O. Box 52, FIN-20521 Turku, Finland; e-mail: ls.himanen@kolumbus.fi Objective: To evaluate longitudinal cognitive changes in patients over three decades following traumatic brain injury (TBI). Method: Two hundred ten patients with substantial TBI of variable severity were initially assessed between 1966 and 1972 at Turku University Hospital (Finland). Of these, 61 patients could be studied using the same assessments in the follow-up examination, on average 30 years after the TBI. The results of the follow-up assessment were also compared with an age- and education-matched control group. During each examination, patients were assessed with five subtests of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, three tests for episodic memory, and the general cognitive decline was determined. Results: The general pattern of slight cognitive decline during a 30-year follow-up contrasted with improvement in semantic memory. Women maintained their cognitive level, but men showed a decline during the follow-up, especially in visuospatial ability and visual memory. Younger patients were likely to maintain or even improve their cognitive functioning. Conclusions: Most of the patients had mild cognitive decline during the follow-up, but this decline was influenced by gender and age at injury. Unlike the long-term course in the other domains of cognition, semantic memory showed good recovery potential after traumatic brain injury (TBI). The profile of long-term cognitive decline after TBI seems to be qualitatively different from the early signs of dementia of the Alzheimer type.
__________________
the light connects the many stars, and through the web they think as one, like god the universe we learn about our self's, the light and warmth connect us, the distance & darkness keep us apart . vini . |
|||
Reply With Quote |
"Thanks for this!" says: | Hockey (03-01-2010) |
Reply |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Forum | |||
Hashimoto`s encephalopathy | General Health Conditions & Rare Disorders | |||
TRANSMISSIBLE SPONGIFORM ENCEPHALOPATHY TSE i.e. prion diseases | Lyme Disease, Shingles and Other Microbial Conditions | |||
encephalopathy | General Health Conditions & Rare Disorders | |||
Boxer, Hello and Be Well. | Bipolar Disorder |