Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) involves a coil that is applied against the head in order to send weak electrical pulses to the brain. These electrical pulses can temporarily activate or disrupt brain activity. Repetitive TMS (rTMS) involves continuous electrical pulses to the brain and can create long-term changes in the brain. Recently, rTMS was used in [...]
Continue reading...Thursday, July 22, 2010
One of the more disturbing results of traumatic brain injury is that secondary damage can often occur after the initial trauma. Such secondary damage can lower oxygen levels in the brain—making tissue oxygenation through hyperbaric oxygen therapy a potentially promising therapy for traumatic brain injury. A recent animal study confirmed that a single treatment of hyperbaric [...]
Continue reading...Thursday, July 22, 2010
We are now beginning to understand that traumatic brain injury may often include damage to the pituitary gland—a small, pea-sized area of the brain that can easily be sheared or obstructed by the bony cradle it sits in. The result of pituitary gland damage can be hypopituitarism (a condition in which the pituitary gland doesn’t [...]
Continue reading...Tuesday, July 13, 2010
It is commonly thought that children show rapid improvement after a traumatic brain injury because of either increased neuroplasticity or the ability for young brains to re-organize after injury. However, research that supports this notion has often been limited to cognitive and motor skills. A recent study took a broader view of recovery after pediatric TBI. [...]
Continue reading...Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Last week, the Health and Human Services (HHS) department asked for public comments regarding their draft strategic framework on multiple chronic conditions (MCC). The framework addresses approaches to improving the health of individuals with concurrent MCC by providing options for HHS to strengthen coordination of its efforts internally and collaboration with stakeholders externally. BIAA submitted a [...]
Continue reading...Monday, June 21, 2010
Health care reform at the federal level is officially on hold. Republican Scott Brown gained the Massachusetts seat vacated by the death of Edward Kennedy, thereby breaking the 60-vote majority in the Senate. Democrats met privately in the days following the Massachusetts special election but were unable to cultivate a strategy for moving forward [...]
Continue reading...Monday, June 21, 2010
After the devastating Massachusetts special election, House and Senate leaders are expected to resume negotiations this week to attempt to finish the health care overhaul. Although a clear path is still unknown, BIAA will continue to monitor the situation closely. A big thank you to all of our grassroots advocates who answered the call last [...]
Continue reading...Friday, June 11, 2010
Among the multiple skills required to drive safely is the ability to visually scan one’s surroundings in order to adapt and respond to unexpected situations. In a study that compared traumatic brain injury patient to controls, subjects were connected to an eye-tracking device that mapped their visual field while completing a driving simulation. The study found [...]
Continue reading...Friday, June 4, 2010
A recent retrospective study of cognitive assessment in traumatic brain injury patients found no clear pattern of cognitive ability associated with neurological impairment. Cognitive assessment—in the form of tests such as the WAIS (in various versions) or the HRB (Halstead-Reitan Neurological Test Battery)—is often administered early to traumatic brain injury patients in order to determine cognitive [...]
Continue reading...Friday, June 4, 2010
Electroacupuncture, which delivers electrical stimulation through acupuncture needles, has long been used for pain relief and stroke rehabilitation. A recent animal study has found evidence that electroacupuncture may also stimulate neuroprotective function after cerebral ischemia (lowered blood flow to the brain). The researchers found that acupuncture administered to the “Bai hui” and “ Da zhui” acupoints [...]
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Friday, August 6, 2010
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