Traumatic Brain Injury Treatment Innovation: A Review of Research

TBI Treatment Innovation: A Review of Current Investigations

Traumatic brain injury treatment innovation has been a focus of the medical community over the past few decades. This has mostly been because of the complications that can stem from a severe TBI. When someone sustains a blow to the head, it might lead to the death of crucial neurons within the brain. This can lead to permanent complications that include deficits in the motor and sensory system. As a result, this can have severe impacts on not only the individual but also that person’s loved ones.

A Significant Public Health Problem

Head and brain injuries represent a significant public health problem in the United States. According to statistics released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, close to 3 million people either visited the emergency room or were hospitalized secondary to a TBI in 2014. This represents one of the most common reasons for both morbidity and mortality in the United States. Even though brain injuries have been a primary focus of medical resources, the diagnosis and treatment strategies regarding these severe injuries have remained mostly stagnant over the past few decades. Fortunately, the medical and scientific communities have been hard at work looking for ways to help those in need. This has been the focus of the Massey TBI Grand Challenge, a foundation that is working with researchers to develop new resources for those in need. The Massey TBI Grand Challenge seeks to improve the resources available to both medical providers and families when it comes to traumatic brain injuries.

Changing the Way Brain Injuries are Treated

The Joyce and Don Massey Family Foundation is one of the leading organizations concerning brain injuries. After experiencing the loss of a family member, the foundation was started, and the Massey TBI Grand Challenge became a reality.

The goal of this challenge is to bring scientists, physicians, and researchers together to pool their resources and knowledge for brain injuries. The healthcare professionals seek to create a milestone-driven guideline for the golden hours of care which occur in the hours immediately after the damage occurred. This is where treatment can make the most difference in the overall prognosis. Each fall, the foundation hosts a summit which brings together some of the nation’s leading minds on head injuries. There might now be a new therapy under development.

Watch YouTube Video: Massey TBI Summit. The following video provides a look at the Massey TBI Summit which brings together leaders from across the United States to share their insights and exchange ideas about the future of TBI treatment.

Light Therapy as a Traumatic Brain Injury Treatment Innovation

One of the professors involved in the challenge is researching the possibility of using light therapy to heal cells that have been damaged by a traumatic brain injury. When molecular events are taking place in the body following a TBI, their energy requirements increase. The only way that the needs of these cells can be met is through the mitochondria. These mitochondria appear to respond to specific wavelengths of light. The goal of the researchers is to see if this light therapy can be used to control the actions of the mitochondria following a TBI. Then, the mitochondria can be managed to provide energy and resources that might preserve some of these cells following a TBI, ultimately improving someone’s prognosis following a head injury. It may change the way that brain injuries are treated.

San Francisco Traumatic Brain Injury Lawyer

I’m Ed Smith, an San Francisco Brain Injury Lawyer. There is a lot of research surrounding traumatic brain injury treatment innovation. If your loved one has suffered a traumatic brain injury due to the negligence of another individual or entity, please call me today at (916) 921-6400 or (800) 404-5400 for free, friendly legal advice.

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Citation of Photo: Pixabay.

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