Group items tagged

Suffering a brain injury is no easy thing. The plurality of potential symptoms meets with the potential long-term effects to create a poor prognosis for many unfortunate enough to experience them. But new technological leaps could pave the way to a better quality of life. What is a Brain Injury? The above question might seem a simple one, with a simple answer. But brain injuries are by no means simple, and by no means simply defined. There are two major categories under which a brain injury can fall: hypoxic and traumatic. Of civil brain injury claims in the UK, traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are the most common - with 95% of claims revolving around some form of traumatic injury or incident. TBIs are brain injuries suffered as a result of a specific or direct injury. The brain is damaged through direct contact or the transfer of force. A direct strike to the head is in an assault or a serious fall might compromise the cranium, sending shockwaves of energy through the brain and potentially crushing the skull into the cranial cavity. Alternatively, a car accident or sudden stop might see the brain bashed against the occipital bone, causing internal trauma and intracranial hypertension. Hypoxic brain injuries refer specifically to injuries caused as a result of loss of blood or oxygen to the head. These injuries reflect birth injuries that might lead to cerebral palsy, or serious medical events that might alter the brain's response to stimuli. How are Brain Injuries Diagnosed and Treated? While the potential causes of a brain injury are plain to see, diagnosing a brain injury is not as straightforward. There are immediate symptoms that can indicate brain injury, such as the 'fencing response' which can indicate a severe rotational brain injury. Conscious patients might also exhibit difficulty speaking, remembering key pieces of information or responding to any stimuli.

New research has shown that chronic pain can be objectively measured using brain signals, a report in The Conversation said. According to the report, a team of researchers conducted a study using brain implants capable of recording neural signals over an extended period. Their aim was to identify reliable markers of chronic pain severity in four patients as they went about their daily lives. While pain is typically a subjective experience, there is still much to discover about how pain signals are processed in the brain. Previous studies often relied on artificial settings, and the relationship between acute and chronic pain circuits remained unclear. To investigate this further, the researchers surgically implanted electrodes in the brains of four patients experiencing post-stroke pain and phantom limb pain. Neural signals were recorded in specific brain regions associated with planning, expectation, and emotion. The patients were then asked to report their pain severity levels multiple times a day for up to six months. Machine learning models were developed to analyse the recorded brain activity signals and predict the patients' self-reported pain intensity scores.

A study conducted by Michigan Medicine revealed that individuals who experience type 2 diabetes over an extended period are increasingly prone to experiencing alterations in their brain structure. A group of scientists examined data from 51 middle-aged Pima American Indians who were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. They employed a set of memory and language assessments known as the NIH Toolbox Cognitive Battery, developed by the National Institutes of Health, alongside MRI scans. These analyses aimed to establish the connection between diabetes, cognitive function, and the composition of the brain. Brain imaging suggested that study participants with longer durations of type 2 diabetes had decreased mean cortical thickness and gray matter volumes, and an increased volume of white matter hyperintensities. The MRI results, researchers say, indicate the negative effects longstanding diabetes may have on brain health outcomes and emphasise the importance of preventing early onset type 2 diabetes.

A University College London team of researchers has developed an artificial intelligence (AI) programme that can identify minute brain anomalies that lead to epileptic seizures. The algorithm, used in the Multicentre Epilepsy Lesion Detection project (MELD) and which reports locations of abnormalities in cases of drug-resistant focal cortical dysplasia (FCD) - a major cause of epilepsy - was developed by a multinational team who used more than 1,000 patient MRI scans from 22 international epilepsy centres. Brain regions known as FCDs have evolved improperly and frequently lead to drug-resistant epilepsy. Surgery is usually used to treat it, however, finding the lesions on an MRI is a constant problem for doctors because MRI scans for FCDs can appear normal. The scientists employed about 300,000 places throughout the brain to quantify cortical properties from the MRI scans, such as how thick or folded the cortex/brain surface was.

An oral drug combination by Novartis showed promise in treating a subgroup of patients suffering from a common childhood brain cancer in a trial. In the mid-stage trial, 47 per cent of the patients that were given the two drugs Tafinlar and Mekinist saw their tumours shrink, far above a rate of 11 per cent in a comparative group of participants on standard chemotherapy, the drugmaker said on Monday, June 6. The participants, aged one to 17 years, were suffering from low-grade gliomas (LGG), the most common childhood brain cancer. The trial only included those who were found to have a mutation known as BRAF V600, a genetic contributor in about 15 per cent to 20 per cent of paediatric LGG cases. Among further results of the trial with 110 participants, the median time without disease progression was 20.1 months for those given the Novartis drug combo, compared to 7.4 months on chemotherapy. The new oral treatment candidate also caused less severe side effects than burdensome chemotherapy.

Japanese pharmaceutical firm Eisai Co plans to seek full approval of its experimental Alzheimer's drug lecanemab in the United States, Europe and Japan armed with data showing it can slow the brain-wasting disease for people with early symptoms, potentially getting the treatment to patients next year. It remains unclear how widely the drug developed with U.S. biotech Biogen Inc will be used due to uncertainty over insurance coverage, including the U.S. government's Medicare plan for people age 65 and over, potential side effects and cost. One Wall Street analyst told Reuters news agency that he is not counting on measurable sales until 2024. Several estimated lecanemab may be priced at around $20,000 per year. "Most people who this (drug) would apply to are on Medicare, and most private payers look to Medicare as they make their own (coverage) decisions. So there's a massive roadblock in the way of all who could benefit from this treatment," said Robert Egge, Alzheimer's Association chief public policy officer. Eisai confirmed on Tuesday (November 30) that lecanemab - an antibody designed to remove sticky deposits of a protein called amyloid beta from the brain - reduced the rate of cognitive decline on a clinical dementia scale by 27% compared to a placebo. It also gave new details on side effects including a dangerous type of brain swelling and brain bleeding.

An experimental Alzheimer's drug developed by Eli Lilly and Co slowed cognitive decline by 35% in a late-stage trial, the company said on Wednesday, providing what experts say is the strongest evidence yet that removing sticky amyloid plaques from the brain benefits patients with the fatal disease. Lilly's drug, donanemab, met all goals of the trial, the company said. It slowed progression of Alzheimer's by 35% compared to a placebo in 1,182 people with early-stage disease whose brains had deposits of two key Alzheimer's proteins, beta amyloid as well as intermediate levels of tau, a protein linked with disease progression and brain cell death. The study also evaluated the drug in 552 patients with high levels of tau and found that when both groups were combined, donanemab slowed progression by 29% based on a commonly used scale of dementia progression known as the Clinical Dementia Rating Scale (CDR-SB). Using that scale, experts said Lilly's findings were roughly on par with Eisai Co Ltd and Biogen Inc's lecanemab, sold under the brand name Leqembi, which reduced cognitive decline by 27% in patients with early Alzheimer's in a study published last year. The results drove Lilly's shares to a record high, up more than 6% at $429.85. Dr. Ronald Petersen, an Alzheimer's researcher at Mayo Clinic, said Lilly's trial is the third to show removing amyloid from the brain slows progression of the disease, which could put to rest some lingering doubts about the benefits of drugs in the class and the amyloid-lowering theory. "It's modest, but I think it's real," he said of the benefit, "and I think it's clinically meaningful." Dr. Erik Musiek, a Washington University neurologist at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, said the efficacy looks as good or better than lecanemab.

A brain is an organ often composed of Connective tissues and nerve cells. The brain contains three important parts including breathe controlling and muscles like moving muscles and sensing like emotions breathing, memory thinking and somewhat personality.

Diabetes drugs that also promote weight loss such as Novo Nordisk's Ozempic, becoming a darling of celebrities and investors, are being studied to tackle some of the most difficult-to-treat brain disorders, including Alzheimer's disease. Diabetes regimens, from Ozempic to old mainstays like insulin and metformin, appear to address several different aspects of the metabolic system implicated in Alzheimer's disease, including a protein called amyloid and inflammation, researchers say. The hope is that improving glucose utilisation and tamping down inflammation in the entire body - including the brain - could slow progression of debilitating diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. Several scientists interviewed by Reuters news agency pointed to mounting research supporting testing diabetes drugs against neurodegenerative diseases. Results are years away and success uncertain. But interest has been buoyed by recent positive data on Alzheimer's drugs developed by Eisai with partner Biogen and by Eli Lilly demonstrating that removing sticky amyloid plaques accumulated in the brain can slow cognition decline caused by the fatal mind-wasting disease. Those successes followed decades of futility that had left many questioning the validity of the amyloid theory behind most experimental Alzheimer's drugs.

AAH Pharmaceuticals (AAH) has announced the appointment of Brain Chambers as Chief Commercial Officer. "I'm proud to lead the commercial functions in AAH in my new role and broader area of responsibility." Said Brian. "I'm committed to delivering on great value for our customers and building and strengthening our supplier partnerships." Brain is associated with AAH Pharmaceuticals for more than 14 years. He joined the organisation as Business Development Manager in October 2008. His previous role in the organisation was on Sales and Marketing Director. He posted on LinkedIn: "This is a big move for me personally, but that's a side hustle. What is the main play here is AAH becoming a standalone independent wholesale business focussed on only the AAH customer and our core business and this is just one part of that.

Brain Tumor risks including surgery facts, as well as diagnosis also types either the primary tumor or secondary tumor. Treatments like MRI CT scan helping you to decide better for your health.

After receiving approval from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), the NHS is preparing to roll out a new combination treatment for brain tumours in children and young people in England. Dabrafenib with trametinib would be the first ever targeted treatment for children (aged 1-17) with gliomas that have a specific genetic mutation, the health service said. The treatment, which can be taken at home, has been found to slow the progression of the disease by over threefold compared to standard chemotherapy in children with low-grade gliomas that have a BRAF V600E mutation. Clinical trials have shown that it causes fewer side-effects than chemotherapy. NICE approved the combination treatment on Wednesday 24 April. It will be available on the NHS in the coming months.

According to Alzheimer's Disease International, more than 55 million people worldwide will have Alzheimer's disease by 2020. This figure will nearly double every 20 years, reaching 78 million in 2030 and 139 million in 2050. The WHO Global Status Report for 2021 estimated the yearly global cost of dementia to be more than USD 1.3 trillion, with a projected increase to USD 2.8 trillion by 2030. To date most drugs developed to treat Alzheimer's disease have failed, largely because they target wrong biomarkers and individuals already exhibiting signs of the disease. Once symptoms appear, however, many brain cells responsible for memory and cognition are likely already damaged and beyond repair. Professor Shai Rahimipour in the Chemistry Department at Bar-Ilan University in Israel has pioneered a different approach utilizing theranostics to pinpoint and treat the earliest, pre-symptomatic signs of Alzheimer's disease. Showing promise in stopping progression of the disease before onset of irreversible brain cell damage, Rahimipour's groundbreaking approach has garnered significant attention in the scientific world.

Your gut, often referred to as your "second brain," plays a crucial role in your overall health and well-being. From digestion to immunity, mood regulation to nutrient absorption, the gut impacts various aspects of our daily lives. With increasing awareness of the gut-brain connection, prioritizing gut health has become a cornerstone of holistic wellness. In this article, we explore effective strategies to support and nurture your gut, empowering you to enhance your quality of life through simple yet impactful practices. Nourish with Probiotic-Rich Foods The gut microbiome, comprised of trillions of bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms, is a dynamic ecosystem essential for digestive health and immune function. To maintain a healthy balance of gut flora, incorporating probiotic-rich foods into your diet is paramount. Yogurt, kefir, kimchi, sauerkraut, and kombucha are excellent sources of beneficial bacteria that promote gut diversity and resilience. These fermented foods not only replenish your gut with probiotics but also provide essential nutrients and enzymes vital for optimal digestion. By regularly including probiotic foods in your meals, you can foster a thriving gut microbiome, fortifying your body's natural defenses against pathogens and inflammation.

Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response creates a tingly and calming sensation, and no one knows why. Many people report similar "triggers," like crinkling, breathy speech or tapping sounds.

Diet, exercise, and stress management all play important roles in heart, lung, and brain health. however a recent report from the world Health Organization suggests that the positive effects of those healthy way decisions may be jeopardized by the straightforward act of taking a breath.

Stroke is a cerebrovascular syndrome that involves the blockage and bursting of blood vessels in the brain. It shows a multifactorial pattern of inheritance. High cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, hypertension and obesity are the key causes of stroke besides inherited genes.

Tramadol is a synthetic chemical compound used to treat pain and discomfort ranging from mild to severe cases, it affects  brain receptors associated with pain.

Here we discussed Dementia stages & symptoms. Dementia is a wider category of brain diseases. Long term memory loss causes Alzheimer's