Researchers are testing an experimental drug for spinal cord injury on canine subjects. They have already found the drug to be beneficial in the treatment of mice with spinal cord injury. If the tests on dogs are successful, as researchers are optimistic they will be, the next step will be trials on human beings.

The experimental therapy is being studied by researchers from the University Of California San Francisco, and the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine. As California spinal cord injury lawyers know, not all of the damage caused after spinal cord injury is caused during impact. Some of the damage is caused after the injury, because of swelling, inflammation and chemical reactions close to the injury site, which add to the damage.

The new treatment aims to block some of those negative changes that occur after the injury. Specifically, the drug aims to block the function of the matrix metalloproteinase-9 protein, whose numbers begin to swell soon after a spinal cord injury. The drug does not actually help heal the spinal cord damage. What it does is to block the destructive process triggered by the protein soon after the injury, thereby limiting cell damage and limiting the extent of damage.

According to researchers, when the injured mice were treated with the drug, they showed remarkable recovery. The mice had been injected with the drug about 3 hours after the injury and continued to be administered the drug over 3 days.

Now, researchers will test the drug on dogs at the Small Animal Hospital of Texas A&M University. The studies are expected to continue over the next 2 years. If the drug proves to be as beneficial in reducing the signs of paralysis after a spinal cord injury in dogs as in mice, the researchers are likely to begin testing the drug on human bein

Until recently, there was very little evidence-based research into how people cope with a spouse’s brain injury. In fact, for far too long, doctors counseling spouses of persons with a brain injury advised them that the marriage was probably worth giving up on, and would definitely collapse under the strain of the injury and the changes in the person. Those concerns may not be 100% true, as evidenced by the divorce rate among persons with a brain injury, which is lower than the national divorce rate. However, there is no denying the fact that the injury takes a very heavy emotional toll not only on the person with the brain injury, but also the uninjured spouse who is now forced into the role of caregiver.

California brain injury lawyers find that for many spouses who are now caregivers for their injured partners, coping with life after a brain injury can be almost as devastating and traumatic as it is for the person with the injury. In fact, the incidence of mental and anxiety-related disorders among spouses who are caregivers is quite high. Many caregivers tend to collapse under the strain of dealing with the now seemingly-changed person in their home, and may even exhibit symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder.

According to a New York Times report, it's not just the financial struggle and the months of rehabilitation and therapy that can put strain on a marriage. It's also the change in the personality of the person that you loved and married. Behavioral changes in persons who have suffered a brain injury can range from mild to severe. It is not unusual for caregivers to fantasize about escaping from the marriage, and then going into cycles of depression and guilt over those fantasies.

Fortunately, psychologists at VCU are trying to develop special marriage counseling for persons who suffer from brain injuries and their spouses. But these special services are still fairly limited in accessibility.

Patients who have suffered a brain injury may suffer from severe immunosuppression, or a reduced ability to fight infections. These patients may also be at a high risk for hyper inflammation, because the brain releases glucocorticoids in response to the brain injury. Reducing infection rates in patients with traumatic brain injury is therefore a primary concern for health care providers. A new study finds that patients with traumatic brain injury, who are given infusions of probiotics, may be able to fight infections better.

The small-scale study was conducted at the North Sichuan Medical College and Hospital in China. The trial consisted of a total of 52 patients who had suffered traumatic brain injury, and were being treated in an intensive care unit. Approximately half of these patients were in the control group, and were given conventional brain injury treatments. The other half were given conventional brain injury therapies and an additional dose of probiotics every day over a period of 21 days.

At the end of the 21 days, the researchers found that the patients who were given the probiotics infusions had a lower chance of contracting infections after a brain injury. This improvement in patients who were given the probiotics was seen not soon after receiving the probiotics, but around the 15th day after the injury.

Overall, the researchers have concluded from the study that the use of probiotics reduced the number of infections suffered about 7 days after the brain injury. These patients needed fewer antibiotics to treat infections, and also required shorter stays in the hospital ICU.

This was a small-scale study, and therefore was not as conclusive as California brain injury lawyers may have hoped. For instance, the study did not indicate any major differences in the number of infections suffered by patients in the control group and patients who were given the probiotics. However, the fact that there was an improvement in the persons who were given probiotics a few days after beginning the treatment is an encouraging sign that could be investigated further.

Persons, who have been paralyzed with a spinal cord injury, may have limited choices in transportation, and these are usually restricted to conversion vehicles. However, that will soon change. This week, Miami-based Vehicle Production Group rolled out its first wheelchair-accessible car that has been designed specifically for use by wheelchair users.

According to the company, this is the only car that has been designed to meet vehicle guidelines outlined in the Americans with Disabilities Act. The car is priced at nearly $40,000, and comes with an inbuilt integrated ramp, in-step, and a larger door opening. Inside the car, there is space to accommodate four people in wheelchair, and four others. The features are practical and have been clearly designed for the convenience of those who use wheelchairs. The car comes with electronic stability control, antilock brakes and extra wheelchair-friendly features, like anti-slip floors.

According to the company, demand has been brisk. The company has 4000 standing orders for the car, currently available through more than 40 dealers. In the next few weeks, the number of dealers will increase to 80.

According to the U.S. Census, there are approximately 3 million Americans above 15 who currently use wheelchairs. With features like this, there's no need for a person to be lifted in and out of a vehicle. The vehicle offers a person extra mobility, convenience, and greater independence - all of which, as California spinal cord injury lawyers know, go a long way in boosting a patient’s self-esteem.

Persons who have suffered spinal cord injuries in auto and motorcycle accidents, workplace accidents, and slip and fall accidents often find that their inability to perform the most mundane tasks like driving themselves around, bother them the most. This vehicle might help alleviate some of that stress.

A Marin County family narrowly escaped death last week after a bout of carbon monoxide poisoning. When symptoms began to show, the couple and their children thought they had the flu. However, they soon called 911, and were ordered to leave the house immediately. They were taken to the hospital, and have now recovered from the symptoms.

According to Marin County Fire Department personnel, the carbon monoxide fumes escaped from a defective wall heater inside the house. The house also did not have carbon monoxide detectors.

California homeowners must be aware of a new rule that requires all owners of single-family units with gas burning appliances to install carbon monoxide detectors. The rule went into effect on July 1. By January 1 next year, owners of all residential units will be required to install carbon monoxide alarms.

The family members in this case, were alert enough to call 911 when their symptoms got worse. In many of the cases that California carbon monoxide poisoning lawyers come across, people aren't so lucky. By the time, they become aware that their symptoms are dangerous, it may be too late.

According to estimates in California, approximately 700 people fall ill with carbon monoxide poisoning every year, and require treatment. Forty people die every year from carbon monoxide poisoning. Carbon monoxide fumes are so dangerous because they cannot be seen, tasted or smelled. These are colorless, odorless and tasteless gases, and as a result, many times, people may not be aware that they are being poisoned by carbon monoxide until it is too late. This is why it's important to have carbon monoxide alarms and detectors installed in your home.

If a carbon monoxide alarm sounds, evacuate everyone from your home into an open-air environment. Call 911 immediately. In many cases, carbon monoxide poisoning is a result of defective appliances or devices, shoddy installation of appliances or heating units, and poor maintenance and repairs of furnaces, heating appliances and other devices.

California brain injury lawyers are aware of the link between traumatic brain injury and the development of a number of neurological disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. However, a new study also links brain injury to an increased chance of stroke. Persons with a traumatic brain injury are at a much higher chance of suffering a stroke within three months after the injury. A stroke occurs when blood flow to a portion of the brain is interrupted or severely reduced. The lack of blood flow deprives brain cells of oxygen causing the cells to die.

The results of the study have been published in the journal, Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association. The researchers analyzed records of 23,199 patients with a traumatic brain injury, and compared the records with 69,597 persons who had not suffered a traumatic injury. These persons were then monitored for a period of five years to gauge their risk of stroke.

Researchers found that over a period of three months, 2.91% of the patients who had suffered a traumatic brain injury suffered a stroke, compared to just .30% of the persons who had not suffered a brain injury. That makes it a tenfold difference in the risk of stroke between the two groups.

The risk of suffering a stroke seemed to decline three months after the injury, but people who had suffered a brain injury continued to be at a higher risk of suffering stroke compared to those without a brain injury. The risk at one year was about 4.6 times higher. After five years, the stroke risk had declined even further, but even then, it was still about 2.3 times higher than for those who had not suffered a brain injury. The stroke risk was seen to increase if the person had suffered a traumatic brain injury that included a skull fracture.

The researchers are not sure why a brain injury increases the risk of a stroke, but believe that head trauma possibly damages the brain blood cells, interfering with blood supply and increasing the risk of a stroke.

Thanks to people like Muhammed Ali, many Americans are aware that repeated concussions and mild brain injuries can increase the risk of Parkinson's disease. However, a new study provides California brain injury lawyers new information about the source of this increased risk.

Scientists at UCLA have identified that the loss of a specific kind of neuron is responsible for this increased long-term risk of Parkinson's Disease. The researchers studied rats with moderate traumatic brain injury, and found that the rats suffered a 15% loss of brain cells called nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons. The loss of these cells occurred soon after the brain injury.

Further, the loss of the brain cells continued for weeks after the injury. The researchers estimated that there was a loss of 30% of the brain cells 26 weeks after the brain injury. The loss of these types of brain cells can result in the kind of symptoms that are typically seen in patients with Parkinson's Disease. These symptoms include tremors, problems with movement or akinesia, and rigidity.

Further, the researchers found that the risk of Parkinson Disease after a brain injury increased when another risk factor, the pesticide Paraquat was introduced into the equation. This is a herbicide which has been known to have toxic effects in human beings. It has also been linked to the development of Parkinson's Disease.

Researchers looked at the long-term risks of Parkinson's disease after a traumatic brain injury as well as the difference in effects after exposure to Paraquat. They found that rats who had suffered a moderate brain injury suffered a 15% loss of the dopaminergic neurons. However, when Paraquat was introduced into the environment, there was a 30% loss of these neurons.

This suggests that not only are these neurons compromised after a traumatic brain injury, but the ones that remain also become more susceptible due to the toxicity of Paraquat.

The U.S. military is conducting experimental research on the use of pressurized chambers in order to treat traumatic brain injuries. The concept is based on exposing victims of traumatic brain injury to increased levels of oxygen, which can help the brain heal.

The pressurized chambers are the same as those used to treat scuba divers who suffer from decompression sickness. Patients inside the pressurized chamber are exposed to the same amount of pressure as being under 20 feet of water. The military has been tightlipped about the details of these experiments. Not much is known about the success of these treatments, or whether there will be any success at all.

While it is too early for California brain injury lawyers to determine if there will be any major developments from this research that might treat brain injury, there is reason to be hopeful. Some of the most promising research in brain injury treatment in recent years has come from the Department of Defense. The U.S. military is investing heavily in the treatment of traumatic brain injury, in order to cope with the large numbers of combat veterans suffering from these injuries. According to statistics, since 2003, more than 134,000 service members have come back from combat duty in Iraq and Afghanistan with brain injuries.

There is little that can be done to completely reverse a serious brain injury once it occurs, but emergency medical treatment can help limit the extent or severity of the injury. Additionally, over a period of time, a person may be able to regain some of his abilities through extensive rehabilitation and therapy.

The number of infants suffering head trauma leading to brain injury has increased significantly during the recession.  New research indicates that the number of infants who had to be rushed to the hospital for treatment of non-accidental head trauma, almost doubled during the recession.

The study was conducted by researchers at University Hospital's Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital in Cleveland.  The researchers reviewed cases of non-accident head trauma that were admitted into the hospital among children below the age of two years.  The data is from December 2001 and June 2010.  A total of 639 infants below the age of two were admitted to the hospital for traumatic injury, and 93 of these cases were classified as non-accident head trauma.  Between December 2007 and June 2010, the researchers found a total of 43 cases of non-accident head trauma.  In comparison, they found just 50 cases during the non-recession period between December 2001 and November 2007. 

Also, the researchers noticed an increase in the severity of the injury during the recession, leading to more deaths and more cases of long-term disability from severe brain injury. 

This isn't the first study that confirms that there has been an increase in non-accidental head trauma during the recession.  In fact, the study only confirms what California brain injury lawyers had earlier found in a study conducted in 2010 by at the University of Pittsburgh.  That study analyzed injuries among children and infants between 2004 and 2009, and found that cases of abusive brain injury among infants per month were almost twice as many during the recession, compared to before the recession.

Researchers are at a loss to explain this startling increase in the number of infants with non-accidental brain injury during the recession.  However, they are pointing to strained financial conditions, causing immense stress among parents.  With states around the country slashing budgets for social services programs, and programs that support children and families, the safety of children has suffered.

Fish oils have long been believed to be good for the brain, boosting brainpower and alertness. Now, it appears that certain fish oil proteins may also help protect the brain from traumatic brain injury.

A study conducted by researchers at West Virginia University in Morgantown, used research conducted on animals to conclude that fish body oils protect the brain from injury. In this experiment, rats were treated with the omega-3 fatty acid, docosahexaenoic acid. The supplement was isolated from an algae species.  The rats were given 40 mg of docosahexaenoic acid per kilogram of body weight.

The researchers observed the rats that were given the omega-3 treatment, and determined their response to induced traumatic brain injury. They compared the tissue and behavioral responses of the rats that were given the treatment with another group of rats that did not receive the supplement. They found that tissue damage caused by traumatic brain injury was significantly lower in the rats that were given the high doses of docosahexanoic acid. The researchers also found that in the rats that were taking the supplements, there was a substantial reduction in the expression of a Beta amyloid protein that is typically linked to the development of Alzheimer's disease.

According to the researchers, the findings can be analyzed to conclude that the omega-3 supplements provided the rats protection against the effects of traumatic brain injury.

California brain injury attorneys are encouraged by the findings of the study which may indicate that certain groups of people who are at a high risk of brain injury, could possibly benefit from taking such supplements. For instance, athletes, children, and military vets who are at a high risk of accidents that cause brain injury, may benefit from taking high-dose omega-3 supplements.