It’s being hailed as a groundbreaking discovery by scientists who revealed this new possible spinal cord injury treatment at the World Congress for Hair Research in Australia. The scientists believe that mice hair could be a possible new source of healthy stem cells which can help repair damaged cells in patients who suffer from spinal injury.

The discovery of the cells occurred by chance. Scientists at the research lab AntiCancer, in San Diego, were examining the skin of mice and found that the cells in these mice hairs could heal spinal cord injury in mice. Mice with spinal cord injuries that left them paralyzed were able to walk again after being treated with these healthy stem cells from their hair. The scientists placed the hair stem cells into the damaged nerve of the mouse, and found that the nerve soon rejoined. Very soon, the nerve was functioning almost normally again. The scientists backed up their theories with solid proof at the conference. A video was shown of a mouse with a severed spinal cord, which soon began scurrying about after being treated with the hair stem cells.

Spinal cord injury treatment research is an ongoing process and, to California spinal cord injury lawyers, it often seems like there are supposed “breakthroughs” that ultimately lead nowhere. However, this particular breakthrough could be different. The scientists have found that similar stem cells are also found in the hair of humans, suggesting a high likelihood that the treatment could work in humans too.

Obviously, transferring these benefits to human beings is not going to be simple. However, the fact that such dramatic improvements have been seen in mice, and that the cells are found in human beings, is definitely encouraging. It will be a while before California spinal cord injury attorneys and patients with spinal injuries learn if these treatments can be successfully replicated in human beings too.

You don't need a study to learn certain facts. But solid research can confirm the kind of long-term health impacts that brain injury patients suffer. A new study shows that patients who suffer a massive brain injury have a risk of suffering depression that is up to eight times higher than for persons without a brain injury.

The study was conducted by a team at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle. The team studied a total of 559 patients who had suffered a traumatic brain injury. Of these patients, approximately 53% had suffered major depression after the injury.

The risks of suffering severe depression were not the same for all brain injury patients. For instance, patients who already suffered from depression at the time of their injury or just before the injury, were more likely to fall into a major depression soon after the head injury. Younger patients were also at a higher risk for depression after brain injury. Patients, who had a dependence on alcohol and substance use, were also more likely to suffer major depressive disorders after brain injury. Brain injury patients, who suffered from major depression, were also at a high risk for anxiety disorders.

The study also threw some light on the lack of proper care for brain injury patients who also suffered from depression. The study found that just about 44% of the brain injured patients who suffered from depression received any treatment for their depression. This only exacerbated their symptoms, and negatively impacted their quality of life.

Many brain injured patients can expect a diminished quality of life. The lucky ones may be able to perform routine daily tasks without much help, walk, and even go back to a job. The unfortunate ones however, find it difficult to perform even routine daily activities, and may be unable to play sports, or go back to work. In a situation like this, it's not hard for California brain injury lawyers to see how depression can set in.