Scientists Make Progress on Finding Cure for Brain Damage
University of California in San Francisco (UCSF) scientists discovered a new drug that can potentially be the cure for traumatic brain injuries (TBI), following a successful attempt to restore memory and learning deficits in mice.
The researchers used the experimental drug for the restoration of the animals’ normal brain functions, after two kinds of TBI’s damaged them.
Damage Reversal
UCSF researchers conducted the study on two separate models, comprising mice with focal and concussive injuries. Unlike humans, diagnosis and treatment of brain damage among mice can be performed within a few hours after the injuries.
The first model showed that mice were able to find their way through a maze after receiving treatment for their focal injuries, even for a month after the end of treatment. The second test revealed that the subjects were able to exit an experimental tunnel, following treatment for a concussive injury that had occurred two weeks before the test.
If proven to be clinically feasible, the drug can help not just patients in California but also advance whiplash treatments in Utah offered by institutions such as Upzen Health.
Occupational Hazard
A separate study further sheds some light on the link between TBI’s and football. The research found that chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) had been present in 110 dead NFL players. The occurrence of CTE has been widely linked to repetitive head trauma.
What’s more, the study noted that a football player’s symptoms of the disorder become more prominent as that person plays more often. Those with severe cases of CTE experienced signs of dementia, behavioral or mood symptoms. A caveat of the study, however, involves the analysis of limited sample size of brains.
Conclusion
The discovery of a new drug could signal a positive outlook for treating patients that suffer from brain damage, particularly for those living with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.
