Tag Archives: tbi

How a Concussion Can Lead to Depression Years Later

After brain injury, cells on ‘high alert’ prolong immune response, affecting behavior

COLUMBUS, Ohio – A head injury can lead immune-system brain cells to go on “high alert” and overreact to later immune challenges by becoming excessively inflammatory – a condition linked with depressive complications, a new animal study suggests.

The findings could help explain some of the midlife mental-health issues suffered by individuals who experience multiple concussions as young adults, researchers say. And these depressive symptoms are likely inflammation-related, which means they may not respond to common antidepressants. (more…)

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MU Professor Creates Resource for Helping People with Brain Injuries

COLUMBIA, Mo. ­­­– According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1.7 million people suffer traumatic brain injuries each year.  Stephanie Reid-Arndt, chair and assistant professor of health psychology in the University of Missouri School of Health Professions, has launched The Brain Injury Guide and Resources at https:// braininjuryeducation.com/ to provide a resource for people to understand traumatic brain injuries.

“Brain injuries aren’t visible like other injuries, and often, people with brain injuries can be misunderstood,” Reid-Arndt said.  “Direct results of a traumatic brain injury (TBI) include cognitive difficulties, changes in behavior or difficulty managing anger that are direct results of the brain injuries. Unfortunately, these symptoms are often misconstrued as willfully uncooperative behavior.” (more…)

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New CU Study Shows Acupressure Effective in Helping to Treat Traumatic Brain Injury

A new University of Colorado Boulder study indicates an ancient form of complementary medicine may be effective in helping to treat people with mild traumatic brain injury, a finding that may have implications for some U.S. war veterans returning home.

The study involved a treatment known as acupressure in which one’s fingertips are used to stimulate particular points on a person’s body — points similar to those stimulated with needles in standard acupuncture treatments, said CU-Boulder Professor Theresa Hernandez, lead study author. The results indicate a link between the acupressure treatments and enhanced cognitive function in study subjects with mild traumatic brain injury, or TBI. (more…)

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