View clinical trials related to Brain Injuries.
Filter by:Abnormalities in structural and functional connectivity between brain regions have been suggested as putative biomarkers of mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) and significant contributors to neuropsychological functioning and injury outcome. The purpose of this study is to use two advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques called diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and resting state functional MRI to compare structural and functional connectivity between individuals with documented mild TBI and healthy controls. To evaluate the significance of structural and functional connectivity for behavior, the brain imaging data will then be related to measures of cognition and emotion. Over a 4-year period, 150 adults with documented mild TBI and 30 healthy controls will participate in the study. The study will investigate the following questions and hypotheses: 1. Evaluate the DWI metric fractional anisotropy (FA) as a measure of white matter integrity across multiple stages of recovery following mild TBI relative to healthy controls. It is hypothesized that mild TBI will be associated with greater white matter abnormalities than healthy controls. 2. It is hypothesized that there will be a relationship between FA, cognition and emotion as a function of the injury. 3. It is hypothesized that functional connectivity will be related to FA.
To assess the feasibility of a new neuromonitoring system (NeMoSystem including NeMo Probe and NeMo Patch) and the accuracy of the measurement values (cerebral blood flow (CBF); cerebral blood volume (CBV)) obtained.
The goal of this project is to develop a test to assess frontal lobe function using a rapid, inexpensive, objective, and standardized method, without the need for expertise in cognitive test administration. Such methods would be particularly helpful in traumatic brain injury (TBI), where objective measures are needed, and would greatly expand the capacity to make such assessments in clinical practice and research.
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectivenes of a home-based physical therapy program designed to improve balance following traumatic brain injury by incorporating the use of a virtual reality system.
The goal of this project is to determine if it is possible to assess Cerebrovascular Reactivity (CVR) to hypercapnia with functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS). Such a method would be particularly helpful in traumatic brain injury (TBI), where objective measures are needed, and would greatly expand the capacity to make such assessments in standard clinical practice.
The purpose of this study is to use an investigational assay to assess levels of putative biomarkers of traumatic brain injury (TBI) in a general population. The data will be used in a correlative analysis with data collected under a separate study of severe TBI.
This study seeks to compare two different behavioral treatments for pain in Veterans with a history of TBI. Both treatments involve educating the Veteran about pain, discussing the impact of pain, and different ways to manage it in hopes of decreasing pain and its impact on life. These approaches are called "self-management" approaches to pain. Both of these treatments are commonly used in pain clinics to treat pain in persons with back pain, headaches, and other types of chronic pain. The investigators will be delivering both treatments over the telephone to make the treatments accessible to Veterans wherever they live.
The aims of this study explore the relationships between cerebral vasospasm, apolipoprotein-E (apo-E) genotype, physiologic symptoms, and neurocognitive outcomes that may either intensify or ameliorate secondary injury, for children with a traumatic brain injury. Exploring the apo-E genotype will help us know if injury response is altered in certain children and will aid in developing interventional approaches.
The purpose of this study is to determine whether sildenafil (Viagra®) is effective in improving cerebral blood flow and cerebrovascular reactivity inpatients who have persistent symptoms at least 6 months after a traumatic brain injury (TBI).
Successful treatment of traumatic brain injury (TBI)-induced mood lability may reduce or eliminate drinking behaviors in persons with alcohol abuse/dependence (AA/D) and affective lability following TBI. Observed clinically, the symptoms of poorly regulated affective expression of AA/D+TBI patients who reach alcohol abstinence do not appear to be those of an idiopathic mood or anxiety disorder. These symptoms do not present the severity or the same natural courses as do Major Depressive Disorder, Bipolar Illness, or Anxiety Disorder, for example. Instead, both symptoms and course appear more characteristic of the sustained affect lability often observed following TBI. This observation suggests that TBI survivors represent a patient group for whom treatment of neuropsychiatric symptoms following TBI may alleviate both TBI-related affect lability and also heavy ethanol use by treating the condition that is contextually related to excessive alcohol use. Based on this concept of consequently treating AA/D through the management of post-TBI affective lability, this study was conducted observing the efficacy of divalproex sodium on the severity of affective lability and AA/D in persons suffering from a moderate TBI. Divalproex sodium has been shown to ameliorate mood disorders, even in those with substance abuse problems. This drug has also shown positive results as an alternate medication to benzodiazapines in the treatment of alcohol withdrawal, significantly reducing the progression of withdrawal symptoms in patients.