Brain injury research

The goal of brain injury research is to improve the outcomes, treatments and its prevention recommendations to decrease the overall cost to the community, the individual and the family. Assessing and identifying community needs from traditionally underserved populations help to point the direction for developing community services and individualizing rehabilitation.

Understanding environmental factors and community participation for individuals with traumatic brain injury hospitals and rehabilitation centers encourage better community reintegration. Research also helps to decrease the dissatisfaction with community integration by improving awareness of the impact of brain injury and dispelling myths that general communities have about individuals who have suffered from a dramatic brain injury.

Brain injury research has several different foci. Research in the area of pediatrics (children) may focus not only on areas that are addressed in adults but also tackle the special needs of children who may experience a negative home environment, birth injuries or brain injuries that were unrecognized by parents or teachers.

Research into brain injury will address the needs of patients who are suffering from coma, treatment options, short term and long term consequences of brain injury, the neurophysiology of the injury, treatment phase and recover phase, how to further prevent head injuries, higher risk of athletes, management of sports related injuries, educating coaches and parents of the risk of playing with concussions, appropriate protective gear when playing sports, and statistics of those injured looking for trends.

There are times when patients receive different care when they are enrolled in clinical studies evaluating the different aspects of care. There are times when this is advantageous and times when it is more of a risk than a benefit. The choice is between patient, family and physician to decide if finding a clinical trial that meets the individual needs has a greater benefit than risk to the outcome.

At other times research involves just watching the results of the standard treatment protocols that are chosen. By comparing MRI or CAT scan results with the medications, ventilation or stabilization methods used during the acute treatment phase researchers are able to confirm theories or dispel myths of treatment. By standardizing the recording of these treatment protocols, as well as the results, researchers are able to compare medical records from all over the country, or the world.

To find a clinical trial that is currently recruiting patients for evaluation families or physicians can begin by scrolling through those listed at http://clinicaltrials.gov

RESOURCES

Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs: Psychological Health Traumatic Brain Injury

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke: Traumatic Brain Injury: Hope through Research