Active clinical trials for "Brain Injuries"

There are studies reporting that the survival rate in pediatric patients with abnormal pupillary response is 23% and that pupillary response is effective on mortality and patient outcomes. Studies in the literature examining the effect of pupillary response on mortality and outcome in pediatric patients with traumatic brain injury reported that bilaterally dilated pupils were associated with a higher mortality rate. Considering the literature results, we believe that obtaining the GCS-Pupil score by combining GCS and pupillary reaction in pediatric patients with traumatic brain injury will be effective in predicting patient outcomes.

Gait impairment in people with acquired brain injury (ABI) and spinal cord injury (SCI) can be very heterogeneous. For this reason, STELO has been developed: a new concept of exoskeleton based on modular technology for gait assistance. It allows a personalised configuration according to the functional capacity of each patient, as the therapist can choose which robotic joints to use depending on the therapeutic goal and on the patient recovery phase. The objective is to analyse the usability of the STELO modular exoskeleton in people with ABI and SCI.

The main objective of this study is to examine the effect of Goal Management Training for patients with executive difficulties after acquired brain injury in a randomized controlled trial. The effect on cognitive functioning will be examined, as will the relationship between treatment effects and lesion location and size. The effect of Goal Management training on regulating emotions, quality of life and coping will be examined. The generalizability of treatment effects across etiologies will be explored by comparing effects in three patient groups; traumatic brain injury, cerebrovascular accidents and resected brain tumors. Structural Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans and measures of white matter connectivity will be used to establish detailed lesion descriptions. Functional MRI data will provide information on the neural underpinnings of treatment related change. A secondary objective is to expand the Goal Management Training protocol with increased focus on emotional regulation and adherence to homework assignment.

Effect of Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy on Chronic Neurogenic Heterotopic Ossification in Traumatic Brain Injured (TBI) patients Chronic Neurogenic Heterotopic Ossification (NHO) - Heterotopic ossification is a well known late complication of traumatic brain injury. Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy - ESWT- is used in various medical situations and is being tested for feasibility of use in TBI patients.

The purpose of this study is to examine a web-based training program for treating emotional problems in people who have suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI).

This proposal aims to investigate the effect of a promising treatment for persistent post Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) symptoms, and to monitor TBI patient's recovery by an objective technique along with standard clinical assessments. The treatment tool is the application of repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) of the brain. The treatment efficacy and monitoring TBI patients' recovery will be objectively assessed using Electrovestibulography (EVestGTM); this will be in parallel with clinical and standard assessments.

The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of acupuncture on cerebral blood flow (CBF) and blood biomarkers during the acute 10-day window following traumatic brain injury, to determine if those changes correlate with changes in biomarkers of brain health, neuropsychological testing, and symptomatic presentation.

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.

This pilot study will document the efficacy of a behavioral intervention for Processing Speed (PS) in Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), Speed of Processing Training (SPT), which has been successful used in the aging population in several studies. This study will (1) apply a treatment protocol for PS impairments, well-validated in aging, to persons with TBI with impaired PS, and document its efficacy on standard neuropsychological (NP) tests (2) assess the effectiveness of the intervention utilizing global measures of daily life, including an objective measure (TIADL) (3) examine the long term impact of SPT. This study is unique in that it will be the first to evaluate the efficacy of a highly-manualized structured behavioral treatment for processing speed deficits in persons with TBI utilizing the optimal methodology for carrying out such studies, a randomized clinical trial. Given the prevalence of PS deficits in the TBI population and the significant impact such deficits have on everyday functioning, public safety, and overall quality of life, the identification of an effective intervention for PS deficits in TBI could have a profound impact on the population and society as a whole.

This is an open label study on the pharmacokinetics and safety of ciclosporin in patients with severe traumatic brain injury, who require intensive care unit admission and monitoring of intracranial pressure via a ventricular catheter. 20 patients will be screened, and subsequently enrolled after clinical stabilisation. Thereafter, patients will receive 2.5 mg/kg bolus dose infusion of ciclosporin, followed by either 5 mg/kg/day or 10 mg/kg/day of ciclosporin as continuous infusion for 5 days+3 days monitoring at the intensive care unit. After an additional 30 days, a follow-up phone call will be made to the patient, or the patient's nursing staff, checking patient status and serious adverse events. The two dose levels will be investigated in 10 patients each, starting with the lower dose level for the first 10 patients. Patients will have samples of blood and cerebrospinal fluid drawn at pre-defined time points during the study for pharmacokinetic assessment and evaluation of biomarkers. Bedside monitoring with microdialysis and brain tissue oxygenation will be performed. The safety monitoring includes nephrotoxicity, hepatotoxicity, monitoring of intracranial pressure (ICP), infections monitoring and adverse events collection and reporting.