Active clinical trials for "Brain Injuries"

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) comprises physical, sexual and emotional abuse and controlling behaviors imposed by an intimate partner. It is estimated that up to 92% of women who survive IPV may have suffered one or more traumatic brain injuries (TBI) from blows to the head, face, and neck, and/or anoxia or hypoxia due to strangulation. Even mild TBI may manifest as alternations in consciousness, black out, dizziness, disorientation, anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, muscles weakness or paralysis and deficits in memory, attention, planning as well as executive functions. These signs and symptoms of TBI and their consequences impact the quality of life of women surviving IPV. Furthermore, survivors experiencing multiple IPV may acquire larger extent of the injury. Though this is recognized as an urgent and serious issue worldwide, it has been remarkably understudied. To improve the quality of life of women experiencing IPV-related TBI, and to prevent potential longer-term consequences, an evidence-based therapeutic treatment is an urgent need. The Supporting Survivors of Abuse and Brain Injury through Research (SOAR) Project at the University of British Columbia-Okanagan was designed to integrate TBI knowledge into community-based supports. This Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research (MSFHR) trainee application will focus on the evaluation of the effectiveness of a community support network intervention for women with IPV-related TBI. The outcomes will generate valuable evidence to inform potential new TBI-informed policies regarding community-based and health care supports for survivors of IPV.

The goal of this clinical intervention is to test if two forms of transcranial current stimulation, transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) or transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) can alleviate neuropathic eye pain in a sample of 20 patients. The main aims are: Test if tDCS/tACS can alleviate neuropathic eye pain and/or other cerebral symptoms: brain fatigue, migraine, light sensitivity, etc. Test if one stimulation method is superior to the other Patients will be treated for a total of fifteen 30-minute stimulation sessions, three times a day over a five-day period, each stimulation separated by approximately 4 hours, with either active tACS or tDCS over the scalp corresponding to primary sensory and motor areas. The patients will have questionnaires to monitor subjective experiences and pupillometry before and after treatment to monitor experimental outcomes.

The purpose of this research is to investigate the effectiveness of virtual reality (VR) to improve job reentry skills in individuals with TBI.

The purpose of this study is to determine whether a single treatment with administration of 400 Units NT 201 (botulinum toxin) is superior to placebo (no medicine) for the treatment of lower limb spasticity caused by stroke or traumatic brain injury (Main Period). Participants will be assigned to the treatment groups by chance and neither the participants nor the research staff who interact with them will know the allocation. The following 4 to 5 treatment cycles will investigate the safety and tolerability of treatment with NT 201 (botulinum toxin) when administered in doses between 400 and 800 Units (Open Label Extension Period). All participants will receive the treatment and the dose will depend on whether only lower limb spasticity or combined upper and lower limb spasticity are treated.

The goal of this study is to establish the feasibility of an intervention designed to improve memory in patients who have experienced a moderate or severe traumatic brain injury (m-sTBI) and to examine its effect on brain structures.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of death among trauma patients accounting for one-third of all trauma mortalities. Patients who survive the initial trauma are liable to secondary insults from the ensuing inflammatory state in the brain. Treatment goals are aimed at reducing secondary injury. Maintaining adequate brain perfusion, limiting cerebral edema, and optimizing oxygen delivery are part of established treatment protocols. Numerous therapeutics have been evaluated as potential treatment for TBI with very limited success and there is no medication that alters survival. Various novel therapeutic options have been investigated to prevent the secondary brain injury. Remote Ischemic Conditioning (RIC) is one of these therapies. RIC involves decreasing blood flow to a normal tissue usually the arm by inflating the blood pressure cuff 30mmHg over the systolic blood pressure. The decreased blood flow or ischemia is maintained for 5 minutes followed by releasing the pressure and re-perfusion of the arm. This cycle is usually repeated 4 times. RIC has been shown to improve outcomes in patients with heart attacks, strokes, elective neurosurgeries. A prospective observational study and a randomized clinical trial has shown the protective effect of RIC in TBI patients. Additionally, multiple studies in animals have shown that RIC is neuroprotective after TBI. RIC is non-invasive and harmless except for a little discomfort in the arm. The aim of the study is to evaluate the impact of RIC on long term outcomes in patients with TBI.

In this preliminary study, we will examine the safety, tolerability, and feasibility of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), in the setting of dosage escalation, as a candidate intervention for children with Acquired Brain Injury (ABI).

The purpose of this study is to improve behavior control displayed by persons with traumatic brain injury by assessing effectiveness of treatments for post-TBI irritability and aggression.

This is a human clinical study involving the isolation of autologous bone marrow derived stem cells (BMSC) and transfer to the vascular system and inferior 1/3 of the nasal passages in order to determine if such a treatment will provide improvement in neurologic function for patients with certain neurologic conditions. http://mdstemcells.com/nest/

People with disabilities experience a staggering incidence of secondary conditions that can result in death or negatively impact their health, participation in the community, and quality of life. Many of these chronic secondary conditions are preventable. The Institute for Healthcare Improvement has advocated for optimizing care through programs that simultaneously improve health and the patient experience of care, while reducing cost, called the "Triple Aim." Studies have shown that the Triple Aim can be achieved through programs that facilitate community integration; however the U.S. healthcare system lacks a paradigm of care for individuals with disabilities that promotes community integration. In order to identify potential models of healthcare delivery for individuals with disabilities that are effective in achieving the Triple Aim, we will conduct a rigorous research project to evaluate the impact of two different models of care on the Triple Aim: 1) a community-based care management program delivered by a non-profit organization through waiver funds, and 2) the Program for All-inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) applied to younger individuals with disabilities between ages 55-64.