Active clinical trials for "Brain Injuries"

In this study researchers will apply transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) for 5 consecutive days in chronic patients in minimally conscious state (MCS).

The purpose of this study is to determine if clinic and home training with a study device will improve a balance deficit. The study device is called Portable Neuromodulation Stimulator (PoNS). The study device will be placed on the tongue to deliver nerve stimulation. The study is testing if use of the study device in conjunction with physical therapy will improve balance and gait in patients suffering from a TBI. The effects of using the device and undergoing therapy will be measured using standardized tests of movement control, gait, headache and other TBI symptoms.

Despite improvements in management, mortality in severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) remains 25% and only 40% of patients survive without major handicap. Medical/surgical interventions aim to maintain adequate brain perfusion, which is critically dependent on cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP); calculated as the difference between mean arterial pressure (MAP) and intracranial pressure (ICP). Current guidelines aim for a CPP above 50 mmHg, based on population means. However, this 'one size fits all' approach is flawed, because the relation between CPP and brain perfusion varies between individuals. Further, this approach takes no account of autoregulation, a key protective mechanism that maintains cerebral perfusion despite CPP fluctuations. Autoregulation is variably preserved following TBI, and there are large between patient variances in the 'optimal' CPP (CPPopt) at which autoregulation operates best. Individual CPPopt can be retrieved automatically by plotting autoregulation data against the CPP over a certain time window. The investigators have shown that maintenance of CPP close to CPPopt is associated with improved outcomes. These data pose the hypothesis that optimisation of management in individuals may be achieved by using the zone of optimal autoregulation as a basis for defining individualised CPP targets. The investigators propose, together with collaborators in the CPPopt study group (Maastricht, Cambridge, Leuven and Aachen) to set up a pilot (multicenter) feasibility study to develop a protocol for a definitive outcome randomized controlled trial (RCT). This study aims to develop protocols for CPPopt guided critical care, and show that they maintain patients closer to their optimum perfusion levels than standard protocols which keep above a population CPP threshold of 60 mmHg. Hence, the main objective is to offer clinicians monitoring and therapy algorithms that achieve individualized optimal CPPopt targets and potentially improve TBI outcome.

The use of aerobic exercise treatment in the chronic phase of concussion recovery is well-described in the literature but there are limited existing data on the effect of exercise treatment in the acute phase after sport-related concussion (SRC). This study will compare the outcomes of adolescents with a recent SRC who are randomized to sub-threshold aerobic exercise versus those randomized to placebo stretching to evaluate the effect of aerobic exercise in the acute recovery phase.

Background: Head injury is one of the top three diagnosis leading to intensive care unit (ICU) admission in Malaysia. There has been growing interest in using immunonutrition as a mode of modulating the inflammatory response to injury or infection with the aim of improving clinical outcome. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of an immunonutrition on biomarkers (IL-6, glutathione, CRP, total protein and albumin) in traumatic brain injury patients. Methods: Thirty six patients with head injury admitted to neurosurgical ICU in University Malaya Medical Centre were recruited for this study, over a 6-month period from July 2014 to January 2015. Patients were randomized to receive either an immunonutrition (Group A) or a standard (Group B) enteral feed. Levels of biomarkers were measured at day 1, 5 and 7 of enteral feeding. Results: Patients in Group A showed significant reduction of IL-6 at day 5 (p<0.001) with concurrent rise in glutathione levels (p= 0.049). Patients in Group A also demonstrated a significant increase of total protein level at the end of the study (day 7). Conclusion: These findings indicate the potential of immunonutrition reducing cytokines and increasing antioxidant indices in patients with TBI. However, further studies incorporating patient outcomes are needed to determine its overall clinical benefits.

Test the hypothesis that a certain set of osteopathic manipulation procedures preformed on patients with mild to moderate traumatic brain injury will result in accelerated rates of recovery assessed using vestibular function tests, quality of life questionnaires and measurements of the levels of anti-inflammatory metabolite and protein biomarkers in the blood and urine.

This study plans to learn more about the impact of enteral nutrition on bacteria in critically ill trauma patients with brain injury. Specifically, it seeks to understand the effect that a prebiotic containing enteral feeding formula (Nutraflora scFOS in Vital AF) has on the gut, oral, and skin bacteria. A prebiotic is a special form of dietary fiber that acts as a fertilizer for good bacteria. The prebiotic Nutraflora scFOS has been cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and is not considered investigational as used in this study. Enteral feeding is a way to give nutrition to critically ill people who are unable to eat.

A considerable number of patients with mild and moderate traumatic brain injury (TBI) experience long-lasting somatic, cognitive, and emotional symptoms that may hamper their capacity to return to work (RTW). Although several studies have described medical, psychological and work-related factors that predict RTW after TBI, well-controlled intervention studies regarding RTW in this group are scarce. Furthermore, there have traditionally been weak collaborations among rehabilitation services in the health sector, the Labor and Welfare Administration (NAV), and the work-places. The current project proposal describes an innovative randomized controlled trial (RCT) which will explore the effect of combined manualized cognitive rehabilitation efforts and supported employment in real-life competitive work settings for patients who have not returned to work 8 weeks post-injury. The project combines the rehabilitation and vocational science perspectives; it involves multidisciplinary collaboration, and explores the efficacy of increased cross-sectorial collaboration between specialized health care services and the welfare system. If the intervention proves efficient, the project will further describe the cost-effectiveness and utility of the program, and thereby provide important information of use for policy makers. In addition, the study aims at generating knowledge on the RTW-process both for the persons with TBI, and their workplaces, and to disseminate this knowledge in order to create new multidisciplinary and collaborative practices. The project has potential to generate knowledge of relevance for other patients with neurological deficit.

The goal of the project is to improve the care of Veterans with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and unhealthy alcohol use.

This study evaluates the efficacy of an infusion of Ronopterin (VAS203) on clinical outcome in patients with moderate and severe traumatic brain injury. Half of the participants will receive Ronopterin (VAS203), while the other half will receive placebo.