Active clinical trials for "Brain Injuries"

Peripheral nerve stimulation for the treatment of sequelae due to traumatic brain injury. This study will specifically examine patients with mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) who have persistent cognitive impairments lasting one year or longer. Neuropsychological testing will occur to confirm the diagnosis.

The TOPHR HIT trial is a clinical trial of patients experiencing blunt trauma who present with an injury to their head which makes them unconscios. The study compares two different fluids given to the patient in the out of hospital setting by a paramedic. The two fluids are salt water (standard treatment) versus a higher concentration of salt water mixed with a sugar (study fluid). The patients have an equal chance of receiving either fluid and the paramedic and the patient and the treating trauma surgeon do not know which fluid was provided in the out of hospital setting.

The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the preliminary effectiveness and acceptability of an innovative in-home nonpharmacological intervention, the Veterans' In-home Program (VIP), for Veterans with mild to moderate traumatic brain injury (TBI) and their families. VIP is designed to promote community reintegration, improve quality of life, and support functioning by realigning environmental demands to match the Veteran's abilities.

To determine the effect of re-activation of brain glucose metabolism induced by dichloroacetate (DCA) on cognitive function and counterregulatory hormone responses in patients with type 1 diabetes (T1DM) with recurrent hypoglycemia.

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is a prevalent disorder developed by military personnel. While some individuals recover function within months after injury, others continue to suffer from cognitive problems months to years later and may not become evident immediately, particularly for the recently transitioned veteran. Chronic TBI cases may include persistent difficulties in cognition that negatively impact employment and personal relationships. The investigators will test and evaluate software-based interventions aimed at improving cognition in veterans experiencing everyday life cognitive deficits due to TBI. The interventions will be administered on a computer using a tele-health approach. Two conditions will be compared, an active condition challenging memory, inhibitory control and planning, and a context-matched control condition that is lower on these challenge levels.

Low mood and depression are common following acquired brain injury (ABI). There is a lack evidence on effective treatments in ABI. Behavioural Activation (BA) is a potentially valuable option. People with low mood can have problems imagining, planning and engaging in positive activities, or avoid activities due to fear of negative consequences. This can reduce positive reinforcement, further lowering mood. BA aims to reverse this cycle by encouraging individuals to engage in enjoyable activities. Despite its simplicity, it has been as effective as "talking therapies" and mood medication in non-ABI populations. Its simplicity may be particularly helpful in ABI where cognitive problems can form additional barriers to activity engagement. This study will examine two ways to increase activity levels and improve mood. The first (Activity Engagement Group) is a social group run once a week for 8 weeks in which ABI participants will be encouraged to engage in games, crafts and discussion. The aim is that members gain direct positive reinforcement and may challenge fears such that activity levels could be maintained and mood enhanced after the group ends. The second approach (Activity Planning Group), again an 8-week group, is to help participants identify, plan and schedule positive activities. The group will include discussion on identifying and overcoming problems in planning activities. Again, the hope is that training skills in planning and scheduling will generalise beyond the group. The primary purpose is to examine the practicality, feasibility, and acceptability of the two approaches in ABI. A secondary purpose is to evaluate whether either group leads to improvements in activity levels and mood compared to a waitlist group. Individuals will be randomised to the Activity Engagement, Activity Planning Group or the 8-week Waitlist group. All will complete measures of activity levels and mood. At the end of the groups, these measures will be repeated. Waitlist participants will then be re-randomised to either the Activity Engagement Group or the Activity Planning Group. Recruitment rates, drop out rates, and exit interviews will be used to assess feasibility and how meaningful or valuable participants found the groups. Comparison of measures will provide some indication of whether the groups are associated with improvements compared to those waitlisted. To establish whether any benefits last, all participants will repeat the measures 1 month after the groups end.

Patients with severe brain injuries, such as ischemic stroke and intracranial hemorrhage, frequently require mechanical ventilation. Weaning of stroke patients is complicated by impaired consciousness and respiratory drive. Higher rates of weaning failure and delayed extubation (≥ 48h) lead to ventilator associated pneumonia, higher mortality and necessity of tracheostomy. Therefore, improving the weaning of stroke patients from mechanical ventilation is warranted to prevent ventilator-associated complications and eventually improve clinical outcomes. This single-center, randomized, clinical trial aims at demonstrating that voices of patients' relatives support weaning from mechanical ventilation and reduce weaning failure in brain-injured patients.

This long-term goal of this project was to advance best practices in occupational therapy in conjunction with yoga. To address the long-term goal, this research team developed a pilot yoga intervention. The intervention was designed to focus on balance, balance confidence, body responsiveness, pain, physical ability and quality of life. Assessments were then chosen to address these areas pre and post yoga intervention. A manual and protocol were developed for the intervention and then the intervention was implemented with a group of individuals with chronic traumatic brain injury.

The purpose of this study is to assess the effects on upper limb spasticity of soft splints worn during three weeks three hours a day by patients with stroke or disorders of consciousness.

At least 1 in 5 people who sustain a concussion will have persistent symptoms and difficulties with daily activities. The researchers have identified two unhelpful coping styles following a concussion - avoidance and endurance. Individuals who engage in avoidance behavior may benefit from a different type of treatment than those who engage in endurance behavior. The researchers will evaluate whether assigning individuals to a specific psychologically-informed treatment tailored to their coping style is practical, acceptable, and beneficial for their recovery.