Journal of neurotrauma
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Journal of neurotrauma · Jan 2025
Randomized Controlled TrialAcupuncture Treatment for Chronic Post-traumatic Headache in Individuals with Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: A Pilot Study.
Chronic post-traumatic headache (CPTH) after a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) has been reported in up to 60% of patients and can be extremely debilitating. While pharmacological treatments are typically used for CPTH, they frequently cause side effects and have limited effectiveness, leading individuals with CPTH to be unsatisfied with current treatment options and to seek nonpharmacological options. Acupuncture has been identified as a potential treatment option; however, the evidence in this population remains limited. ⋯ There were no significant changes in acute medication use or sleep quality. While there were some QOL improvements identified, these results should be interpreted with caution. Overall, acupuncture was shown to be safe and well-tolerated in people with CPTH after mTBI, and five acupuncture treatments using a standardized protocol shows promise in providing headache relief for this population.
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Journal of neurotrauma · Jan 2025
ReviewBehavioral and Cognitive Consequences of Spreading Depolarizations: A Translational Scoping Review.
Spreading depolarizations (SDs) are self-propagating waves of mass depolarization that cause silencing of brain activity and have the potential to impact brain function and behavior. In the eight decades following their initial discovery in 1944, numerous publications have studied the cellular and molecular underpinning of SDs, but fewer have focused on the impact of SDs on behavior and cognition. ⋯ This study summarizes the known behavioral and cognitive consequences of SDs based on historical studies on awake animals, recent experimental paradigms, and modern clinical examples. This scoping review showcases our current understanding of the impact of SDs on cognition and behavior and highlights the need for continued research on the consequences of SDs.
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Journal of neurotrauma · Jan 2025
Exploring synaptic pathways in traumatic brain injury: a cross-phenotype genomics approach.
Traumatic brain injury (TBI), a global leading cause of mortality and disability, lacks effective treatments to enhance recovery. Synaptic remodeling has been postulated as one mechanism that influences outcomes after TBI. We sought to investigate whether common mechanisms affecting synapse maintenance are shared between TBI and other neuropsychiatric conditions using pathway enrichment tools and genome-wide genotype data, with the goal of highlighting novel treatment targets. ⋯ Three of those pathways were shared between TBI and SCZ, suggesting possible pathophysiologic commonalities. In this study, we utilize comparative and integrative genomic approaches across brain conditions that share synaptic mechanisms to explore the pathophysiology of TBI outcomes. Our results implicate associations between TBI outcome and synaptic pathways as well as pathobiological overlap with other neuropsychiatric diseases.
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Journal of neurotrauma · Jan 2025
Influence of pre-existing conditions and concussion history on post-concussion symptom severity and recovery time in collegiate athletes.
Mental health conditions and concussion history reported by a collegiate athlete may contribute to prolonged recovery and symptom severity after concussion. This work examined the potential associations among concussion history, preexisting conditions, and sex relative to initial symptom severity and recovery duration following sport-related concussion (SRC) in a cohort of Division 1 National Collegiate Athletic Association athletes. This prospective cohort study analyzed symptom severity, recovery, and return-to-play (RTP) times reported post-SRC using data collected as part of the Pac-12 Concussion Assessment, Research and Education Affiliated Program and Health Analytics Program. ⋯ Weekly recovery and RTP probabilities substantially differed between athletes who did or did not have learning disorders (LDs; hazard ratio [HR]Recovery = 0.32, HRRTP = 0.22, d = 1.96-2.30) and ADHD (HRRecovery = 3.38, HRRTP = 2.74, d = 1.71-4.14). Although no association existed between concussion history and acute symptom severity, collegiate athletes with a history of concussion had higher probabilities of reporting depression, mood disorders, anxiety, and ADHD. Having ADHD or LDs likely strongly affects time to recovery and RTP for collegiate athletes.