Articles: trauma.
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NeuroImage. Clinical · Jan 2012
ReviewNeuroimaging of structural pathology and connectomics in traumatic brain injury: Toward personalized outcome prediction.
Recent contributions to the body of knowledge on traumatic brain injury (TBI) favor the view that multimodal neuroimaging using structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI and fMRI, respectively) as well as diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) has excellent potential to identify novel biomarkers and predictors of TBI outcome. This is particularly the case when such methods are appropriately combined with volumetric/morphometric analysis of brain structures and with the exploration of TBI-related changes in brain network properties at the level of the connectome. ⋯ The themes being explored cover notable trends in this area of research, including (1) the role of advanced MRI processing methods in the analysis of structural pathology, (2) the use of brain connectomics and network analysis to identify outcome biomarkers, and (3) the application of multivariate statistics to predict outcome using neuroimaging metrics. The goal of the review is to draw the community's attention to these recent advances on TBI outcome prediction methods and to encourage the development of new methodologies whereby structural neuroimaging can be used to identify biomarkers of TBI outcome.
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Clin. Orthop. Relat. Res. · Mar 2011
ReviewSpinal cord injury: a systematic review of current treatment options.
Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a devastating event often resulting in permanent neurologic deficit. Research has revealed an understanding of mechanisms that occur after the primary injury and contribute to functional loss. By targeting these secondary mechanisms of injury, clinicians may be able to offer improved recovery after SCI. ⋯ As our understanding of the fundamental mechanisms of SCI improves, we must keep abreast of these discoveries to translate them into therapies that will hopefully benefit patients. We summarize this process of bench to bedside with regard to SCI.
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Crit Rev Biomed Eng · Jan 2011
ReviewBiomedical engineering strategies for peripheral nerve repair: surgical applications, state of the art, and future challenges.
Damage to the peripheral nervous system is surprisingly common and occurs primarily from trauma or a complication of surgery. Although recovery of nerve function occurs in many mild injuries, outcomes are often unsatisfactory following severe trauma. Nerve repair and regeneration presents unique clinical challenges and opportunities, and substantial contributions can be made through the informed application of biomedical engineering strategies. ⋯ In this fight for time, degeneration of the distal nerve support structure and target progresses, ultimately blunting complete functional recovery. Thus, the most pressing challenges in peripheral nerve repair include the development of tissue-engineered nerve grafts that match or exceed the performance of autografts, the ability to noninvasively assess nerve damage and track axonal regeneration, and approaches to maintain the efficacy of the distal pathway and targets during the regenerative process. Biomedical engineering strategies can address these issues to substantially contribute at both the basic and applied levels, improving surgical management and functional recovery following severe peripheral nerve injury.
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The neuropathic pain syndrome is complex. Current drugs to treat neuropathic pain, including anticonvulsivants and antidepressants, fail in up to 40-50% of the patients, while in the rest of them total alleviation is not normally achieved. Increased research advances in the neurobiology of neuropathic pain have not translated in more successful pharmacological treatments by the moment, but recent progress in the experimental methods available for this purpose could result in significant advances in the short term. ⋯ Following this strategy, neurotrophic factors such as nerve growth factor (NGF) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) have been postulated as potential pharmacological targets to treat neuropathic pain. In addition, during the last few years, strong scientific evidences point to novel neurotrophic factors, such as pleiotrophin (PTN), as important factors to limit neuropathic pain development because of their remodeling and angiogenic actions in the injured area. This review focuses on recent research advances identifying new pharmacological targets in the treatment of the cause, not only the symptoms, of neuropathic pain.