Articles: brain-injuries.
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Delayed injury following trauma to the central nervous system (CNS) may be due to the release or activation of endogenous factors. Endogenous opioid peptides have been proposed as one such class of injury factors, based on pharmacological studies demonstrating a therapeutic effect of naloxone and other opiate receptor antagonists following CNS injury. However, changes in brain opioid concentrations following injury have not been evaluated. ⋯ In the anterior pituitary, a significant increase in ir-End and a significant decrease in ir-Dyn was observed at 2 h following both levels of injury. Pathological damage to brain tissue after injury was most pronounced in those regions showing significant increases in ir-Dyn but not other opioids. In the medulla, the increase in ir-Dyn but not ir-End or ir-Enk was also significantly correlated with a fall in systemic mean arterial pressure (MAP) at 2 h following high- but not low-level injury.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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Historical Article
Commentary on the significance for modern neurology of the 17th century B.C. Surgical Papyrus.
A 17th century B. C. Surgical Papyrus known as "The Edwin Smith Papyrus" was published in facsimile and hieroglyphic transliteration with translation and commentary by James Henry Breasted in 1930. ⋯ C. It is of importance to the history of Neurology as it contains the earliest mention in oriental literature of (a) the brain and meninges (b) calvarial and cervical vertebral injuries in details of pathology, symptomatology, treatment and prognosis and (c) functional localization in the brain and spine. Most importantly, Papyrus Smith is a statement of the medical ethic of its time.
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Although endogenous opioids have been implicated in the pathophysiology of spinal cord injury and brain ischemia, the role of specific opioid peptides and opiate receptors in the pathophysiology of traumatic brain injury remains unexplored. This study examined regional changes in brain opioid immunoreactivity and cerebral blood flow (CBF) after fluid-percussion brain injury in the cat and compared the effect of an opiate antagonist (Win 44,441-3 [Win-(-)]) with its dextroisomer Win 44,441-2 [Win-(+)] (which is inactive at opiate receptors) in the treatment of brain injury. ⋯ Win-(-) also significantly improved survival after brain injury. Taken together, these findings suggest that dynorphin, through actions at opiate receptors, may contribute to the pathophysiology of secondary brain injury after head trauma and indicate that selective opiate-receptor antagonists may be useful in treatment of traumatic brain injury.
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Posttraumatic headache is a general term for pain localized in the head or neck, occurring after head trauma and of varied aetiology and pathogenesis. In many cases one only finds a time-dependent relation to trauma, but no causal one. There is no uniform, typical "posttraumatic headache". ⋯ A reciprocal influence exists between these functionally disturbed structures and a relation to psychogenic factors, which are essential co-factors. Usually it is difficult to decide whether posttraumatic headaches are exclusively caused by organic or psychogenic factors. Probably both factors are involved to an individually different degree.