Genes can be Altered following a Traumatic Brain Injury
I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento Brain Injury Lawyer. Most people understand that traumatic brain injuries can leave people at risk for a number of complications, ranging from memory loss and PTSD to brain hemorrhages and paralysis. As more research is performed, scientists have found links between traumatic brain injuries and other enduring complications. One such complication is damage to key genes in the neurological tissue.
Targeting Psychiatric and Neurological Disorders
While there are numerous complications and symptoms of a traumatic brain injury, research produced by UCLA has hypothesized a link between certain genes and the development of neurologic and psychiatric conditions. Although it has been known for a long time that various types of traumatic brain injuries may increase the risk for Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, many people did not know why. This would be the first time that a link between traumatic brain injuries and the genes controlling these diseases has been hypothesized. Furthermore, the research takes this a step further. Researchers believe that head and brain injuries could damage these genes, providing a link between the injury and the development of these conditions.
The Study Took Place in a Maze
To study the effects of traumatic brain injuries on genes, the researchers trained mice to make their way through a maze. After this, the researchers used a significant amount of fluid to cause a concussion-like injury in half of the mice. Once the mice had been injured, they took significantly longer to escape from the maze. The researchers extracted RNA from the brain of the mice and analyzed it for gene damage. They found a significant amount of damage in hundreds of the genes, about 25 percent of them. This data supports a link between brain injuries and damage to genes in the tissue.
Irregular Protein Forms
With the numerous comorbidities that develop following brain injuries, information on the mechanisms of these complications is important to physicians everywhere. The researchers believe that the damage to these genes causes them to produce their proteins in an irregular shape. Proteins must be manufactured in the proper way in order to function correctly. A misfolded protein not only fails to perform its function but can also get in the way of other proteins in the body. Damage to the genes could also cause the body to produce an incorrect number of proteins. Producing too many or too few proteins can inhibit the brain from performing vital functions, leading to the development of neurological disease. If a gene produces an improper type of protein, Alzheimer’s can result. Post-mortem research performed on patients diagnosed with dementia supports this idea of a misfolded protein leading to neurological disease.
Sacramento Brain Injury Lawyer, Ed Smith
Contact a Sacramento Brain Injury Lawyer
I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento Brain Injury Lawyer. Damage to a patient’s genetic material can greatly increase the risk for a large number of diseases. Anyone who has suffered a traumatic brain injury due to the negligence of someone else should call me at (916) 921-6400 for friendly, free advice. Patients who are reaching out to my office from outside of the Sacramento area may use my toll-free number, available at (800) 404-5400.
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Image Attribution: From the public domain of Wikimedia Commons, with permission from Jens Maus
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