Massive Study on Brain Injury Underway
I’m Ed Smith, an Elk Grove Brain Injury Lawyer. Anyone who has suffered or knows someone who has suffered a traumatic brain injury understands the long-term comorbidities, including chronic pain, that this injury can cause. Recently, the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke awarded a large financial grant to a massive study. This study will examine the long-term effects of brain bleeds in patients.
Why Brain Bleeds?
Following an accident with traumatic injuries, such as motorcycle accidents, it is possible that a patient could suffer skull fractures that lead to brain bleeds. These bleeds are typically diagnosed using a CT scan and can occur in different areas of the body; however, the location of the brain bleed matters. During the initial management, so much focus is on stopping the bleeding and preventing brain herniation that few medical studies have been performed that chart the location of these brain bleeds. This leads to similar management of patients across the board regardless of the location of their brain bleed.
Location May Matter
In addition, the methodology of this study is to analyze and examine the outcomes of patients over a five-year period. For example, the study will use brain imaging to chart the location of the brain bleed. The study is going to analyze their diagnosis of brain injuries and treatment methods and will chart the patient’s prognosis and quality of life. Researchers will use sophisticated and novel neuroimaging techniques that may be employed in mainstream neuroimaging in the future. The hope is that the study will identify trends in the location of various brain bleeds and the outcome of patients with symptoms of a traumatic brain injury. If a trend is identified, new treatment protocols can be developed based on the location of the brain bleed diagnosed on the brain scan. Some brain bleeds are more serious than others.
Future Directions
Lastly, a significant amount of healthcare expenditure is used on brain injury patients. While this is necessary, some patients may have brain bleeds in relatively benign locations. Once the bleeding has been stopped, these patients could be kept in the hospital unnecessarily. With the results of this study and the novel application of imaging and treatment techniques, these patients could be sent home. Furthermore, they might even be monitored remotely given new medical technology with respect to head and brain injuries. While this study is going to take five years to be completed, the results could be revolutionary. Ultimately, the study is hoping to personalize the treatment of brain injury to each individual patient. Finally, this represents a break from the one size fits all approach of the past.
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Contact an Experienced Brain Injury Lawyer
I’m Ed Smith, an Elk Grove Brain Injury Lawyer. Brain injury is one of the most significant causes of morbidity and mortality across the world. If you or a loved one has suffered a traumatic brain injury, please call me at (916) 694-0002 for friendly, free advice. Patients who are contacting me from outside of the local area are free to use my toll-free number at (800) 404-5400.
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