[REVIEW] Photobiomodulation for Traumatic Brain Injury and Stroke – Abstract

Abstract

There is a notable lack of therapeutic alternatives for what is fast becoming a global epidemic of traumatic brain injury (TBI). Photobiomodulation (PBM) employs red or near-infrared (NIR) light (600–1100nm) to stimulate healing, protect tissue from dying, increase mitochondrial function, improve blood flow, and tissue oxygenation. PBM can also act to reduce swelling, increase antioxidants, decrease inflammation, protect against apoptosis, and modulate microglial activation state. All these mechanisms of action strongly suggest that PBM delivered to the head should be beneficial in cases of both acute and chronic TBI. Most reports have used NIR light either from lasers or from light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Many studies in small animal models of acute TBI have found positive effects on neurological function, learning and memory, and reduced inflammation and cell death in the brain. There is evidence that PBM can help the brain repair itself by stimulating neurogenesis, upregulating BDNF synthesis, and encouraging synaptogenesis. In healthy human volunteers (including students and healthy elderly women), PBM has been shown to increase regional cerebral blood flow, tissue oxygenation, and improve memory, mood, and cognitive function. Clinical studies have been conducted in patients suffering from the chronic effects of TBI. There have been reports showing improvement in executive function, working memory, and sleep. Functional magnetic resonance imaging has shown modulation of activation in intrinsic brain networks likely to be damaged in TBI (default mode network and salience network).

via Photobiomodulation for Traumatic Brain Injury and Stroke – Hamblin – 2017 – Journal of Neuroscience Research – Wiley Online Library

[ARTICLE] Pharmacotherapy of Traumatic Brain Injury: State of the Science and the Road Forward: Report of the Department of Defense Neurotrauma Pharmacology Workgroup – Full Text HTML

Abstract

Despite substantial investments by government, philanthropic, and commercial sources over the past several decades, traumatic brain injury (TBI) remains an unmet medical need and a major source of disability and mortality in both developed and developing societies.

The U.S. Department of Defense neurotrauma research portfolio contains more than 500 research projects funded at more than $700 million and is aimed at developing interventions that mitigate the effects of trauma to the nervous system and lead to improved quality of life outcomes. A key area of this portfolio focuses on the need for effective pharmacological approaches for treating patients with TBI and its associated symptoms. The Neurotrauma Pharmacology Workgroup was established by the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command (USAMRMC) with the overarching goal of providing a strategic research plan for developing pharmacological treatments that improve clinical outcomes after TBI.

To inform this plan, the Workgroup

1. assessed the current state of the science and ongoing research and
2. identified research gaps to inform future development of research priorities for the neurotrauma research portfolio.

The Workgroup identified the six most critical research priority areas in the field of pharmacological treatment for persons with TBI. The priority areas represent parallel efforts needed to advance clinical care; each requires independent effort and sufficient investment. These priority areas will help the USAMRMC and other funding agencies strategically guide their research portfolios to ensure the development of effective pharmacological approaches for treating patients with TBI.

Continue —>  Pharmacotherapy of Traumatic Brain Injury: State of the Science and the Road Forward: Report of the Department of Defense Neurotrauma Pharmacology Workgroup.