"We're starting to believe that the term 'mild traumatic brain injury' is an oxymoron,..."

Spartacus
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2/5/2016 7:58pm Edited Date/Time 2/6/2016 6:12am
More bad news about banging your head.

Nuroscientist news.
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2/5/2016 8:55pm
Yep. I am a neuroscientist.

The protein they look at isn't the only one. There's also tau, S100b, and a whole bunch of other proteins present in neurons. Basically, it looks like the cells die and just release their stuff into the blood. A few years ago, most of us would have said this would never work because the blood-brain barrier, a special filter for your blood between your body and brain, would have stopped the stuff from spilling over. But apparently we're wrong, or the blood-brain barrier is also compromised during these hits.

The big question now will be how predictive these proteins in blood are to actual brain damage. And how sensitive they are. It might be that they are there after a huge blow but aren't detectable when you have a bad-but-not-terrible hit.

What is a "mild trauma" anyway?
seth505
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2/5/2016 9:15pm
What is 4thgearpinned's assessment on this!?
Ardfarkl
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2/5/2016 9:27pm
mild traumatic is like jumbo shrimp
JeepnMike
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2/5/2016 9:51pm
Yep. I am a neuroscientist. The protein they look at isn't the only one. There's also tau, S100b, and a whole bunch of other proteins present...
Yep. I am a neuroscientist.

The protein they look at isn't the only one. There's also tau, S100b, and a whole bunch of other proteins present in neurons. Basically, it looks like the cells die and just release their stuff into the blood. A few years ago, most of us would have said this would never work because the blood-brain barrier, a special filter for your blood between your body and brain, would have stopped the stuff from spilling over. But apparently we're wrong, or the blood-brain barrier is also compromised during these hits.

The big question now will be how predictive these proteins in blood are to actual brain damage. And how sensitive they are. It might be that they are there after a huge blow but aren't detectable when you have a bad-but-not-terrible hit.

What is a "mild trauma" anyway?
I am a Guillain-Barre patient / survivor. My attack was neck down, full paralysis, 15 years ago (no relapse yet, thank god). I am somewhat fully recovered, but definitely the scariest thing I have ever had to deal with staring at death square in the eye, paralyzed. I also had a heart attack when an intern tried to stress test me in the middle of a plasmapheresis treatment. I know that has nothing to do with this thread, but considering your profession, I thought you may appreciate that given the rarity of the syndrome.

Thanks for sharing the info above, it adds a ton of credibility to your input.

The Shop

2/5/2016 10:30pm
I am sorry to hear that you had to deal with that but it sounds like you've kept a great attitude. It's been scary for me to read about the Zika virus outbreak since there have been spikes of Guillain-Barre surrounding the infections but it's not clear why yet. Thanks for the props!

My main focus is on Parkinson's disease but, as a major fan of moto and MX rider, I have kept a close eye on the concussion story. And paralysis for that matter. My lab has made (and helps others make) motor neurons from stem cells. I hope we get to the point that we can treat people that don't recover from paralysis but it's tough work. I guess if it were easy it'd already be done. I just hope people know that we work our balls off to try to help, but rebuilding a broken nervous system ain't easy.
jeffro503
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2/5/2016 11:47pm
I am sorry to hear that you had to deal with that but it sounds like you've kept a great attitude. It's been scary for me...
I am sorry to hear that you had to deal with that but it sounds like you've kept a great attitude. It's been scary for me to read about the Zika virus outbreak since there have been spikes of Guillain-Barre surrounding the infections but it's not clear why yet. Thanks for the props!

My main focus is on Parkinson's disease but, as a major fan of moto and MX rider, I have kept a close eye on the concussion story. And paralysis for that matter. My lab has made (and helps others make) motor neurons from stem cells. I hope we get to the point that we can treat people that don't recover from paralysis but it's tough work. I guess if it were easy it'd already be done. I just hope people know that we work our balls off to try to help, but rebuilding a broken nervous system ain't easy.
Damn bro....I'm freakin proud to have you here! I had no idea that you were into that profession.

@Mike....Glad to hear you got healthy again. That sounds like a scary thing to happen. I'm still not clear on exactly what a " Guillain-Barre " even is , but it sounds scary as hell.
10000hrs
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2/6/2016 2:44am
Uhm, dont you mean oxymoran?
Crush
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2/6/2016 2:58am
10000hrs wrote:
Uhm, dont you mean oxymoran?
Very well played indeed.
sende
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2/6/2016 3:30am
seth505 wrote:
What is 4thgearpinned's assessment on this!?
Laughing
Highsider
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2/6/2016 5:59am
Impressive thread.
2/6/2016 6:12am
Thanks, Jeffro! There aren't too many lab nerds into moto. It bums me out...

Oxymoran is epic!

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