626 results about "Injury brain" patented technology

The invention discloses a family of peptides termed NRP compounds or NRPs that can promote neuronal migration, neurite outgrowth, neuronal proliferation, neural differentiation and / or neuronal survival, and provides compositions and methods for the use of NRPs in the treatment of brain injury and neurodegenerative disease. NRP compounds can induce neurons and neuroblasts to proliferate and migrate into areas of damage caused by acute brain injury or chronic neurodegenerative disease, such as exposure to toxins, stroke, trauma, nervous system infections, demyelinating diseases, dementias, and metabolic disorders. NRP compounds may be administered directly to a subject or to a subject's cells by a variety of means including orally, intraperitoneally, intravascularly, and directly into the nervous system of a patient. NRP compounds can be formulated into pharmaceutically acceptable dose forms for therapeutic use. Methods for detecting neural regeneration, neural proliferation, neural differentiation, neurite outgrowth and neural survival can be used to develop other neurally active agents.

A method and apparatus for construction of a protective head covering (helmet) to be worn by individuals engaged in activity that may, without the apparatus, cause concussive brain injury. The helmet, which is comparable in weight and envelope to conventional helmets, can be constructed from commercially available materials. The design features a dual shell concept where outer shell deflection under load triggers the primary attenuation mechanism. A second more rigid inner shell defines a space where one or more compartmentalized sealed elastomer energy absorbing cells are located. These cells contain either a gas or liquid agent designed to adaptively convert potentially injurious normal impact force energy to energy that is channeled between the shells and therefore harmless to the wearer. A portion of this converted energy will be stored and then utilized to automatically re-set the apparatus for the next impact event.

Brain-Machine Interface (BMI) systems or movement-assist systems may be utilized to aid users with paraplegia or tetraplegia in ambulation or other movement or in rehabilitation of motor function after brain injury or neurological disease, such as stroke, Parkinson's disease or cerebral palsy. The BMI may translate one or more neural signals into a movement type, a discrete movement or gesture or a series of movements, performed by an actuator. System and methods of decoding a locomotion-impaired and / or an upper-arm impaired subject's intent with the BMI may utilize non-invasive methods to provide the subject the ability to make the desired motion using an actuator or command a virtual avatar.

The present invention relates to devices and methods of use thereof for detection of biomolecules, in vitro, in vivo, or in situ. The invention relates to methods of diagnosing and / or treating a subject as having or being at risk of developing a disease or condition that is associated with abnormal levels of one or more biomolecules including, but not limited to, inter alia, epilepsy, diseases of the basal ganglia, athetoid, dystonic diseases, neoplasms, Parkinson's disease, brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, and cancer. The invention also provides methods of differentiating white matter from gray matter. In some embodiments, regions of the brain to be resected or targeted for pharmaceutical therapy are identified using sensors. The invention further provides methods of measuring the neurotoxicity of a material by comparing microvoltammograms of a neural tissue in the presence and absence of the material using the inventive sensors.

The subject invention is directed to new and useful neurostimulation systems that include an implantable pulse generator dimensioned and configured for implantation in the skull of a patient. The implantable pulse generator has an electrode operatively associated with a distal end portion thereof and can be provided with adjustment means, such as an adjustable biasing member or spring arranged between the electrode to the distal end portion of the pulse generator. The subject invention is also directed to systems involving networked neurostimulators that are configured and adapted to work jointly in accordance with prescribed treatment protocol to effect a desired recovery from brain injury. Such networked neurostimulation systems are particularly advantageous for effecting relatively large and / or relatively distant regions of the brain. The subject invention is further directed to systems and methods for motor-evoked potential (MEP)-based neuromodulation. Further, AC and / or DC stimulation can be utilized, depending on the precise implementation.

The invention relates to a levo-oxiracetam slow-release tablet mainly prepared from levo-oxiracetam, which is prepared from the following raw and auxiliary materials in parts by weight: 0.8-1.2 parts of slow-release framework material, 0.06-0.12 part of flow aid, 0.02-0.05 part of lubricant, 0.02-0.05 part of antisticking agent and 1-1.5 parts of adhesive. The levo-oxiracetam slow-release tablet is used for treating brain injury, and neural afunction and disturbance of memory and intelligence caused by brain injury, and has a smooth surface; the detection proves that the release behavior of the main drug levo-oxiracetam satisfies the requirements for the slow-release tablet; and the main drug levo-oxiracetam is slowly released, so the levo-oxiracetam slow-release tablet can be taken less frequently than the traditional preparation. The main drug levo-oxiracetam in the levo-oxiracetam slow-release tablet is slowly released, and can provide steady and enduring effective blood concentration, thereby avoiding or reducing the phenomena of peaks and troughs of blood concentration, and being beneficial to enhancing the medicine application safety and reducing the untoward reaction of the medicine.

Methods of enabling locomotor control, postural control, voluntary control of body movements (e.g., in non-weight bearing conditions), and / or autonomic functions in a human subject having spinal cord injury, brain injury, or neurological neuromotor disease. In certain embodiments, the methods involve stimulating the spinal cord of the subject using an epidurally placed electrode array, subjecting the subject to physical training thereby generating proprioceptive and / or supraspinal signals, and optionally administering pharmacological agents to the subject. The combination of stimulation, physical training, and optional pharmacological agents modulate in real time electrophysiological properties of spinal circuits in the subject so they are activated by supraspinal information and / or proprioceptive information derived from the region of the subject where locomotor activity is to be facilitated.

A system for reducing the damaging effects of radiant energy, blast, or concussive events includes applying pressure to at least one jugular vein to reduce the egress of blood from the cranial cavity during or before the incidence of the imparting event. Reducing blood outflow from the cranial cavity increases intracranial volume and / or pressure of the cerebrospinal fluid to reduce the risk of traumatic brain injury and injuries to the spinal column. Reducing blood outflow further increases the intracranial pressure and volume, and thereby increases the pressure and volume of the cochlear fluid, the vitreous humor and the cerebrospinal fluid to thereby reduce the risk of injury to the inner ear, internal structure of the eye and of the spinal column. In addition, increasing intracranial pressure and volume reduces the likelihood of brain injury and any associated loss of olfactory function

Apparatuses and methods for the cooling of the cranial and extracranial portions of a patient in need thereof. The apparatuses and methods of the present invention preferably employ a head cooling apparatus which includes a watertight shroud for the head and which needs no refrigeration. In certain preferred embodiments, the apparatuses of the present invention are collapsible and possess a reduced profile. In some presently preferred embodiments, the present invention includes a hammock that supports the head. In some embodiments, the present invention includes a shroud that lies behind the head with optional portions that may be drawn over the patient's neck and cranial area. The apparatuses and methods of the present invention also provide an improved mechanism for cooling the cranial and extracranial areas through the use of a novel distribution of endothermic solids (e.g. ammonium nitrate). The present invention provides a novel distribution of ammonium nitrate pellets that preferably includes multiple populations solid ammonium nitrate, preferably including small diameter (e.g., powdered) and larger diameter (e.g., 7 millimeter) ammonium nitrate to allow water initially to be cooled very quickly, thereby facilitating the rapid cooling of the cranial and extracranial areas, while at the same time producing extended hypothermia.

Disclosed is a method for improving cognitive function or for improving coordination of function across a patient's cortical regions. The method includes applying electrical stimulation to at least a portion of the patient's subcortical structures involved in the generation and control of generalized efference copy signals. Internally generated movement of the patient is then detected and, in response to such internally generated movement, application of electrical stimulation is controlled. The method of the present invention has a number of benefits, including increasing flexibility in identifying targets for stimulation, improving the probability of successfully treating brain injury, and permitting patient biofeedback and self-regulation.

An intelligent brain rescue instrument for identifying, monitoring, and guiding the application of brain therapies to patients with evolving brain injuries, includes an input for acquiring a multiple number of signals each indicative of a different biochemical or biophysical parameter of a patient, a computer to continuously sample each of the acquired signals and display to a user on a monitor at least some of the parameters, the displayed parameters being selected by system software embodying expert analytical rules as the most significant parameters, or as parameters having values indicative, or predictive at any time of actual, or potential future deterioration of the brain state of the patient.

Topical cooling of spinal cord, brain, esophagus, etc. can be selectively and continuously carried out under convenient control without causing any changes in internal pressure of spinal cord cavity, brain pressure, etc. by inserting a catheter, which has no hole connecting to the outside and in which a heat-cooling medium is circulated in its inner space to thereby cool a topical site; into the spinal cord, the epidural cavity, the subdural cavity or the subarachnoid cavity of the brain or the esophageal cavity and placing therein and then circulating the heat / cooling medium within the inner space of the catheter; or using a device composed of a heat absorption member in the form of a catheter, a heat insulation member and a heat radiation member, inserting the heat absorption member in the form of a catheter into the spinal cord, the epidural cavity, the subdural cavity or the subarachnoid cavity of the brain or the esophageal cavity and placing therein and then absorbing heat from the heat absorption member and radiating the heat from the heat radiation member via the heat insulation member, thereby contributing to the treatment of spinal diseases including prevention of paraplegia accompanying thoracic aortic aneurysm surgery and the treatment of brain injury, esophageal injury and so on.

An intelligent brain rescue instrument for identifying, monitoring, and guiding the application of brain therapies to patients with evolving brain injuries, comprises input means (101-103) for acquiring a multiple number of signals each indicative of a different biochemical or biophysical parameter of a patient, computing means (104-107) to continuously sample each of the acquired signals and display to a user on a monitor (109) at least some of the parameters, the displayed parameters being selected by system software embodying expert analytical rules as the most significant parameters, or as parameters having values indicative, or predictive at any time of actual, or potential future deterioration of the brain state of the patient.

The invention relates to methods of obtaining an expanded population of mammalian ex vivo cells and / or for treating a mammalian subject by (a) administering to a subject an effective amount of an agent that confers a growth disadvantage to at least a subset of endogenous cells at the site of engraftment; (b) administering to the subject an effective amount of a mitogenic stimulus for the ex vivo cells; and (c) administering the ex vivo cells to the subject, wherein the ex vivo cells engraft at the site and proliferate to a greater extent than the subset of endogenous cells, to repopulate at least a portion of the engraftment site with the ex vivo cells. The repopulated cells can be harvested for further use or be left at the engraftment site of a subject to be treated. The invention also provides methods of treating brain injury in a subject by engrafting ex vivo cells at the site of injury.

Processes and materials are provided for the detection, diagnosis, or determination of the severity of a neurological injury or condition, including traumatic brain injury, multiple-organ injury, stroke, Alzeimer's disease, Pakinson disease and Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE). The processes and materials include biomarkers detected or measured in a biological sample such as whole blood, serum, plasma, or CSF. Such biomarkers include Tau and GFAP proteins, their proteolytic breakdown products, brain specific or enriched micro-RNA, and brain specific or enriched protein directed autoantibodies. The processes and materials are operable to detect the presence of absence of acute, subacute or chronic brain injuries and predict outcome for the brain injury.

The invention discloses a family of peptides termed NRP compounds or NRPs that can promote neuronal migration, neurite outgrowth, neuronal proliferation, neural differentiation and / or neuronal survival, and provides compositions and methods for the use of NRPs in the treatment of brain injury and neurodegenerative disease. NRP compounds can induce neurons and neuroblasts to proliferate and migrate into areas of damage caused by acute brain injury or chronic neurodegenerative disease, such as exposure to toxins, stroke, trauma, nervous system infections, demyelinating diseases, dementias, and metabolic disorders. NRP compounds may be administered directly to a subject or to a subject's cells by a variety of means including orally, intraperitoneally, intravascularly, and directly into the nervous system of a patient. NRP compounds can be formulated into pharmaceutically acceptable dose forms for therapeutic use. Methods for detecting neural regeneration, neural proliferation, neural differentiation, neurite outgrowth and neural survival can be used to develop other neurally active agents.

The present invention relates to devices and methods of use thereof for making semiderivative voltammetric and chronoamperometric measurements of chemicals, e.g. neurotransmitters, precursors, and metabolites, in vitro, in vivo, or in situ. The invention relates to methods of diagnosing and / or treating a subject as having or being at risk of developing a disease or condition that is associated with abnormal levels of one or more neurotransmitters including, inter alia, epilepsy, diseases of the basal ganglia, athetoid, dystonic diseases, neoplasms, Parkinson's disease, brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, and cancer. The invention provides methods of differentiating white matter from grey matter using microvoltammetry. In some embodiments, regions of the brain to be resected or targeted for pharmaceutical therapy are identified using Broderick probes. The invention further provides methods of measuring the neurotoxicity of a material by comparing Broderick probe microvoltammograms of a neural tissue in the presence and absence of the material.

The present invention provides an electrode designed for implantation into the central nervous system (CNS) of a mammal, wherein said electrode is substantially coated with interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra) or a coating composition comprising it, and the IL-1ra actively inhibits scarring on or around the surface of the electrode when implanted into the CNS. The electrode of the invention may be used for brain recording and / or stimulation, and can thus be used for treatment of a brain dysfunction, a brain disease or disorder, or a brain injury, as well as for brain computer interface, brain machine interface, or electrotherapy.

Formulations and methods of use thereof for restoring neuronal, muscular (cardiac and striated) and / or retinal tissue function in children and adults afflicted with chronic neurodegenerative diseases, such as neurodegenerative movement disorders and ataxias, seizure disorders, motor neuron diseases, and inflammatory demyelinating disorders, are described herein. Examples of disorders include Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The method involves administering a pharmaceutical composition containing an effective amount of a tetrahydrobenzathiazole, preferably a formulation consisting substantially of the R(+) enantiomer of pramipexole. R(+) pramipexole is generally administered in doses ranging from 0.1-300 mg / kg / daily, preferably 0.5-50 mg / kg / daily, and most preferably 1-10 mg / kg / daily for oral administration. Daily total doses administered orally are typically between 10 mg and 500 mg. Alternatively, R(+) pramipexole can be administered parenterally to humans with acute brain injury in single doses between 10 mg and 100 mg and / or by continuous intravenous infusions between 10 mg / day and 500 mg / day.

A non-invasive method for measuring intracranial pressure (ICP) is provided. A numerical model such as finite element model is developed in order to calculate the ICP, strain or stress for patients who suffers from hematoma, edema or tumor. The method can further provide local maximum principle strain that can provide information about possible subsequent brain injury, such as diffuse axonal injury, in sensitive region of the brain. Based on computer tomography or magnetic resonance images an individual diagnosis and treatment plan can be formed for each patient.

The invention discloses a micro-molecule polypeptide TAT-p53DM and an application thereof to preparing a medicine for treating or preventing ischemic stroke. A fusion protein polypeptide TAT-p53DM of a TAT protein transduction domain and p53DM is artificially synthesized; TAT carries p53DM protein polypeptide to pass through a blood brain barrier through blood so as to be taken by nerve cells; used in an in-vitro and in-vivo ischemic stroke model, the micro-molecule polypeptide TAT-p53DM is capable of effectively playing a biological role in blocking binding between death domain of death associated protein kinase 1 (DAPK1DD) and tumor suppression protein p53DNA binding motifs (p53DM), inhibiting signals capable of causing neuronal apoptosis and necrosis at DAPK1 downstream, and reducing ischemic stroke brain injury; moreover, molecular targets are provided for further developing medicines for clinically treating ischemic stroke.

A method and device for reducing the damaging effects of radiant energy, blast, or concussive events includes applying pressure to at least one jugular vein to reduce the egress of blood from the cranial cavity during or before the incidence of the imparting event. Reducing blood outflow from the cranial cavity increases intracranial volume and / or pressure of the cerebrospinal fluid to reduce the risk of traumatic brain injury and injuries to the spinal column. Reducing blood outflow further increases the intracranial pressure and volume, and thereby increases the pressure and volume of the cochlear fluid, the vitreous humor and the cerebrospinal fluid to thereby reduce the risk of injury to the inner ear, internal structure of the eye and of the spinal column. In addition, increasing intracranial pressure and volume reduces the likelihood of brain injury and any associated loss of olfactory function

A method and device for reducing the damaging effects of radiant energy, blast, or concussive events includes applying pressure to at least one jugular vein to reduce the egress of blood from the cranial cavity during or before the incidence of the imparting event. Reducing blood outflow from the cranial cavity increases intracranial volume and / or pressure of the cerebrospinal fluid to reduce the risk of traumatic brain injury and injuries to the spinal column. Reducing blood outflow further increases the intracranial pressure and volume, and thereby increases the pressure and volume of the cochlear fluid, the vitreous humor and the cerebrospinal fluid to thereby reduce the risk of injury to the inner ear, internal structure of the eye and of the spinal column. In addition, increasing intracranial pressure and volume reduces the likelihood of brain injury and any associated loss of olfactory function

A method for treating or preventing an ischemic brain injury or neurological damage due to ischemia in a subject includes transplanting a therapeutically effective amount of human umbilical mesenchymal stem cells (HUMSCs) obtained from Wharton's Jelly to the ischemic areas of the brain injury or the neurological damage of the subject. Recovery from neurological behavior deficits also is improved according by the method.

Formulations and methods of use thereof for restoring neuronal tissue function in children and adults afflicted with chronic neurodegenerative diseases, such as neurodegenerative movement disorders and ataxias, seizure disorders, motor neuron diseases, and inflammatory demyelinating disorders. Examples of disorders include Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The method involves administering a pharmaceutical composition containing an effective amount of a tetrahydrobenzathiazole, preferably a formulation consisting substantially of the R(+) enantiomer of pramipexole. R(+) pramipexole is generally administered in doses ranging from 0.1-300 mg / kg / daily, preferably 0.5-50 mg / kg / daily, and most preferably 1-10 mg / kg / daily for oral administration. Daily total doses administered orally are typically between 10 mg and 500 mg. Alternatively, R(+) pramipexole can be administered parenterally to humans with acute brain injury in single doses between 10 mg and 100 mg, and / or by continuous intravenous infusions between 10 mg / day and 500 mg / day.

Embodiments include an inflatable blast-induced brain injury prevention device for living beings such as soldiers. The device may include one or more inflatable chambers that cooperate to form a substantially toroidal cervical collar configured to surround the soldier's neck. An inflator unit, activated by an initiator may be coupled to the one or more inflatable chambers to inflate the one or more inflatable chambers. An electronic control unit (ECU) in electrical communication with the initiator and in electrical communication with at least one sensor may be configured to measure atmospheric air pressure. The ECU may be programmed to activate the initiator when the air pressure measured by the sensor exceeds a threshold air pressure.

A mouth guard, or wearable device, senses impact forces, calculates risk factors for injury, and displays status of risk and potential injury. A mouth guard may be used to identify, treat and prevent exacerbating brain injury. A wearable device can be programmed with biometric data to better calculate and anticipate impact thresholds and more precisely predict and prevent injury.