BACKGROUND: Every year, 1.7 million Americans endure traumatic brain injuries, leading to comas. A coma is a state of unconsciousness where a patient cannot interact with the surrounding environment. The patient is unable to wake up. Patients in this state can range from a lot of brain function to none at all. The majority of comas are caused by brain injury due to traffic accidents or violence. Comas typically only last a few weeks, and most people do come out of comas, but whether they can return to a functioning life is the question, and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) may help with this problem. TMS could help the more than 300,000 soldiers who have returned from Iraq and Afghanistan with brain injuries.
WHAT IS IT?: TMS uses strong magnetic fields to induce or inhibit electrical activity in brain neurons, therefore either turning off or stimulating parts of the brain. TMS activates different areas of the brain depending on the severity of the coma. When one is in a coma, it can be caused by several factors, but damage to the brain is often seen. When in a coma, the brain is at its lowest functioning level. TMS stimulates a damaged brain so that it functions more. Specifically, TMS should activate hypersynchronization (neurons firing together), which may increase their activity. The idea is the magnetic field of TMS will interact with the electrical energy in the brain to excited neurons, and then once those neurons become more active, it will hopefully be a snowball effect, and the surrounding neurons will become more active. It's like jumpstarting the brain. TMS poses little discomfort for the patient and is generally thought to be safe. Some side effects may include seizures, minor headaches and fainting.
(SOURCE: neurologica)
HELPING VETERANS: The soldiers coming home from war may benefit from this treatment. Nearly 2,500 of the soldiers are in severe comas, and about 2/3 will regain consciousness, but transcranial magnetic stimulation could get them past simply regaining consciousness. TMS could get the soldiers to a functioning level. TMS has been shown in case studies to bring comatose patients back to a functioning level where they can speak and recognize their loved ones and even bring some back to living a full life. MORE ► Magnets Wake up Coma Patients -- Research Summary | Medical News and Health Information: "- Enviado mediante la barra Google" AND ► Magnets Wake Up Coma Patients -- In Depth Doctor's Interview | Medical News and Health Information: "- Enviado mediante la barra Google"
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Cheryl Odle, Project Manager for Dr. Theresa Pape
U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs
Cheryl.odle@va.gov
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Magnets Wake up Coma Patients | Medical News and Health Information: "- Enviado mediante la barra Google"
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