Researchers Discover a Means to Curb Brain Atrophy in TBI Patients

Scientists at Toronto Rehab have found that brain atrophy linked to moderate-severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) might be curbed by increased physical, social and cognitive stimulation. In a paper published in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, researchers suggest that moderate-severe TBI might be a progressive neurological disorder, shirking conventional wisdom on the condition. Researchers now are focusing on ways to treat and rehabilitate the healthy areas of the brain to prevent shrinkage. “What we believe is going on is that after a serious brain injury, damaged tissue disconnects the healthy areas of the brain. Those healthy areas are under stimulated and, over time, deteriorate,” says the study’s lead investigator. “Many people with moderate-severe TBI are commonly unable to continue the same level of engagement in their work, school or social lives than they were before the injury. This decrease in environmental stimulation puts them at a greater risk of increased atrophy in the chronic stages of their brain injury.” Click here to read the full story.