Antioxidant Therapy May Have Promising Potential in Concussion Treatment

Oral use of antioxidants may be able to reduce long-term effects of concussions by using readily available treatments. Researchers from West Virginia University presented their findings regarding an innovative rat study at the 2015 American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET) Annual Meeting. Compared to rats that received only basic concussion treatment, rats treated with lipoic acid supplementation exhibited considerably less impulsive behavior in maze testing, which implied that the extent of brain damage was reduced. “Concussions can contribute to long-term changes within the brain and these changes are the result of cell death, which may be caused by oxidative stress,” said the author of the study. “This study shows that antioxidants such as lipoic acid can reduce the long-term deficits when given after a concussion.” Future research will refine treatment methods to determine the extent to which antioxidants are applicable and in what types of concussions. To learn more about this study, click here.