Head Injury
Brain injury research can save lives and billions.
Brain injuries worldwide come from many sources: falls, concussion, IEDs, accidents, stroke, disease, infections. Treating, much less healing, broken brains has been stalled, largely because of palliatives and traditional medicine’s superficial knowledge of how the brain can be healed. Using translational medicine to pay attention to the myriad of causes and complications of brain insults, the Center for Translational Medicine (CTM) is exploring the multi-dimensional variables that can coexist.
The CDC estimates approximately 1.7 million brain injuries occur in the United States yearly. 75% of those injuries are in the form of concussions or mild TBI. Out of the 1.365 million TBI-related emergency room visits each year, approximately 230,000 require hospitalization, 52,000 die and about 20% are left with some form of lingering disability. At least 5 million Americans currently have a long-term or lifelong need for help for daily living as a result of TBI alone. Statistics indicate lost tax revenue and increase in societal and cost-of-care expenditures simply from TBI-related civilian unemployment is estimated at $37.5 Billion annually.
CTM was instituted this year to deal with the public health epidemic resulting from cumulative effects of traumatic brain injury, stroke, depression, post traumatic stress, autism, infectious diseases and toxins. CTM conducts open-label testing and adaptive clinical trials of diagnostic tests and promising treatments to help patients with chronic conditions. The treatments and studies follow systematic and disciplined processes of collecting clinical information, collating data, and formulating treatment recommendations. Promising diagnostic tests and treatment are written up as clinical research protocols – so that patients feel safe in being treated and practitioners are given guidelines and processes that have been professionally reviewed.
CTM goes beyond the bounds of specialty-based care and applies the best practices of integrative medicine in treating patients. All work is supported by a knowledge platform with a personalized database of each patient. The platform factors the relevant clinical data into a continuous process of analysis. Data are presented to patients to improve the quality of care and selection of treatments, and the doctor and patient monitor those data as often as necessary. This “translational medicine” approach ensures continuing involvement of the patient in their care. The aggregate analysis of the patient characteristics, selection of treatments, measurements of outcomes, and recording of side effects comprise a comprehensive analysis of the efficacy and utility of the target treatment and/or device.
Disclaimer:
The information provided by this website does not constitute a medical recommendation. It is intended for informational purposes only, and no claims, either real or implied, are being made.