Annals of neurology
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Annals of neurology · Oct 2013
Pituitary dysfunction after blast traumatic brain injury: The UK BIOSAP study.
Pituitary dysfunction is a recognized consequence of traumatic brain injury (TBI) that causes cognitive, psychological, and metabolic impairment. Hormone replacement offers a therapeutic opportunity. Blast TBI (bTBI) from improvised explosive devices is commonly seen in soldiers returning from recent conflicts. We investigated: (1) the prevalence and consequences of pituitary dysfunction following moderate to severe bTBI and (2) whether it is associated with particular patterns of brain injury. ⋯ We reveal a high prevalence of anterior pituitary dysfunction in soldiers suffering moderate to severe bTBI, which was more frequent than in a matched group of civilian moderate to severe nbTBI subjects. We recommend that all patients with moderate to severe bTBI should routinely have comprehensive assessment of endocrine function.
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Annals of neurology · Sep 2013
Neuroprotectin/protectin D1 protects against neuropathic pain in mice after nerve trauma.
Prevalence of neuropathic pain is high after major surgery. However, effective treatment for preventing neuropathic pain is lacking. ⋯ Mechanistically, NPD1/PD1 treatment blocks nerve injury-induced long-term potentiation, glial reaction, and inflammatory responses, and reverses synaptic plasticity in the spinal cord. Thus, NPD1/PD1 and related mimetics might serve as a new class of analgesics for preventing and treating neuropathic pain.