Articles: traumatic-brain-injuries.
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NeuroRehabilitation · Jun 2016
Risk of hospitalization due to motor vehicle crashes among Iraq and Afghanistan War Veterans diagnosed with traumatic brain injury.
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) was deemed the 'signature injury' of the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars (OEF/OIF/OND). Civilians with severe TBI have increased risks of motor vehicle crashes (MVCs). Little is known about MVC risk among Veterans with TBI, many of whom incurred TBIs that were mild in severity. ⋯ Veterans with TBI had substantially greater risk of MVC-related hospitalizations. These Veterans may benefit from enhanced driving safety interventions to reduce risk.
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NeuroRehabilitation · Jun 2016
Coping and adaptive strategies of traumatic brain injury survivors and primary caregivers.
Qualitative research methods allowed the investigator to contribute to the development of new theories and to examine change in processes over time, which added rich detail to existing knowledge of the use of coping and adaptive strategies by traumatic brain injury survivors and their primary caregivers (Ponsford, Sloan, & Snow, 2013). The advantages of phenomenological study were that it allows flexibility to explore and understand meanings attached by people to well-studied concepts such as coping, resiliency, and adaptation or compensation. Phenomenological study was sensitive to contextual factors. It also permitted the study of in-depth dynamics of coping and adaptive strategies of TBI survivors and primary caregivers, while understanding the social and psychological implications of the phenomenon. ⋯ TBI survivors and caregivers had multiple self-reported unaddressed needs following their discharge from facility-based treatment. They reported spontaneously engaging in various coping and adaptive strategies to address their needs and deficits. However, further education regarding potential post-TBI challenges and strategies for addressing them are needed, including a need for community and mental health resources.
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MicroRNAs (MiRNAs) are small endogenous RNA molecules and have emerged as novel serum diagnostic biomarkers for several diseases due to their stability and detection at minute quantities. In this study, we have identified a serum miRNA signature in human serum samples of mild to severe TBI, which can be used for diagnosis of mild and moderate TBI (MMTBI). Human serum samples of MMTBI, severe TBI (STBI), orthopedic injury and healthy controls were used and miRNA profiling was done using taqman real time PCR. ⋯ Among these, a signature of 10 miRNAs was found to be present in both MMTBI and STBI groups. These 10 miRNAs were validated in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from STBI and four miRNAs were found to be upregulated in CSF. In conclusion, we identified a subset of 10 unique miRNAs which can be used for diagnosis of MMTBI and STBI.