Outsmarting Your Brain Injury and Getting Back to Work

Thursday, April 17, 2014 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time

Work is an important part of life, and returning to work or school after a brain injury can feel overwhelming. You or your loved one may have tried more than once, only to hit barriers that seemed insurmountable. This webinar, for people with brain injury and family, will focus on effective strategies that successful workers with brain injury have used to get back to long-term, satisfying employment that meets their needs and goals over a lifetime. The presenter will be Kathy Moeller, who experienced a brain injury in 1990 and is a Certified Brain Injury Specialist with more than 20 years' experience.  

About the Butch Alterman Memorial Webinar Series 

The Butch Alterman Memorial Webinar Series is a new series of free webinars that will be focused on and primarily for those who are living with brain injury. We are thankful to the Butch Alterman Memorial Fund which has supported us in the creation of this series.  

About the Butch Alterman Memorial Fund

The Butch Alterman Memorial Fund was established by Maureen Alterman in memory of her husband and supports BIAA's education efforts. Maureen established the fund to keep alive those things that meant the most to her husband, whose life centered around family, faith, serving his community via various charitable endeavors, educating his students, and serving his country through his military service in the United States Navy.  Butch was an elementary educator for 35 years; his classroom motto was "let me teach so I can quench your thirst for learning." He believed that education was the key to shaping his young students. The fund is the perfect way to educate those who have a thirst for knowledge about brain injury.

Please note this webinar does not offer any CBIS CEU's.

To Register for this webinar: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2000123057968881665.

To learn more, please click on the above title.

To access the CDR Library catalog, please click on this link

Football Player Who Killed Himself Had Brain Disease

NY Times (July 26, 2012)- An autopsy report released this week, just before N.F.L. training camps opened, concluded that the former Atlanta Falcons safety Ray Easterling, who committed suicide in April, had a degenerative brain disease widely connected to athletes who have absorbed frequent blows to the head.

Easterling, who played for the Falcons for eight seasons in the 1970s, began coping with apparent dementia and depression about a decade into his retirement. Easterling was 62 when he died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound at his longtime home in Richmond, Va.

The autopsy by the medical examiner in Richmond found signs of chronic traumatic encephalopathy, progressive damage that has been linked to blows to the head, and determined that it was the underlying major condition that accounted for Easterling’s difficulties.

Learning the results was bittersweet for his widow, Mary Ann Easterling, who spoke Thursday just hours after the N.F.L. rolled out a confidential mental health hot line developed and operated in part by specialists in suicide prevention.

To read the entire article, please click on the above title.

To access the CDR Library catalog, please click on this link.

New Stem Cell Found in Brain: Finding Could Be Key to Developing Methods to Heal and Repair Brain Injury and Disease

ScienceDaily (Apr. 20, 2012) — "Researchers at Lund University in Sweden have discovered a new stem cell in the adult brain. These cells can proliferate and form several different cell types -- most importantly, they can form new brain cells. Scientists hope to take advantage of the finding to develop methods to heal and repair disease and injury in the brain.
Analyzing brain tissue from biopsies, the researchers for the first time found stem cells located around small blood vessels in the brain. The cell's specific function is still unclear, but its plastic properties suggest great potential.

"A similar cell type has been identified in several other organs where it can promote regeneration of muscle, bone, cartilage and adipose tissue," said Patrik Brundin, M.D., Ph.D., Jay Van Andel Endowed Chair in Parkinson's Research at Van Andel Research Institute (VARI), Head of the Neuronal Survival Unit at Lund University and senior author of the study.

In other organs, researchers have shown clear evidence that these types of cells contribute to repair and wound healing. Scientists suggest that the curative properties may also apply to the brain. The next step is to try to control and enhance stem cell self-healing properties with the aim of carrying out targeted therapies to a specific area of the brain.

"Our findings show that the cell capacity is much larger than we originally thought, and that these cells are very versatile," said Gesine Paul-Visse, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Neuroscience at Lund University and the study's primary author. "Most interesting is their ability to form neuronal cells, but they can also be developed for other cell types. The results contribute to better understanding of how brain cell plasticity works and opens up new opportunities to exploit these very features."

The study, published in the journal PLoS ONE, is of interest to a broad spectrum of brain research. Future possible therapeutic targets range from neurodegenerative diseases to stroke."

NOTE: To read the entire article, click on the title above.

NOTE: To access the Center for Disability Resources Library, click on this link.

Brain Injury Awareness Month

March is Brain Injury Awareness Month!

What are YOU going to do to spread the word?

March is Brain Injury Awareness Month, The month-long celebration honors the millions of people with brain injury who are living with the successes and challenges that each day brings. The Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA) is excited to unveil a new, multi-year campaign that everyone can embrace:
As THE Challenge! readers know, brain injury does not discriminate. Young or old, black or white, male or female, Muslim or Jewish - we're all susceptible. Anyone who has ever been touched by brain injury can be an advocate.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE AN ADVOCATE?
According to the dictionary, it is a person who speaks or writes in support or defense of a person or a cause.

We asked our nearly 400 Subject Matter Experts what it means to them to be an advocate and how to spread the word about brain injury and here is what they had to say:

"Talk about it. Do not hide. You'll find that when it's public, people come out of the woodwork and share how brain injury has touched them. Address disability inequality issues. By fighting for disability rights, you raise awareness, which is critical." -Laurie Rippon (NY, NY)
"Simply bring up these three letters: TBI, and ask whomever you are with what it means. Go from there." -Patti Foster (Jacksonville, TX)
"Always be ready with some talking points regarding brain injury and what it means to the public. Folks won't really get how big this issue is until they see how it applies to them. Have an "elevator speech," be ready to tell your story in a brief manner." -Darcy Keith (Fishers, IN)

Above all, speak from your own experience. Share who you are, what your relationship is to brain injury, and what it means to you. Keep coming back to the theme:
BRAIN INJURY CAN HAPPEN ANYTIME, ANYWHERE, ANYONE

NOTE: To access the Center for Disability Resources Library, click on this link.

Encouraging Results With Stem Cell Transplant for Brain Injury

ScienceDaily (Feb. 1, 2012) — "Experiments in brain-injured rats show that stem cells injected via the carotid artery travel directly to the brain, where they greatly enhance functional recovery, reports a study in the February issue of Neurosurgery, official journal of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health.
The carotid artery injection technique -- along with some form of in vivo optical imaging to track the stem cells after transplantation -- may be part of emerging approaches to stem cell transplantation for traumatic brain injury (TBI) in humans, according to the new research, led by Dr Toshiya Osanai of Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan.
Advanced Imaging Technology Lets Researchers Track Stem Cells
The researchers evaluated a new "intra-arterial" technique of stem cell transplantation in rats. Within seven days after induced TBI, stem cells created from the rats' bone marrow were injected into the carotid artery. The goal was to deliver the stem cells directly to the brain, without having them travel through the general circulation.
Before injection, the stem cells were labeled with "quantum dots" -- a biocompatible, fluorescent semiconductor created using nanotechnology. The quantum dots emit near-infrared light, with much longer wavelengths that penetrate bone and skin. This allowed the researchers to noninvasively monitor the stem cells for four weeks after transplantation.
Using this in vivo optical imaging technique, Dr Osanai and colleagues were able to see that the injected stem cells entered the brain on the "first pass," without entering the general circulation. Within three hours, the stem cells began to migrate from the smallest brain blood vessels (capillaries) into the area of brain injury."
NOTE: To read the entire article, click on the title above.

To access the Center for Disability Resources Library and its materials, please click this link

Life with Brain Injury Conference

SC Statewide Brain Injury Conference “Life with Brain Injury”

Brain Injury Association of South Carolina

and

South Carolina Brain Injury Leadership Council

Thursday, June 16 and Friday, June 17, 2011

Columbia Conference Center, 169 Laurelhurst Avenue, Columbia, SC 29210

Featured Topics
Drive: Addressing Motivation After Brain Injury
Aquatic Therapy & Physical Fitness After TBI
Gizmos and Gadgets for Daily Living
Online Resources for TBI
Getting Back to Work After TBI
Traumatic Brain Injury: A Primer for Families
Devices and Apps for People with TBI
Navigating Through Brain Injury: A Look at the Roger C. Peace Rehabilitation Brain Injury
Education Initiative
Rewriting My Story: TBI Survivors Share Their Successes in Creating a Meaningful Life
Traumatic Brain Injury: A Primer for Providers
Life Journey Bracelets, Art Therapy
Healthcare Reform - What’s In It for Me?
Learning Rx: Recovering Lost Brain Functions
Estate Planning for Children and Adults with TBI
Recreation After TBI- Adaptive Hunting, Fishing, and Sports
Traumatic Brain Injury and the Combat Veteran
Made Over, Art Therapy
Beating Bad Behavior: Behavioral Dysfunction After Brain Injury
Sports Concussion, Field Management and Return to Play
Cognitive Rehabilitation for Traumatic Brain Injury
Proving Disability in TBI Cases Under the Workers Compensation Act and Social Security Act
Understanding Social Security Disability
Rewriting My Story: TBI Survivors Share Their Successes in Creating a Meaningful Life
Clinical Management of Sports-Based Concussions
The Caregiver Commandments
Driver Rehabilitation: Evaluating the Potential to Drive Safely After a Traumatic Brain Injury
Traumatic Brain Injury in Children and Adolescents: An Overview

Keynotes
Susan Connors, Washington, DC
Dr. Robert Brabham, Columbia, SC

For More Information Contact:
Brain Injury Association of SC at (803)731-9823 or (877)TBI-FACT(in-state) or scbraininjury@bellsouth.net or jlawrence.biasc@bellsouth.net
For complete brochure, go to www.biausa.org/SC

It's National Brain Injury Awareness Month!

Brain Injury Association of South Carolina Creating a better future through brain injury - Prevention, Research, Education, and Advocacy! Help us celebrate by joining (or renewing with) the Brain Injury Association of South Carolina! Brain Injury Survivor - $25 Family Member - $25 Professionals - $50 $5 minimum for individuals with brain injury/families with financial hardship NOTE: To learn more about the Brain Injury Association and to find an application, click on the title above.

Brain Injury Dialogues: A Documentary

Brain Injury Dialogues will be airing on over 80 PBS stations across the US in honor of Brain Injury Awareness Month 2011. We have all current PBS station and air date information on our website's homepage.

A lot has been happening quickly, so we're encouraging everyone to help promote Brain Injury Dialogues on PBS in their area. We can't promote our documentary in every location it's being aired and we're asking you and anyone else you know that wants to help better educate the general public about brain injury, to help out.

The responses so far have been very strong. Many from folks that see the need of greater public awareness about this hidden disability in our midst. Of course we also want to reach the millions of Americans that are brain injury survivors to offer whatever help and support we've been able to assemble in our documentary.

NOTE: To learn more about the Brain Injury Dialogues, click on the title.

4th Annual Run For Thought

March is Brain Injury Awareness Month!
Help celebrate Brain Injury Awareness Month by coming out and showing your support of the Brain Injury Association of South Carolina at our 4th Annual Run For Thought, presented by Roger C. Peace Rehabilitation Hospital.

5K Run and 1 Mile Walk/Roll
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Start time - 9:00am
Clemson University ICAR
5 Research Drive
Greenville, SC

We would like to challenge EVERYONE to begin fundraising for this great event! This year we are using Network For Good's Charity Badge to allow participants and volunteers to do individual fundraising. You can sync it with your Facebook page, add pictures, videos, and your own picture!

NOTE: For more information and to register, click on the title above.

New Technology Allows Medical Workers to Better Assess Brain Injuries

ScienceDaily (Nov. 15, 2010) — A Queen's University neuroscientist is launching a medical tool at the world's largest neuroscience conference in San Diego on Nov. 15. The KINARM Assessment Station will greatly improve the way healthcare workers assess patients suffering from brain injuries and disease.

The new technology, invented by Stephen Scott, is the only objective tool for assessing brain function, and clinical researchers need this tool to develop better therapies for treating brain injury or disease.

KINARM combines a chair with robotic 'arms' and a virtual/augmented reality system that enables neuroscience and rehabilitation researchers to guide their patient through a series of standardized tasks, such as hitting balls with virtual paddles. Once the tests are completed, the system instantly generates a detailed report, pinpointing variations from normal behaviour.

To view the full article, follow the link in this post's title.

2010 Life With Brain Injury Statewide Conference

The 2010 Life with Brain Injury Statewide Conference, hosted by the Brain Injury Association of South Carolina and South Carolina Brain Injury Leadership Council was held July 15th and 16th at the Columbia Conference Center.
We are proud to announce that aside from the current state of our economy, we had over 300 registrants and 36 exhibitors for this year's conference! We also added another element to the conference: a silent auction that included a number of wonderful items ranging from tailgating packages to jewelry. the silent auction raised over $2,500.00 for the BIASC!
This year's conference included two Keynote Speakers: Dr. Kevin W. Kopera, Medical Director of Roger C. Peace Rehabilitation Hospital in Greenville, South Carolina and Mickey Plyler, recruiting analyst and host of Rush Hour (6-9am) on WCCP 104.9 in Upstate, South Carolina.
The BIASC would like to thank everyone who attended the 2010 Conference, our two Keynote Speakers: Dr. Kopera and Mr. Plyler, all of our exhibitors, our conference speakers and our wonderful sponsors:
Roger C. Peace Rehabilitation Hospital - Greenville Hospital System University Medical Center
SC Department of Disabilities and Special Needs - Head and Spinal Cord Injury Division
SC Department of Health and Environmental Control- Division of Injury and Violence Prevention
SC Developmental Disabilities Council
SC Mentor
SC Vocational Rehabilitation Department
Center for Disability Resources
University of South Carolina School of Medicine

NOTE: To view the Brain Injury Association of South Carolina's web page, click on the title above.

Human Umbilical Cord Blood Cells Aid Lab Animal Brain Cell Survival After Simulated Stroke

ScienceDaily (Aug. 24, 2010) Human umbilical cord blood cells (HUCB) used to treat cultured rat brain cells (astrocytes) deprived of oxygen appear to protect astrocytes from cell death after stroke-like damage, reports a team of researchers from the University of South Florida (USF) Department of Neurosurgery and Brain Repair.Their study was published in the August, 2010 issue of Stem Cell Review and Reports.

The USF study was carried out with astrocytes cultured in the laboratory (in vitro) and then subjected to oxygen deprivation (hypoxia) and glucose deprivation to model what happens in the human brain during a stroke.

Astrocytes, star-shaped cells in the brain and spinal cord, perform several functions, including support of cells that make up the blood-brain barrier separating circulating blood and spinal fluid.

"When we compared survival of astrocytes grown with and without human umbilical cord blood cells during a period of hypoxia and reduced nutrients, we found that the cord blood cells stabilized the brain cell environment and aided astrocyte survival," said lead author and professor Alison Willing, PhD. "However, the cord blood cells also had an impact on cytokines -- small proteins secreted by cells of the immune system -- and also on glial cells that carry signals between cells."

The researchers discovered that the HUCBs changed cytokine "expression" -- sometimes suppressing inflammation and other times enhancing it.


NOTE: To read the entire article click on the title above.

Pacemaker for Your Brain: Brain-to-Computer Chip Revolutionizes Neurological Therapy

ScienceDaily (June 29, 2010) — By stimulating certain areas of the brain, scientists can alleviate the effects of disorders such as depression or Parkinson's disease. That's the good news. But because controlling that stimulation currently lacks precision, over-stimulation is a serious concern -- losing some of its therapeutic benefits for the patient over time.

Now a Tel Aviv University team, part of a European consortium, is delving deep into human behavior, neurophysiology and engineering to create a chip that can help doctors wire computer applications and sensors to the brain. The chip will provide deep brain stimulation precisely where and when it's needed.

Prof. Matti Mintz of Tel Aviv University's Psychobiology Research Unit in its Department of Psychology is focusing on the behavioral-physiological aspects of the research. He and the rest of the international research team are working toward a chip that could help treat some diseases of the mind in just a few years. The platform, says Prof. Mintz, is flexible enough to provide a basis for a variety of clinical experiments, and tools which can be programmed for specific disorders. For example, the chip could restore lost functions of the brain after a traumatic brain injury from a car accident or stroke.

To view the full article, click the link in this post's title.

Conference: Life With Brain Injury

The Brain Injury Alliance of South Carolina (BIASC) and the South Carolina Brain Injury Leadership Council will be having a Statewide Brain Injury Conference on July 15 and 16 at the Columbia Conference Center, located at: 169 Laurelhurst Ave. Columbia, SC 29210.

The conference objective is to provide a forum for the exchange of information on programs, resources, and best practices in brain injury rehabilitation and services. The conference targets individuals with brain injury, family members, caregivers, and professionals working in the field of brain injury.

To visit The Brain Injury Alliance of SC webpage, please click on the title above.

The SC Statewide Brain Injury Conference

The SC Statewide Brain Injury Conference
Life with Brain Injury
July 15 - 16, 2010
Columbia Conference Center, 169 Laurelhurst Avenue, Columbia, SC 29210.
Sponsored by the Brain Injury Alliance of South Carolina and South Carolina Brain Injury Leadership Council

The Complete Conference Brochure is now available. Many session topics are offered including Assistive Technology Aids and Reutilization for People with Brain Injury, Brain Injury Basics, Preventing Caregiver Burnout, Recreation, Transitioning to or Returning to Work, Independent Living Services, Current Research, Support Groups, and more!

Keynote Speakers are Kevin W. Kopera, MD, Medical Director, Roger C. Peace Rehabilitation Hospital, Greenville, SC
and Mickey Plyler, Radio Sports Talk Show Host, Clemson, SC.

For More Information contact the Brain Injury Alliance of SC at (803)731-9823 or (877)TBI-FACT(in-state) or e-mail
scbraininjury@bellsouth.net or burgessenterprises@windstream.net

Hope to see you there!
Joyce Davis, CBIS, CTRS, Executive Director, Brain Injury Alliance of South Carolina
Tel. (803)731-9823, (877)TBI-FACT (in-state), Fax: (803)731-4804
www.biausa.org/SC

NOTE: To read more about the event, click on the title above.

Understanding How Folic Acid Might Help Heal Brain and Spinal Cord Injuries

ScienceDaily (Apr. 26, 2010) — Babies born to women who do not consume enough folic acid (sometimes referred to as folate or vitamin B9) are at high risk of developing neural tube defects (i.e., defects in the development of the spinal cord or brain). This is the reason underlying the recommendation that women who are pregnant take a folic acid supplement. A team of researchers, led by Bermans Iskandar, at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, has now generated data in rodents suggesting that folic acid might also help promote healing in injured brain and spinal cord. Specifically, the team was able to uncover a molecular pathway by which folate can promote nerve cell regeneration following injury in rodents.

For more information, please click on the title above.

Love and Envy Linked by Same Hormone, Oxytocin

Studies have shown that the oxytocin hormone has a positive effect on positive feelings. The hormone is released in the body naturally during childbirth and when engaging in sexual relations. (Credit: iStockphoto)

ScienceDaily (Nov. 13, 2009) — A new study carried out at the University of Haifa has found that the hormone oxytocin, the "love hormone," which affects behaviors such as trust, empathy and generosity, also affects opposite behaviors, such as jealousy and gloating. "Subsequent to these findings, we assume that the hormone is an overall trigger for social sentiments: when the person's association is positive, oxytocin bolsters pro-social behaviors; when the association is negative, the hormone increases negative sentiments," explains Simone Shamay-Tsoory who carried out the research.

Previous studies have shown that the oxytocin hormone has a positive effect on positive feelings. The hormone is released in the body naturally during childbirth and when engaging in sexual relations. Participants in an experiment who inhaled the synthetic form of the hormone displayed higher levels of altruistic feelings, and it is supposed that the hormone plays an important role in the formation of relationships between people.

However, in earlier studies carried out by other investigators with rodents, it was found that the hormone is also related to higher levels of aggression. Therefore, it was decided to examine whether the hormone also affects negative social sentiments.

To view the entire article, please click on the link above.

Study Identifies Which Children Do Not Need CT Scans After Head Trauma

ScienceDaily (Sep. 15, 2009) — A substantial percentage of children who get CT scans after apparently minor head trauma do not need them, and as a result are put at increased risk of cancer due to radiation exposure. After analyzing more than 42,000 children with head trauma, a national research team led by two UC Davis emergency department physicians has developed guidelines for doctors who care for children with head trauma aimed at reducing those risks.

Their findings appear in an article published online and in an upcoming edition of The Lancet.

The collaborative study includes data collected at 25 hospitals from children who were evaluated for the possibility of serious brain injury following trauma to the head. Researchers found that one in five children over the age of 2 and nearly one-quarter of those under 2 who received CT scans following head trauma did not need them because they were at very low risk of having serious brain injuries. In these low-risk children, the risk of developing cancer due to radiation exposure outweighed the risk of serious brain injury.

To view the entire article, please click on the link above.

Injectable Biomaterial Regenerates Brain Tissue In Traumatic Injuries

(Credit: Clemson University)

ScienceDaily (Sep. 3, 2009) — An injectable biomaterial gel may help brain tissue grow at the site of a traumatic brain injury, according to findings by a Clemson University bioengineer.

Research by assistant professor of bioengineering Ning Zhang shows that the biomaterial gel made up of both synthetic and natural sources has the potential to spur the growth of a patient's own neural stem cells in the body, structurally repairing the brain injury site. In previous lab studies, Zhang has demonstrated the reconstruction of a complete vascular network at the injury site as an initial step toward brain tissue regeneration.

Zhang presented her findings Wednesday, Sept. 2, at the Military Research Forum in Kansas City. The conference is geared toward improving the overall health and welfare of the U.S. armed forces, their families, veterans and the American public.

To view the entire article, please click on the link above.

Experts: For Kids -- No Sports, No Schoolwork, No Text Messages

ScienceDaily (June 9, 2009) — When it comes to concussions, children and teens require different treatment, according to international experts who recently published consensus recommendations. The British Journal of Sports Medicine's new guidelines say children and teens must be strictly monitored and activities restricted until fully healed. These restrictions include no return to the field of play, no return to school, and no cognitive activity.

The new consensus is from the International Conference on Concussion in Sports. Children's pediatric concussion expert and neuropsychologist Gerard Gioia, PhD, participated in the panel, and played a key role in delineating the differences between children, adolescents and teens, and adult athletes.

"These consensus recommendations mark the first time that international experts have focused on specialized treatment for kids," said Dr. Gioia, chief of Neuropsychology at Children's National. "This conference of experts has led the way in developing protocols for adult athletes, and now international protocols take into consideration that the developing brain of the child and adolescent requires special consideration. The guidelines also point to the important role parents, coaches, and teachers play in assessing and treating young athletes."

To view entire article, please click on link above.