Anti-depressants 'improve memory in brain injury'RSS Feed

Anti-depressant medication could aid the creation and survival of brain cells following brain injury, scientists have suggested.

Researchers at the University of Rochester observed that brain injury patients on anti-depressants were experiencing improved recovery to that of their peers, who were not receiving the treatment.

Author Jason Huang explained: "We saw these patients improving in multiple ways - their depression was improved, but so were their memory and cognitive functioning. We wanted to look at the issue more, so we went back to the laboratory to investigate it further."

The study, published in the Journal of Neurotrauma, found that mice treated with imipramine had a better memory than those animals which had not been given the drug.

Meanwhile, chronic brain inflammation has been linked to some aspects of memory decline in adults, according to new research reported at the American Academy of Neurology annual meeting.

Scientists found that patients with a higher level of inflammation marker C-reactive protein could recall fewer words from a list as well as having small medial temporal lobes.

News from Serious Law, specialist acquired brain injury solicitors

Posted by Matthew Dixon
 

Alcohol dependence 'linked to brain anomalies'

18 April 2011

Alcohol dependence (AD) has been strongly linked to brain injury which causes impaired impulse control, it has been revealed.Individuals who are dependent on alcohol are known to have impaired impulse...

Read More...

FDA approves wearable alternative to chemotherapy for reoccurring brain tumours

18 April 2011

A new device has been approved to treat patients with brain tumours which reoccur following chemotherapy, it was announced by oncology company Novocure.The US Food and Drug Administration has approved...

Read More...

Larger helmets 'would protect soldiers against brain injury'

18 April 2011

Wearing a larger helmet could protect US troops against brain injury, research has shown.A study from the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California found that giving troops a bigger helmet with...

Read More...