Ischemic And Traumatic Brain And Spinal Cord Injuries

Ischemic and Traumatic Brain and Spinal Cord Injuries: Mechanisms and Potential Therapies presents readers with comprehensive and cutting-edge information on molecular mechanisms, including the signal transduction processes associated with neurodegeneration and neuroprotection in ischemic, spinal cord, severe and mild brain injuries. The book also covers the molecular mechanisms of drugs used for the treatment of neurotraumatic disease. Chapters are organized by molecular aspects and neuroprotective strategies by disease, including ischemic injury, spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, and chronic traumatic encephalopathy. The book integrates and consolidates knowledge on neurotraumatic diseases, with the hope of bringing forth more dramatic advances and developments, not only on molecular mechanisms, but also on the causes of, and treatments for, neurotraumatic diseases. Offers a clearly written, logically organized, comprehensive overview on the molecular aspects of risk factors, pathogenesis, biomarkers, and therapeutic strategies for ischemic, spinal cord, severe and mild brain injuries Provides cutting-edge research information on the signal transduction processes associated with neurodegeneration and neuroprotection in ischemic, spinal cord, severe and mild brain injuries Presents chapters that are organized by molecular aspects and neuroprotective strategies by disease, including ischemic injury, spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, and chronic traumatic encephalopathy

The clinical management of patients with acute brain and spinal cord injury has evolved significantly with the advent of new diagnostic and therapeutic modalities. Editors Bhardwaj, Ellegala, and Kirsch present Acute Brain and Spinal Cord Injury, a new stand-alone reference to help today's neurologists and neurosurgeons keep abreast of all the recent advancements in brain and spinal cord injury. Divided into five sections, traumatic brain injury, ischemic stroke, intracerebral and subarachnoid hemorrhage, and spinal cord injury, this text offers the most current medical science and highlights controversies in the clinical management of patients with acute brain and spinal cord injuries.Acute Brain and Spinal Cord Injury:each section delineates diagnostic and monitoring tools, pharmacotherapies, and interventional and surgical treatments are coveredexamines and explores recently published laboratory trials and researchincorporates over 50 diagrams and figures for concise communication of scientific information.

A distinction between primary and secondary brain damage of vari ous origin, particularly in acute lesions, such as head injury and ische mia is not entirely new. The concept is of practical significance, be cause it is the foremost intention of all clinical efforts to prevent, or at least attenuate the development of secondary sequelae. Primary dam age to nervous elements usually cannot be influenced by treatment. Its prevention is the objective of prophylactic measures. The current volume gathered prominent scientists and clinicians from various fields to pro vide a competent introduction and survey of the various aspects involved in secondary brain damage. It was attempted to provide criteria for the distinction between the primary and secondary phenomena on a morpho logical and functional level, on the basis of the kinetics involved and, most importantly, regarding the different specific manifestations, such as disturbances of microcirculation, aspects of the blood-brain barrier, and of cellular structure and function at a molecular level. Although it was not expected that a grand unifying hypothesis will be reached recon cilable with the many, occasionally opposing views on such a complex subject, nevertheless, the present volume attains an appropriate result. It can best be described as a mosaic of many different pieces which only as an ensemble reflect the current state of the art.

Presents the most up-to-date clinical and experimental research in neurotrauma in an illustrated, accessible, comprehensive volume.

Although there are over 400,000 people each year in the United States alone who suffer from traumatic injury to the central nervous system (CNS), no phar macological treatment is currently available. Considering the enormity of the problem in terms of human tragedy as well as the economic burden to families and societies alike, it is surprising that so little effort is being made to develop treatments for these disorders. Although no one can become inured to the victims of brain or spinal cord injuries, one reason that insufficient time and effort have been devoted to research on recovery is that it is a generally held medical belief that nervous system injuries are simply not amenable to treatment. At best, current therapies are aimed at providing symptomatic relief or focus on re habilitative measures and the teaching of alternative behavioral strategies to help patients cope with their impairments, with only marginal results in many cases. Only within the last decade have neuroscientists begun to make serious inroads into understanding and examining the inherent "plasticity" found in the adult CNS. Ten years or so ago, very few researchers or clinicians would have thought that damaged central neurons could sprout new terminals or that intact nerve fibers in a damaged pathway could proliferate to replace inputs from neurons that died as a result of injury.

The clinical management of patients with acute brain and spinal cord injury has evolved significantly with the advent of new diagnostic and therapeutic modalities. Acute Brain and Spinal Cord Injury presents the latest medical science and highlights controversies in the clinical management of patients with acute brain and spinal cord injuries. Divided into five sections--traumatic brain injury, ischemic stroke, intracerebral and subarachnoid hemorrhage, and spinal cord injury--this text: Delineates diagnostic and monitoring tools, pharmacotherapies, and interventional and surgical treatments Examines and explores recently published laboratory trials and research Incorporates over 50 diagrams and figures for concise communication of scientific information This stand-alone reference is a powerful tool in helping today's neurologists and neurosurgeons keep abreast of current advancements in brain and spinal cord injury.

Top level clinical and laboratory scientists present their most recent clinical and experimental findings and concepts. The well balanced contributions illustrate the enormous significance of the dialogue between both laboratory and clinic, ultimately for the benefit of the patients, and contribute to a better understanding of secondary brain damage from trauma and ischemia as basis to develop more effective treatment including drugs.

Central nervous system trauma, which encompasses stroke, subarachnoid hemorrhage, head injury, and spinal cord injury, is a leading cause of death in developed countries. In the search for underlying mechanisms, membrane involvement has been the common link. This fourth volume in the Membrane-Linked Diseases series is therefore dedicated to research on CNS trauma. Focusing on the mechanism of membrane damage, Central Nervous System Trauma: Research Techniques presents a variety of experimental techniques to study the mechanism of CNS trauma. Animal and tissue culture models provide the bulk of the research findings in this area. Possible pharmacological interventions are analyzed. This volume offers numerous illustrative examples, including full color figures. This book serves as a valuable resource for students and researchers, assisting in the comprehension of current trends in CNS trauma and helping to stimulate the discovery of new research areas.