Study: Steroids Useless for Head Trauma
124581
LONDON - Doctors have been giving steroids to head trauma patients for more than 30 years, but the first major study of the practice has shown they are useless and may even have killed thousands of people.    Experts said the findings, published this week in The Lancet medical journal, are "a complete and alarming surprise for all."   Head trauma, usually from car crashes, violence or falls, is the leading cause of death and disability in children and young adults in the developed world, and globally second only to HIV in causing the death of people under 40...
324447
NEW YORK  - Patients with rheumatoid arthritis who are treated with low-dose steroids for more than 10 years have are more likely to die than patients who are less exposed to these drugs, according to a report published in the Journal of Rheumatology.
278579
US scientists show how the body's own natural stress hormone could soothe post-traumatic stress disorder.
409395
Only one in 100 victims get rapid care that saves lives and prevents lasting brain damage, says professor.
322363
Thousands of Iraq war veterans who could have suffered traumatic brain injury may be getting unnecessary or inadequate health care
430432
Young people with brain injuries may benefit from drugs used for Alzheimer's patients, research shows.
716864
Volunteers show marked improvement in verbal skills after a research team runs a weak current through their foreheads. The researchers say it could lead to innovative therapies for patients with brain injuries. By Amit Asaravala.
412494
Alcohol is to blame in many accidents that cause major head injuries, but it also might help people survive after they get hurt, researchers said on Monday.
659626
People who have frequent migraines are also more likely to develop brain damage, according to research published yesterday. Richard Lipton, a professor at New York&#39;s Albert Einstein College of Medicine, said
256089
LONDON, Oct 27  - Britain's Ministry of Defence has launched a major inquiry into brain injuries suffered by troops caught near explosions in Afghanistan and Iraq.  The effects of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (MTBI) include loss of memory, mood swings and depression. They can last from a matter of hours to up to three months. The condition, which has no external physical manifestations, is caused by the high velocity shockwaves from roadside bombs which jar the brain. At its simplest, it is similar to a concussion. But at its worst it can be completely debilitating. "We are doing a lot of work on it. We are working closely with the Americans," a government spokesman said. "This has been going on for several years. The new bit is the self-assessment questionnaire we are sending to all troops in theatre."  "This is a very, very complex area. But we are doing a lot of research," he added. "A special project has been set up to look into improving understanding of the condition and diagnosis and treatment."  The government said part of its research included trying to design a blood test that could pick up signs of the condition and therefore improve diagnosis of it.  The more that was understood about the condition the better could helmet and body armour design be made to try to prevent it, the ministry spokesman said. The Guardian newspaper said in its Saturday edition the United States estimated up to one fifth of its soldiers and marines serving in Afghanistan and Iraq had suffered from MTBI.
218137
Clinical depression among former players is correlated with the number of concussions they had, a study found.
284005
Using steroids to treat patients with severe head injuries can be deadly, according to a new study published in the medical journal Lancet.
607829
NEW YORK  - Treatment with high doses of  medicinal steroids (aka, glucocorticoids) more than doubles the  risk of cardiovascular disease, new research suggests.
48658
Results from a crucial clinical trial showed that Northstar Neuroscienceâs brain-stimulating device failed to help stroke victims recover the use of their arms and hands.
133098
TUESDAY, Sept. 12 (HealthDay News) -- The Alzheimer's drug rivastigmine (Exelon) improved memory in traumatic brain injury patients with moderate to severe memory loss, a new study shows.
669882
NEW YORK  - Metyrapone, a compound that  inhibits the body's production of steroids, seems to accelerate  and augment the effects of serotonergic antidepressant drugs,  the results of a trial suggest.
610263
A single dose of a steroid can quiet the barking cough of croup and let children and parents get some sleep, Canadian doctors report. One dose was known to help children with moderate to serious croup, but doctors did not know if it would be worth using the drug for mild symptoms that would go away in three days anyway.