There are some significant differences between post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and a traumatic brain injury (TBI), but those differences are often eclipsed by the similarities. With all of the discussion regarding Iraq soldiers who are returning with cognitive problems, it’s not hard to mix them up.

Here are some ways you can differentiate between the two.

A TBI is caused by a physical trauma to the brain tissue that creates symptoms such as memory loss, anxiety and confusion, while PTSD happens after an emotional trauma and can have many of the same symptoms.

PTSD can be caused by many different things - childhood abuse, accidents, natural disasters and witnessing or experiencing violence such as happens in war. Emotions arise such as fear, anger, anxiety that can appear immediately, but often show up later. Depression, difficulty focusing and a sense of being out of control can begin to negatively affect the person’s life and lead them to find treatment.

TBI’s can also lead to depression and agitation, but they tend to create physically symptoms that PTSD doesn’t. Dizziness, blurred vision and interrupted sleep patterns are all common side effects. TBI’s can be verified through magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and can be treated through both physical and psychological rehabilitation.

There aren’t any guaranteed treatments for either condition, though researchers have been working hard on finding ways to help people reduce, if not cure, their symptoms.

Two good resources for information on these injuries are the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke and the National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.

This week’s technology report is on wheelchair seating products. For those who spend large periods of time in a wheelchair, finding the right seating enhancements that provide both comfort and support is of high importance.

There are a wide selection of seat cushions that take into account everything from moisture resistance to pressure relief. Some products include materials that are lightweight and contoured to fit your body, while others emphasize your degree of activity and how likely your lifestyle is to cause skin breakdown.

Other options to look for are whether or not the manufacturer provides a solid cushion such as those made with gels or foam or a liquid one that prevents bottoming out - a situation that can lead to skin sores. Most companies will take into account your size and shape, fitting you with the best seat for your situation.

Backrests are another important item to consider when shopping for optimal comfort and health. There are an assortment of wheelchair backs that are suited to a variety of lifestyles. For the active person, there are specifications such as flexible positioning systems, removable hardware and lightweight structure. For those with a more sedentary or indoor lifestyle, you can find backs that will align your posture, provide maximal support and easy release.

Backs come in as many different materials as seats do and can be found in either hard shelled form or with an upholstered structure. Some are created for a greater weight bearing ability and others specifically for those who want to travel quick and light.

Consider what sort of life you lead and under what conditions before buying a wheelchair and seating products. These run in a wide price range and it will pay off later to research first!

While we don’t endorse any specific manufacturer, Sunrise Medical may be a good place to start looking as they have over 30 years of experience providing assistive products to those with disabilities.

Anyone who experiences a traumatic brain or spinal cord injury is aware of how significantly his or her life can change within a matter of seconds. The two populations most at risk to sustain brain or spinal cord injuries are drivers and athletes. By being aware of certain information, both these groups can minimize their risk for brain and spinal cord injuries.

How Drivers Can Minimize Risk

There are several ways that drivers can minimize their risk of brain and spinal cord injury:
• Don’t multitask—turn off cell phones and put away anything that may distract you from the task at hand.
• Wear your safety belt.
• Drive defensively.
• Don’t drive under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
• Do not drive when you are fatigued.

How Athletes Can Minimize Risk

There are several ways that athletes can minimize their risk of brain and spinal cord injury:
• Always protective gear that is appropriate to your sport, such as a helmet or padding.
• Be safety conscious, and don’t attempt high-risk stunts or tricks.
• Prepare yourself by knowing what to do should a brain or spinal cord injury occur.

Seek Medical Attention

All the care in the world can’t prevent every brain and spinal cord injury. If you suspect that you or someone you know has sustained a brain or spinal cord injury, seek medical attention immediately. Remember, brain and spinal cord injuries can be caused without any direct impact to the area of injury, and sometimes do not show symptoms for several days or weeks.

Rich Newsome with the Newsome Law Firm, along with Tom Harmon, Pete Newsome and Clancey Bounds will be participating in the Nov. 2nd 2008 Florida Ironman on behalf of the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation as “Team Reeve Ironman.” Team Reeve Ironman is raising money for the Reeve Foundation.

The Florida Ironman race will take place in Panama City, Fla. and is one of only seven official Ironman races held annually in the United States. Ironman Florida is also a qualifying event for the Ironman world championship in Kona, Hawaii. The Florida Ironman race includes a 2.4 mile swim, 110 mile bike race and a 26 mile run.

The athletes who are part of Team Reeve Florida hope to raise not just money, but also awareness about the Reeve Foundation and the vital work they are doing for the SCI community. The Reeve Foundation is focused on finding a cure for paralysis as well as giving spinal cord injury (SCI) survivors much needed direct aid.

Please help support this worthy cause.

For more information on how to support the Team Reeve Ironman, please visit their Web page.

California based Van Duerr Industries, Inc. is doing its part to create a greener world.

Over the last 20 years, California’s publicly accessible buildings have been modernizing their facilities to comply with the American Disability Association’s (ADA) regulations. According to a Market Wire report, until recently the necessary ramps and door transitions have been made of materials that are not environmentally friendly. Van Duerr carries the only 100 percent recycled ADA compliant products in the construction industry.

This is not to say that there are not other companies who provide recycled and environmentally friendly accessibility products. Marmax, for example, creates seating, fencing and other outdoor wheelchair accessible items. Van Duerr stands apart in that it is helping tax funded institutions such as schools save money while helping them to meet ADA’s standards while also creating a minimal impact on the environment.

The Van Duerr SafePath(TM) Products are easily installed and touted as being durable in types of weather. They are made from recycled tires and can be used both indoors and out.

For more information on this company and how they are helping to lighten their environmental footprint, please visit their Website.

This week’s resource is the Assistive Technology Industry Association’s (ATIA) list of upcoming events that focus on new developments and accessibility in the area of assistive technology.

Some of the upcoming events include the ATIA 2009 Orlando celebration that will showcase new and innovative technology for both adults and children, the ATIA Leadership Forum on Accessibility that is designed to “help large corporations, government agencies and educational institutions derive business value through accessibility,” and the ATIA 2009 Chicago technology celebration.

ATIA has been focused for the past ten years on providing education and a forum for communication between those with disabilities, who work with the disabled and who provide assistive technology. They are a non-profit membership organization of manufacturers of assistive devices and services.

If you are interested in any of these or future events, please visit their Website here.

With all of the recent breakthroughs in stem cell research, next month’s World Stem Cell Summit is bound to be an interesting event.

The gathering will be held on September 22 through 23 in Madison, Wisconsin and is expected to have scientists, ethicists, investors and corporate heads from around the world in attendance…”the event brings together the founding visionary researchers, clinicians, business pathfinders, key policy-makers, regulators, advocates, experts in law and ethics to present compelling presentations, share information, and together chart the future of regenerative medicine.”

Participants will be able to hear the full details of the latest research and development in stem cell studies and applications. Not only that, but government funding and company financial backing will be disclosed in an effort to work with those who have ethical objections to this area of research.

For more information, visit the World Stem Cell Summit’s Website.

Per a Newswise press release we are pleased to help spread the word about a new concussion assessment system being used at the University of Alberta in Canada.

Called ImPACT, short for Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing, this computerized system combines memory and motor skill tests to help determine when the brain has sufficiently recovered from a traumatic injury.

The importance of detecting and properly treating a traumatic head injury immediately after it is sustained can’t be stressed enough. While the word “concussion” is often casually thrown around by athletes, it shouldn’t be taken lightly. Any impact to the head can have serious consequences, many of which are long term.

For more information on ImPACT, visit their Website here, or you can read a .pdf overview here.

Living with pain after a spinal cord injury (SCI) is something that many are familiar with, if not resigned to. There are a variety of ways in which to reduce or eliminate the pain, but what works for one person’s situation often fails to produce results for someone else.

An option we recently read about is the use of spinal cord stimulation (SCS) treatment - a therapy that is said to relieve neuropathic pain after a failed back surgery. (The original article can be found here.)

Patients in a prospective randomized controlled multi-center study (PROCESS) trial were rated on their level of pain before and after the use of SCS while a control group was given more traditional therapies such as nerve blocks and physical rehabilitation. Out of a 100 participants, 48 percent achieved at least a 50 percent reduction in pain. The control group experienced little or no relief.

SCS is not a cheap therapy, so you will definitely want to research your options and thoroughly consider the costs vs. the potential benefits. If you are interested, this Website has some good information on how SCS works.

Reference:
Manca A, Kumar K, Taylor RS, Jacques L, Eldabe S, Meglio M, et al. Quality of life, resource consumption and costs of spinal cord stimulation versus conventional medical management in neuropathic pain patients with failed back surgery syndrome (PROCESS trial). European Journal of Pain 2008.

Q: Is there any recent research that supports the idea of brain plasticity?

A: There have been a handful of studies over the last decade that can be considered to support the idea of brain plasticity, the brain’s ability reorganize in response to input, a very useful growth mechanism that can benefit traumatic brain injury (TBI) recovery. Here is one of the most recent areas of research:

A study from the Berenson-Allen Center for Noninvasive Brain Stimulation at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) has shown through tests on the effects of blindness that the brain possesses more reorganization ability than originally assumed.

How does vision and brain plasticity mesh? The studies’ senior author Alvaro Pascual-Leone, the director of the Berenson-Allen Center, used blindfolded subjects to demonstrate how the area of the brain that controls vision quickly switches to touch when the use of the eyes are no longer available.

Pascual-Leone believes that this indicates an ability that was dormant while sight was intact. It’s not that our brain is creating new connections, according to the author, but that they already exist. In this study, the blindfolded participants were better at learning Braille than those without.

According to the Newswise article, “as predicted, the researchers found that the subjects who were blindfolded were superior at learning Braille than their non-blindfolded counterparts. Furthermore, the brain scans of the blindfolded subjects showed that the brain’s visual cortex had become extremely active in response to touch (in contrast to the initial scan in which there was little or no activity).”

We can all most likely recall times that we closed our eyes to better hear or taste something, and because of these automatic impulses, we have already experienced the brain’s ability to compensate with the other senses. Studies like this one bring our brain’s amazing potential into relief.

Those with brain injuries experience everything from a slightly impaired ability to recall things to a loss of all conscious awareness. It will be interesting to see how these discoveries can be applied to TBI patients and whether or not there is the potential to stimulate non responsive areas of the brain with these methods.