BRAIN INJURY

BRAIN INJURY
Treatment options
DEEP BRAIN STIMULATION
Patients who undergo deep brain stimulation have an electrode implanted in their brain. The electrode is connected to a pacemakerlike device that is implanted under the skin in the chest or shoulder area. The electrode administers a shock that alleviates tremors for patients with Parkinson's disease and multiple sclerosis and the symptoms of depression.
Deep brain stimulation is in the experimental stages for those with severe brain injuries. One 38-year-old man in a minimally conscious state who received the treatment showed improvement in his ability to eat and respond verbally.
Researchers at Cornell University's Weill Medical College in New York, the Cleveland Clinic and the JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Institute in New Jersey are undertaking a Food and Drug Administration trial for deep brain stimulation.
UMBILICAL CORD STEM CELL TREATMENT
Patients who undergo stem cell treatment have the stem cells administered to them intravenously for up to 30 days. The hope is that the stem cells, which come from a human umbilical cord, will migrate to the damaged parts of the body and repair them.
The procedure is not yet approved in the U.S., but is common in countries such as China and Mexico.
Sources: Amy Stockton of Cortland, WebMD and The Washington Post