What is a Brain Injury?
Our brain is our main controller- everything we think about, say, do or feel. This organ keeps us alive since it controls our breathing, blood circulation, digestion, immune system and even our hormones. Through our brain, we are able to have emotions and express them. Now, what happens if the brain got injured? How do deal with different brain injuries?
A Brain injury is referring to the occurrence of trauma or insult to the brain that may cause damage or trauma. Since each injury may damage various parts of the brain, each injury is considered unique and often categorized as traumatic or acquired based on such a particular cause.
BIAA or Brain Injury Association of America developed the following category definitions:
TBI or Traumatic Brain Injury
Defined as a jolt or blow directly to the head penetrating injury inside the head that disrupts the brain functions. Though not all blow or head trauma results as a TBI, the severity or impact of such may be ranging from “Mild”, example: just a brief change in mental state or consciousness to “Severe” example: May result to comatose, or extended timeline of unconsciousness. Severe TBI may also result in amnesia or memory loss soon after the injury. Traumatic brain injury may result in a different timeline of problems that could be short or long term with an impact on the brain function.
ABI or Acquired Brain Injuries
Acquired brain injury is categorized as an injury to the brain that is not congenital, degenerative or hereditary. This is often caused by medical conditions such as stroke, aneurysm, anoxia, encephalitis, meningitis, tumors in the brain or metabolic disorders.
Though the causes of injury or damage in the brain may differ, the results of these brain injuries on one’s life are quite the same and can greatly impact on a person’s everyday life.
NAD+ Therapy treatment for Brain Injuries
Numerous recent studies have further proved and administered that NAD+ therapy can decrease ischemic brain injuries, traumatic brain damage and synchrotron radiation x-ray results inhibits decreased autophagy and lesser DNA damage. Nicotinamide Mononucleotide (NAD+) attenuates brain injury soon after by activating Nrf2/HO-1 signalling pathway.
Thorne Research, a global healthcare company dedicated to improving the health and wellness of people through science and technology, announced a new clinical study to assess the effect of Nicotinamide Riboside (NR) on brain NAD+ in college football players.
The study is scheduled to begin in May 2016 in collaboration with The Mayo Clinic and the University of Minnesota Clinical and Translational Science Institute. We’ll continue to provide updates on the study but in the meantime, you can learn more here.