Innovative Technologies close to treatment of TBI
Ever since the military enacted cognitive testing before and after deployment of our soldiers, a number have been recognized as suffering a traumatic brain injury earlier. Still, it would be even more ideal if there was a technology that recognized the injury at the time it was incurred. The Brain Trauma Foundation, with the support of the Defense Department, is developing a handheld eye-tracking device that will enable military medical personnel to determine on the battlefield within seconds if a soldier has sustained a traumatic brain injury. Historically, TBI has been difficult to detect and was often under-diagnosed because the condition was confused with psychological rather than physical injury. Perhaps in the near future this technology will be available to first responders to emergencies and injuries stateside, such as EMTs, and will assist in the immediate detection allowing for treatment earlier. A rapid cooling technique, used in spinal cord injury, could be applied in route to emergency care for traumatic brain injuries. A number of innovative techniques, drugs and rehabilitation processes are being tested in clinical trials and some are close to FDA approval. The future is looking a little less bleak for families and for those who have suffered a TBI.
