Home
Log in / Sign Up
    Private Messages   Advanced Search   Rules   New User Guide   FAQ   Advertise   Contact Us  
Forum -> In the News
Scientists reverse brain damage in toddler



Post new topic   Reply to topic View latest: 24h 48h 72h

youngishbear




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Jul 19 2017, 9:04 am
http://www.newsweek.com/eden-c.....38628


NEWSWEEK
Scientists have reversed brain damage in a U.S. toddler who drowned in her family swimming pool


Hannah Osborne

In what is believed to be a world first, scientists have reversed brain damage in a toddler that drowned in a swimming pool. Using oxygen therapy, scientists were able to restore her ability to walk and talk just months after the accident, in which she spent 15 minutes submerged in a swimming pool and two hours where her heart did not beat on its own.

The accident took place in February 2016. Two-year-old Eden Carlson had managed to get through a baby gate and fall into the family swimming pool and was in the 5 degree Celsius water for up to 15 minutes before being discovered.

After being resuscitated and treated in hospital for just over a month, she was unresponsive to all stimuli. She was immobile and constantly squirmed and shook her head. MRI scans showed deep injury to the brain’s gray matter, as well as loss of white and gray matter.

In a bid to reverse the brain damage, researchers at the LSU Health New Orleans School of Medicine and the University of North Dakota School of Medicine began treating her with two types of oxygen therapy.

This includes normobaric oxygen therapy, where levels of oxygen given are the same as at sea level, and hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT), where they are given pure oxygen at pressures higher than that of the atmosphere within a special chamber.

Fifty five days after the drowning accident, doctors started giving Eden normobaric oxygen for 45 minutes twice per day. This appeared to make her more alert and awake, and she stopped squirming. She started laughing more and was able to move her arms and hands, and grasp with her left. Scientists also noted eye-tracking movements and some speech.

After 78 days, Eden began HBOT therapy, with 45 minute sessions five days per week for four weeks. After 10 sessions, her mother said she was almost back to normal other than motor function. After 39 sessions—coupled with physical therapy—Eden was able to walk and her speech had returned to normal. Her cognitive abilities had improved and motor function was almost restored to pre-drowning levels.

An MRI scan a month after the 40th HBOT session showed almost complete reversal of the brain damage initially recorded. Researchers believe the oxygen therapy, coupled with Eden having the developing brain of a child, had activated genes that promote cell survival and reduce inflammation—allowing the brain to recover. The case report is published in the journal Medical Gas Research.



Paul Harch, who treated Eden, said in a statement: “The startling regrowth of tissue in this case occurred because we were able to intervene early in a growing child, before long-term tissue degeneration. Although it’s impossible to conclude from this single case if the sequential application of normobaric oxygen then HBOT would be more effective than HBOT alone, in the absence of HBOT therapy, short duration, repetitive normobaric oxygen therapy may be an option until HBOT is available."

Concluding, the researchers say that to their knowledge, this is the first reported case of gray matter loss and white matter atrophy (types of brain damage) reversal with any therapy and that treatment with oxygen should be considered in similar cases. “Such low-risk medical treatment may have a profound effect on recovery of function in similar patients who are neurologically devastated by drowning."
Back to top

tigerwife




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Jul 19 2017, 10:01 am
This is amazing! Thank G-d for living in such a technologically advanced era! May the scientists continue finding and advancing treatment in our times.
Back to top

youngishbear




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Jul 19 2017, 10:38 am
I was astonished at the headline. What if people who are "brain dead" can somehow be revived? The actual situation in the article is pretty straightforward. Lack of oxygen caused the problem, let's direct oxygen to the brain, and voila it worked. But it's an incredible achivement. What if this concept works for babies who were deprived of oxygen during birth? What if they expand this formula to find other reasons for brain damage and work to repair that?

BH for the wisdom He granted.
Back to top

yogabird




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Jul 19 2017, 11:50 am
Know nothing about this, but wonder if it's as simple as "deprived of oxygen so let's treat with oxygen". The brain damage occurs because so many neurons die off. Did they resuscitate those same neurons with oxygen? Is that possible? Guess I'm just curious about how oxygen therapy works. Fascinating nonetheless.
Back to top

Rubber Ducky




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Jul 19 2017, 12:00 pm
Wow, that's absolutely amazing!
Back to top

youngishbear




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Jul 19 2017, 1:24 pm
yogabird wrote:
Know nothing about this, but wonder if it's as simple as "deprived of oxygen so let's treat with oxygen". The brain damage occurs because so many neurons die off. Did they resuscitate those same neurons with oxygen? Is that possible? Guess I'm just curious about how oxygen therapy works. Fascinating nonetheless.


They mention that the young age of the child is probably a factor. The neurons weren't beyond help yet.
Back to top

yogabird




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Jul 19 2017, 1:34 pm
Right.
Back to top

cholenteater




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Jul 19 2017, 8:37 pm
Wow!! Amazing! Do you think they can use this method to help those with seizures recover skills lost due to the condition or this is only for skills lost due to lack of oxygen? The amount of people that can be helped is endless! Boruch Hashem!
Back to top

myself




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Jul 20 2017, 4:55 am
Yay, another good use for HBOT. It seems to have good results for many different things.
Back to top

zaq




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Jul 20 2017, 8:53 am
yogabird wrote:
Know nothing about this, but wonder if it's as simple as "deprived of oxygen so let's treat with oxygen". .


Probably not. Oxygen is needed for biological processes and promotes healing, whether or not the injury was caused by oxygen deprivation. HBOT is used for a variety of conditions, notably to "speed-heal" professional athletes whose injuries could sideline them for the season.
Back to top
Page 1 of 1 Recent Topics




Post new topic   Reply to topic    Forum -> In the News

Related Topics Replies Last Post
Toddler night wean
by amother
7 Yesterday at 10:16 am View last post
Toddler girl clothing links?
by amother
7 Tue, Mar 26 2024, 6:28 pm View last post
Sending Toddler to School
by amother
7 Tue, Mar 26 2024, 3:56 pm View last post
Toddler Tantrums with Gettting Dressed
by amother
11 Tue, Mar 26 2024, 6:48 am View last post
Need help with sizing on Zara Undies for girls/toddler
by amother
0 Mon, Mar 25 2024, 10:06 pm View last post