Noteboom The Law Firm

New Possible Therapy for TBI Being Studied

March 22, 2010 - A new traumatic brain injury (TBI) treatment is currently being tested to help veterans returning home from combat with serious head injuries. The Santa Clara Valley Medical Center is joining approximately 12 other hospitals in the country who will be studying whether progesterone will aid in treating TBIs.

Progesterone is a hormone produced in abundance by pregnant women. Any patient admitted to Santa Clara Valley Medical Center with a TBI will get a shot of progesterone to hopefully stop the brain's destruction following a serious accident.

TBI is one of the most common injuries found in veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan. This trial run is touted as being one of the most hopeful in decades in the search for a drug to treat TBI as this area has been massively understudied until now.

There currently are no drugs in existence to prevent or stop the brain from swelling following a blow to the head. The swelling causes brain cells surrounding the damaged area to die. If there is extreme pressure in the damaged area of the brain, the swelling needs a place to expand and the only place available is the opening at the base of the skull, which is fatal. It is with great hope progesterone will stop the brain from swelling thereby protecting the surrounding brain cells.

An Atlanta hospital conducted a study of 100 patients between 2001 and 2005 using progesterone and it was shown patients were twice as likely to survive against a placebo. Progesterone occurs naturally in both men and women and has very limited side effects.

Within the next 5 years, 1,140 patients will take part in this new study. If the study proves successful in treating TBI, soldiers will begin carrying progesterone injectables in their medical kits. Hopefully this will result in saving lives and preventing severe brain trauma in American veterans.