There are many different kinds of treatment options available to those who suffer from a brain injury in Illinois. Unfortunately, due to the unpredictability of head injuries and both their short and long-term effects, those who undergo treatment may still have to live with the consequences of their condition. However, new research suggests that the human hormone progesterone may provide brain injury sufferers with an effective treatment solution.
A hormonal remedy
In 2011, a woman was diagnosed with a brain injury after being hit by a car while crossing a busy street, states the New York Times. At first, her doctors were not sure whether or not she would recover. After enrolling in a research program, she has been able to steadily make progress. The program she participated in required her to have the human hormone progesterone infused into her system over the course of three days. Although progesterone is typically viewed as a hormone associated with the menstruation and pregnancy process, it can be found in the brains of both men and women. This may explain the hormone’s ability to help brain injury sufferers.
This study, which is supervised by Emory University and funded by the National Institutes of Health, was created to test the idea that this hormone can limit disability and prevent mortality if the treatment is given soon after patients suffer from a traumatic brain injury. For the treatment to be successful, patients must receive the infusions within four hours after the accident. Six months following the hormone injections, the outcomes of the treatment can be measured.
The study’s future
This study began in 2007 when researchers collected data from 100 patients. For those who were given a placebo, the mortality rate was 30 percent after 30 days. In comparison, the mortality rate for those who were given the hormone was 13 percent within the same time frame.
In the future, trials will be conducted at trauma locations throughout the U.S. and will involve 1,140 patients. Although the results will be monitored throughout the study, the data will not fully be reviewed for two more years. If the outcomes of early research are extremely effective, the study will not continue.
While waiting for effective treatment options, brain injury sufferers may be unable to work, attend school or perform the necessary duties of daily life. When this occurs, patients may be eligible for disability benefits. Those applying for this form of financial assistance may benefit from consulting with a social security disability attorney who can provide guidance during this oftentimes long and difficult process.
