The patients showed some permanent gains in moving the paralyzed limb due to development of new brain circuitry prompted by the intensive rehab. Another technique with potential is DBS or deep brain stimulation now being pioneered in the U.S. on Parkinson's patients at the Cleveland Clinic by Dr. Ali Rezai and Dr. Erwin Montgomery. In some patients this diminished tremor and rigidity and allowed them to initiate and complete simple movements such as walking, holding a coffee cup or turning the pages of a book. The sugery is important because it has the potential to obviate, or at least decrease, the use of drugs which cause terrible side effects with long term usage. It has recently been tried on 4 epilepsy patients.
Some researchers hope to apply it to obsessive-compulsive disorder and major depressive disorder.
A study by Stephen Scheff, PhD at University of Kentucky College of Medicine released in the fall of 2000, indicated a dose-related protectant effect of creatine when administered to mice before giving them a tbi. Creatine apparently reduces secondary neuro-toxicity by inhibiting calcium induced activation of proteins which damage the mitochondria and reduce energy supplies needed to maintain cell membranes against free radicals. Creatine is just one of dozens of substances currently being evaluated as protectants against free radicals following tbi in animals. Much research is being done to evaluate neurotrophic growth factors to stimulate sprouting of new axons and dendritic spines, and evaluate use of proteins to guide formation of new synaptic wiring after traumatic injury. This adds to the information from neuropsychological testing to increase the accuracy of diagnosis and target rehabilitation with greater specificity.