Magnesium...Is it the new Lyrica or a Memory Booster

By Amy Price PhD

In the spinal patient community patients have been unofficially using bio-active magnesium and benfotiamine  (along with a multi B and C supplement) for relief of CNS nerve pain along with piracetam or aniricetam to assist cognitive functioning. There is also considerable discussion on the merits of a heart healthy diet inclusive of lots of green vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins for improving cognitive function, cell repair and pain levels after spine and head injuries. Some of us have found supplementing glucosamine chondritin along with vitamin C, E and fish oil to be helpful as well, for the vegetarians flax seed oil seems to do the trick. The diet rich in magnesium may seem counterintuitive due to the brain's demand for glycogen and sweets cravings induced by chronic unremitting pain and brain fog but many have found good results with a change in diet and supplementation. In light of  this, the following  information about research on magnesium  was an interesting find.

New Israeli Research: How To Boost Memory and Avoid Memory Loss


by Baruch Gordon

(IsraelNN.com) Those who live in industrialized countries have easy access to healthy food and nutritional supplements, but magnesium deficiencies are still common. That's a problem because new research from Tel Aviv University suggests that magnesium, a key nutrient for the functioning of memory, may be even more critical than previously thought for the neurons of children and healthy brain cells in adults.

Dr. Inna Slutsky of TAU's Sackler School of Medicine published results of a 5-year probe which has significant implications for the use of over-the-counter magnesium supplements.

"We've been able to show that today's over-the-counter magnesium supplements don't really work. They do not get into the brain," says Dr. Slutsky.

Dr. Slutsky advises people to get their magnesium the old-fashioned way — by eating lots of green leaves, broccoli, almonds, cashews and fruit. The effects on memory won't appear overnight, she cautions, but with this persistent change in diet, memory should improve, and the effects of dementia and other cognitive impairment diseases related to aging may be considerably delayed.

"Our results suggest that commercially available magnesium supplements are not effective in boosting magnesium in cerebro-spinal fluid," says dr. Slutsky. "Magnesium is the fourth most abundant mineral in the body, but today half of all people in industrialized countries are living with magnesium deficiencies that may generally impair human health, including cognitive functioning."

The research focused on developing a new magnesium supplement, magnesium-L-theronate (MgT), that effectively crosses the blood-brain barrier to inhibit calcium flux in brain neurons. Begun at MIT as a part of a post-doctoral project, Dr. Slutsky's probe evolved to become a multi-center experiment with cooperation of researchers from Tel Aviv University, MIT, the University of Toronto, and Tsighua University in Beijing.

Published recently in the scientific journal Neuron, the new study found that the synthetic magnesium compound works on both young and aging animals to enhance memory or prevent its impairment.

In the study, two groups of rats ate normal diets containing a healthy amount of magnesium from natural sources. The first group was given a supplement of MgT, while the control group had only its regular diet. Behavioral tests showed that cognitive functioning improved in the rats in the first group and also demonstrated an increase of synapses in the brain — connective nerve endings that carry memories in the form of electrical impulses from one part of the brain to the other.

"We've developed a promising new compound which has now taken the first important step towards clinical trials by Prof. Guosong Liu, Director of the Center for Learning and Memory at Tsinghua University and cofounder of Magceutics company," she says.

While the effects were not immediate, the researchers in the study were able to assess that the new compound shows improved permeability of the blood-brain barrier. After two weeks of oral administration of the compound in mice, magnesium levels in the cerebral-spinal fluid increased.

"It seems counterintuitive to use magnesium for memory improvement because magnesium is a natural blocker of the NMDA receptor, a molecule critical for memory function. But our compound blocks the receptor only during background neuronal activity. As a result, it enhances the brain's 'plasticity' and increases the number of brain synapses that can be switched on," says Dr. Slutsky

Does Platelet Rich Plasma Really Work?

By Amy Price PhD

What is Platelet Rich Plasma Treatment (PRP)?


PRP has been around since the 1980s but mostly as an adjunct to surgical or dental procedures. PRP patients have a small amount of their own blood removed and then processed through a centrifuge machine. The high speed rotation separates red blood cells from the platelets. A teaspoon or two of the clear platelet rich concentrate (3 to 10 times that of regular blood) will be returned and injected into damaged areas to catalyze the growth of new cells.

Various methods are now commercially available for preparing PRP and a similar material called “autologous growth factor,” which is PRP plus the white blood cell buffy coat obtained during PRP preparation. As a result, assessment of these strategies in clinical orthopedic practice has accelerated.

The platelet rich mixture can be injected where the area does not normally have a rich blood supply and has the advantage of not triggering a clotting response. Patients are their own donors so there is little risk of rejection, allergy or transmissable infections Some stem cell companies are combining PRP with stem cell therapy to increase healing results. The theory and technique behind PRP is similar to that of Prolotherapy (proliferation therapy). Typically Prolotherapy treatments are offered first, and mostly resolve musculoskeletal problems. When results from traditional Prolotherapy treatments are not adequate, PRP may be employed. PRP and Prolotherapy, are office procedures.

How does PRP therapy help?

The body’s responds to injury by mobilizing platelet cells. Platelets are packed with multiple healing and growth factors which initiate repair while attracting stem cells the bodies built in construction managers. PRP intensifies the body’s healing efforts by delivering concentrated platelets. The technique appears to help regenerate ligament and tendon fibers, which shortens rehabilitation time.

How long will it take?

One to two hours, including preparation and recovery time is the average time for the procedure. Advantages include pain relief and speedy healing without the risk of surgery, Many individuals can return to work right after the procedure.

How often can a person have PRP done?

The norm is three injections within a six-month time frame, two to three weeks apart. Relief is usually recognized after the first or second injection.

What are the expected results?

Initial improvement may be seen within a few weeks, gradually increasing as the healing progresses. Some doctors describe PRP as a growth factor cocktail. MRI images after PRP have shown definitive tissue repair. It seems to work better on soft tissue areas like tendons and ligaments, in bone injury it may even slow healing. Results are donor dependent and certain health conditions such as diabetes, thyroid disease or habits like smoking and heavy drinking may hinder the effectiveness as can hormone deficiencies. Younger patients and athletes have more growth factors resident in platelets so this makes them better overall candidates Research into the effects of platelet-rich plasma therapy has accelerated in recent months, with most doctors cautioning that more rigorous studies are necessary before the therapy can emerge as scientifically proven. Even with a 20-40% failure rate many researchers suspect that the procedure could grow in attractiveness treatment for reasons both medical and financial. PRP is about 2000.00 dollars, stem cell therapy is about 8000.00 per site plus travel, diagnostics, preparation and time whereas surgery is much more expensive with extensive recuperation time. PRP has also been used to augment surgery with promising results.

References

1. Rai B, Oest ME, Dupont KM, Ho KH, Teoh SH, Guldberg RE: Combination of platelet-rich plasma with polycaprolactone-tricalcium phosphate scaffolds for segmental bone defect repair. J Biomed Mater Res A 2007;81:888-899.

2. Sipe JB, Zhang J, Waits C, Skikne B, Garimella R, Anderson HC: Localization of bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs)-2, -4, and -6 within megakaryocytes and platelets. Bone 2004;35:1316-1322.

3. Kark LR, Karp JM, Davies JE: Platelet releasate increases the proliferation and migration of bone marrow-derived cells cultured under osteogenic conditions. Clin Oral Implants Res 2006;17:321-327.

4. Gruber R, Kandler B, Fischer MB, Watzek G: Osteogenic differentiation induced by bone morphogenetic proteins can be suppressed by platelet-released supernatant in vitro. Clin Oral Implants Res 2006;17:188-193.

5. Ranly DM, McMillan J, Krause WF, Lohmann CH, Boyan BD, Schwartz Z: Platelet-rich plasma: A review of its components and use in bone repair, in Akay M (ed): Encyclopedia of Biomedical Engineering, vol 5. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2006, pp 2804-2815.

6. Ranly DM, Lohmann CH, Andreacchio D, Boyan BD, Schwartz Z. Platelet-rich plasma inhibits demineralized bone matrix-induced bone formation in nude mice. J Bone Joint Surg Am 2007;89:139-147.

7. Schwartz Z, Somers A, Mellonig JT, et al: Ability of commercial demineralized bone allograft to induce bone formation is donor age-dependent but not gender-dependent (abstract). Trans Orthopaed Res Soc 1997;22:230.

8. Weibrich G, Kleis WK, Hitzler WE, Hafner G. Comparison of the platelet concentrate collection system with the plasma-rich-in-growth-factors kit to produce platelet-rich plasma: A technical report. Int J Oral Maxillofac Implants 2005;20:118-123.

9. Thibault L, Beausejour A, de Grandmont MJ, Lemieux R, Leblanc JF: Characterization of blood components prepared from whole-blood donations after a 24-hour hold with the platelet-rich plasma method. Transfusion 2006;46:1292-1299.

10. Li H, Zou X, Xue Q, Egund N, Lind M, Bunger C: Anterior lumbar interbody fusion with carbon fiber cage loaded with bioceramics and platelet-rich plasma: An experimental study on pigs. Eur Spine J 2004;13:354-358.

11. Weiner BK, Walker M: Efficacy of autologous growth factors in lumbar intertransverse fusions. Spine 2003;28:1968-1970.

12. Muschler GF, Nitto H, Matsukura Y, et al: Spine fusion using cell matrix composites enriched in bone marrow-derived cells. Clin Orthop Relat Res 2003;(407):102-118.

13. Muschler GF, Matsukura Y, Nitto H, et al: Selective retention of bone marrow-derived cells to enhance spinal fusion. Clin Orthop Relat Res 2005;(432):242-251.

14. Brodke D, Pedrozo HA, Kapur TA, et al: Bone grafts prepared with selective cell retention technology heal canine segmental defects as effectively as autograft. J Orthop Res 2006;24:857-866.

15. Murray MM, Spindler KP, Ballard P, Welch TP, Zurakowski D, Nanney LB: Enhanced histologic repair in a central wound in the anterior cruciate ligament with a collagen-platelet-rich plasma scaffold. J Orthop Res 2007;25:1007-1017.

TBI and Hypothyroid Connection

Thyroid problems may make you fat and moody
By Amy Price PhD

People who have sustained head or serious neck injuries can also damage the thyroid as well. Sometimes people who are diagnosed with whiplash later develop thyroid issues. Many of the symptoms of hypothyroid are the same as those as those for people who have dealt with a brain injury so they tend to be ignored. This is tragic because low thyroid levels can eventually lead to cognitive damage and even dementia. The thyroid can be damaged even if you are thin. It is not always true that people gain massive amounts of weight with this kind of condition just as it is not true that people with a past brain injury need to be constantly exhausted or depressed. The video above will tell you about symptoms and what you can do about this disorder

Your thyroid gland weighs less than an ounce and is located in the front of your neck just below the Adam’s apple. The thyroid acts as a feedback mechanism for your metabolism so when it is too slow or too fast this can upset a lot of body functions The thyroid gland takes iodine and converts it into thyroid hormones. Thyroid cells are the only cells in the body which can absorb iodine. These cells combine iodine and the amino acid tyrosine to make T3 and T4. T3 and T4 are then released into the blood stream and are transported throughout the body where they control metabolism (conversion of oxygen and calories to energy). Every cell in the body depends upon thyroid hormones for regulation of their metabolism.

Get this checked by your doctor. It takes a simple blood test and oral medication. This disorder can show up years after an injury so be aware.


Symptoms of a slow thryroid include

•Fatigue, Depression

•Weight gain or increased difficulty losing weight, or loss of appetite

•Coarse, dry hair, thinning hair or outer portion of eybrows thinning out

•Dry, rough pale skin,

•Cold and heat intolerance  (you can't tolerate cold temperatures like those around you)

•Muscle cramps and frequent muscle aches, weakness

•Constipation

•Depression, Irritability

•Memory loss, lack of focus, reduced coordination

•Abnormal menstrual cycles, decreased interest in sex

The Spinal Injury Blues!

By Amy Price PhD

With spinal injuries and head injuries it is often the secondary damage to the neurons that causes big problems especially when that swelling and inflammation is in the spinal cord or the brain. The worst damage shows up several hours to many days later. Now, scientists in Rochester, New York, have discovered a simple way to stop a lot of this secondary damage in its tracks...at least in mice by using that old familiar blue food dye that gives M&Ms, blue bubble gum and blue raspberry popsicles their color. Patients with spinal injuries could escape with vastly reduced loss of function if this works in people but they'll turn bright blue in the process.

Much secondary damage is caused by adenosine triphosphate, or ATP. This chemical can go into overkill with trauma and cause neurons to fire until they burn out and die leaving inflammation and sludge to trip up the neurons behind them causing an unhealthy destructive cycle. With spinal trauma, the area around the injury is flooded with ATP, which causes otherwise healthy neurons to fire out of control until they die of exhaustion. It also increases the swelling around the wound. Swelling around an injury site is a positive healing factor in many parts of the body, but because the spinal cord is encased in a narrow column blood supply gets cut off and cells die. But a study published in July 28's Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) seems to show that it's possible to block the actions of ATP and greatly reduce the severity and permanence of spinal injuries - using the same type of food dye that gives blue M&Ms their color, a food dye called Brilliant Blue G, or BBG.

BBG can be administered intravenously with no need to inject directly into the injury site. It has the ability to cross the blood-brain barrier, which then gives it access to the spinal cord. BBG binds to the same neuroreceptor (P2X7) as the ATP binds to but it has a stronger affinity for the receptor than ATP has and gets there first so it effectively blocks the action of the ATP at the injury site.
Only one problem....patients turn blue ! It is temporary and is sure better than having a serious injury. You wear the injury but the blue die wears off.....All I can say is color me blue for spinal injury.

See the full method of the experiments here (PDF). BBG has been a food dye approved by the FDA since the 1920s but would this be considered off label use like the cholesterol lowering of Cheerios cereal. While all the rats were severely injured, the BBG-injected rats showed a greatly improved ability to support their bodyweight on their hind legs, control their bladders, and even walk in some cases. The blue skin coloring eventually faded as well, and no side effects were noted.

Human testing would be required before BBG can be moved forward into clinical use. It would be a terrific tool for ambulance drivers and paramedics. They could begin treatment right at the site of the incident, It is cheap and easy, even hospitals can use the blue stuff as soon as they get the patient hooked up and ready to go.

The kids must have known best when they told me blue ice cream was good for me ...As for me...I will stock up on blue Gatorade and drink it down just in case it could make a difference!

Save This Brain

By Amy Price PhD

There have been multiple articles featuring brain and serious neck injury stating how people have overcome cognitive obstacles despite adversity. I celebrate these articles as I know from personal experience the tolls that this road takes and the cost to family members and supporters. One mother was explaining how one minute her brain injured son could do complex algebra and the next he could not tell a red diamond from a black spade in a deck of cards. I too remember those days.

The cognitive inconsistencies are joined by emotional areas. Sometimes the brain will forget what we want it to remember and play over and over like a broken tape those areas we only want to put behind us. The other day I found some practical help in the way of videos and research on how to navigate the initial trauma. These outline what to expect in the emergency room, how to protect yourself in the event of a crash and ways you can help yourself get the best medical care. I thought I would share them here. If you go to the web site you can download the material as MP3 or as PDF files. This is a brilliant solution as watching a video makes it tough to pick up the references which are the key to deeper study...Enjoy!

In the next few posts there will be strategies for overcoming brain fog and getting the sharp mental edge back

Immediate Post Surgery Wound Care Hints

By Amy Price PhD

After surgery wound care could be better addressed. The advice is usually to ice the area for twenty minutes at a time and don't get it wet for 48 hours to 21 days depending on the procedure because of infection risks. Who are they kidding...After bleeding, being washed down with iodine and being touched,probed,cut and stitched by hands I have no personal relationship with all that I want is a bath or a shower!

The risk of infection is serious as it can travel to your bones or become systemic and cause more damage than the original problem. It can travel through open places in the wound or through the stitching which acts as a wick. Until the area has healed over it is best not to swim or use a hot tub because of bacterial risks. It is important to follow your doctor's advice for changing dressings etc. If the area becomes hot to the touch, swells rapidly,starts pulsing or you start to run a fever get your doctor's advice.

To shower after spine and cervical surgery I purchased a silicon swim cap as this is completely waterproof and less irritating than latex. I cut generous pieces which I placed over the wound and taped it in place with duct tape. For arms and legs I used umbrella bags, big ones for leg and smaller for arm areas. I placed them over top of the dressing and bandage and taped this in place. You will still need to exercise care and try not to get the area wet...a bath could be a bad idea! If it gets a little damp in spite of all precautions gently dry the area, put on topical antibiotic and replace the dressing.

If this was an emergency room visit remember emergency rooms will only stabilize you, they have no obligation to provide treatment beyond this. An emergency room visit needs follow up with a doctor. At emergency if you have tendons exposed insist on being seen by a specialist on call. I had three fingers all with tendon avulsions stitched up with no repairs. It took a year of occupational and physical therapy to get the function back. A word to the wise...if you have broken something and they have splinted, cast or wrapped it and it starts to smell bad or the exposed areas turn dark and lumpy go back to the hospital. They don't mean literally black, if it darkens substantially, swells and get worse rather than better have this checked out. With a temporary cast the swelling can cut off the circulation and the tissue starts to die. I almost lost a hand this way as I was told if it turns black come back, since it cost me 10,000 dollars for the emergency room appearance and 273 dollars for a bandage available at the dollar store.I really wasn't up for a repeat visit!

The ice is easy in principle but not so easy for the drugged and injured to apply. Some people travel for surgery and it is a considerable time before they are at home to ice. Do yourself a favor and buy some instant ice at a pharmacy before your procedure or get the surgery to supply you with a couple of extra packs for the trip home. The ice takes down swelling and eases pain while helping your body heal. At home consider the wound site. An awkward area like the elbow,knees or shoulders may be best with a bag of frozen peas which will bend to the shape. A posterior neck surgery may benefit from an emptied and refilled with water large soda bottle (don't freeze the soda it explodes). Ask a family member or friend to do ice duty day and night. If you are like me and don't want to ask anyone for anything consider that you can buy them a gift, take them to dinner or return the favor. It is an investment in your healing. Be nice to those who care enough to be available, they do not benefit from you getting an attitude because you feel bad that you need the help and being thankful can go along ways towards preserving relationships

There will be a follow up post on scar care soon. This information is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. That is your doctor's assignment.