New research shows how substances that are commonly found in a healthy brain can cause damage in the brain after a stroke or a traumatic brain injury (TBI) occurs. The hope is that this new found information can help lead to better stroke and TBI treatment in the future.
The study focused on four different amino acids that are typically found within the brain. They are non excitatory and are an essential component of protein production. However, after a stroke occurs, these amino acids cause swelling in the brain which can be destructive when it comes to existing brain cells and the astrocytes that support them. When the blood-brain barrier was breached by these amino acids, issues with swelling occurred. This is a frequent occurrence when certain types of stroke occur. It also can happen with severe TBI.
This was quite a difficult study to create as amino acids within a living brain can be quite hard to examine. To find accurate results, the researchers, based out of the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University, used photon laser microscopy so that they could study living tissue as high resolution images.
Regardless of what happens, a stroke can be a devastating event. A stroke is a life changing event, forcing the survivor to make changes to how they go about their daily lives. This is easier said than done, though. Many changes might require extra care or safety measures because of the physical and mental difficulties that come along with a stroke. A stroke is such a devastating event because the brain cells that once supported typical movements and activities are destroyed. Part of this occurs because of a lack of oxygen to the brain, but as this study shows, that’s not the only way that brain cells can be killed.
The team recently published their findings in the medical journal, GLIA. There’s always more information that will be needed here, but this is a really good step forward when it comes to understanding stroke and brain injuries. Hopefully, future research teams can use this information to create better courses of treatment moving forward.
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