CNRM and DSG Battle US Troops' Traumatic Brain Injury

The Center for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine (CNRM) is using DSG’s eCaseLink™ EDC (electronic data capture) system in three key studies on traumatic brain injury (TBI) in an effort to properly classify, diagnose, and combat one of the leading medical issues for US military troops and veterans.

DSG’s eCaseLink system captures study data electronically at the point of research, making data collection highly efficient. At any time throughout the study, clean, accurate data is available for review. This gives researchers a direct and immediate way to gather new insights about TBI and about the studies themselves. eCaseLink accelerates the TBI study process by streamlining data collection, bringing new understanding and potential treatments to the troops faster and safer.

Two of the current studies are exploring new methods of diagnosing TBI. Building on the success of previous research concerning similar conditions, the studies are using MR (magnetic resonance) imaging rather than standard CT (computer tomography) scans because of the MRI’s ability to show the location and severity of injury, and potentially predict outcomes.

In the third study, daily exercise and bright light therapy (BLT) are used for physical, cognitive, and mood stimulation. A series of assessments then gauge progress by comparing results to those of healthy patients.

Traumatic brain injury is a growing concern for the US military, especially since Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Iraqi Endurance were launched. As of March 2010, nearly 144,000 cases of TBI have been reported. Of that total, roughly 77% were classified as mild TBI—which often goes untreated but still leads to cognitive, behavioral, and communicative problems—resulting in a lower quality of life.

Several military and government organizations have come together to address the magnitude of TBI’s impact and how little is known about the condition.

“DSG is proud to play a critical role in the understanding and treatment of TBI for US combat troops and veterans,” said Tony Varano, CEO of DSG, Inc. “As a former Marine, it’s a distinct honor to work closely with CNRM to explore treatments for our brave soldiers.”