News: Experimental therapy restores cognitive function in chronic TBI, study shows

An experimental therapy restored executive function in patients with moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (msTBI) and chronic sequelae, according a recent study published in Nature Medicine. The therapy includes using deep brain stimulation (DBS) to deliver precise electrical pulses to an area deep inside the brain, Medscape Medical News reported.

Previous research suggests that a loss of activity in key brain circuits in the thalamus may be associated with a loss of cognitive function. The investigators recruited six adults (four men and two women) between the ages of 22 and 60 years with a history of msTBI and chronic neuropsychological impairment and functional disability. Participants in this first-in-humans trial experienced brain injuries between 3-18 years before the study that left them with persistent neuropsychological impairment and a range of functional disabilities.

This study records the first time a DBS device has been implanted in the central thalamus in humans. “Placing the electrodes required a novel surgical technique developed by the investigators that included virtual models of each participant's brain, microelectrode recording, and neuroimaging to identify neuronal circuits affected by the TBI,” according to Medscape Medical News.

Three months following implantation and 12-hour daily DBS treatments, the study reported participants' performance on cognitive tests improved by an average of 32% from baseline. Participants were able to read books, watch TV shows, play video games, complete schoolwork, and felt significantly less fatigued during the day.

Though this first trial was small, other experts are already commenting on the study as a significant advance for patients with chronic msTBI, a condition that otherwise does not have any effective treatments.

“We were looking for partial restoration of executive attention and expected [the treatment] would have an effect, but I wouldn't have anticipated the effect size we saw,” co-lead investigator Nicholas Schiff, MD, professor of neuroscience at Weill Cornell Medical College, New York City, told Medscape Medical News.

Editor’s note: To read Medscape Medical News’ coverage of this story, click here. To access the Nature Medicine study, click here.