SAN FRANCISCO, March 16, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- March is Brain Injury Awareness Month, and there’s good news from recently published research on several fronts. People associate brain injuries with physical blows to the head, but brain injuries can also result from internal bleeds, medical conditions, and even treatments. According to Posit Science, maker of BrainHQ computerized brain exercises and assessments, dozens of studies indicate brain exercises show promise for highly-scalable approaches to a variety of brain injuries.
A meta-analysis published this month in JAMA Network Open found computerized cognitive training was effective in addressing HIV-Associated Neurological Disorder (HAND) — a form of brain injury that adversely impacts cognition, mood, or motor skills in people living with HIV. The scientists looked at twelve studies (half of which used BrainHQ exercises) and concluded that training was associated with improvements in cognitive and daily function.
That analysis aligns with similar research on BrainHQ exercises addressing “brain fog” in people with other health conditions, such as three studies in Cancer Related Cognitive Impairment (sometimes called “Chemobrain”) and seven studies in Heart Failure Related Cognitive Decline (sometimes called “Cardiobrain”).
Perhaps the biggest news in brain injuries since the last Brain Injury Awareness Month, was the publication of the BRAVE Study, conducted at five military and Veterans’ medical centers over four years. BRAVE studied 83 participants with mild Traumatic Brain Injuries (mTBIs) — primarily blast and concussion injuries. Nearly 400,000 servicemembers have been diagnosed with mTBIs, making it a signature injury of recent conflicts. While mTBIs typically resolve in a few days (or weeks), cognitive issues can continue for years. Among BRAVE participants, cognitive issues had persisted for more than seven years, on average, often interfering with family and work duties. Those engaged in brain training (administered remotely to patients at home) had statistically and clinically significant improvements in overall cognition, as compared to a video games control. That gain was nearly four-to-five times greater than in the control group and was equal to about 24 percentile points on a standard curve (comparable to moving from the 50th to 74th percentile). BRAVE showed brain training could be a remotely administered, highly-scalable approach.
The BRAVE Study built on what was learned in four prior studies. A recent TBI Study at NYU extended these results in patients with mild, moderate, and severe TBIs.
Stroke is another form of brain injury, annually affecting some 800,000 Americans. Nine studies have been published on the impact of BrainHQ exercises in stroke recovery, including a study conducted at the Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital in Boston. That study found brain training had a significant impact on spatial neglect — an often-debilitating condition, in which a patient can no longer recognize a portion of the visual field.
“As we reflect on the societal costs of brain injuries this March,” said Dr. Henry Mahncke, CEO of Posit Science, “I am deeply gratified by the work of our research collaborators, which underscores the promise of brain training. We look forward to working with regulatory authorities and payers to bring this science to those it could help.”
More than 100 published studies of the exercises in BrainHQ have shown benefits, including gains in standard measures of cognition (speed, attention, memory, executive function), in standard measures of quality of life (mood, confidence and control, health-related quality of life) and in real world activities (gait/balance, driving, work, maintaining independence). BrainHQ is offered, without charge, as a benefit by leading Medicare Advantage plans and by hundreds of clinics, libraries, and communities. Individuals can try BrainHQ for free at http://www.brainhq.com.
