Cellular Mechanisms of Electromagnetic Field in Traumatic Brain Injury.

This paper presents a comprehensive review of the extant literature from 1980 through 2023 on the role and utility of Electromagnetic Fields (EMF) in the treatment of brain trauma and brain neuropathology resulting from disease. Brain trauma resulting from accident, injury and disease is a significant contributor to short and long-term morbidity, as well as a leading cause of mortality globally. To date, limited effective treatments strategies exist, and are focused primarily on symptom relief, not restoring primary preinjury function and structure. Much of the current clinical literature is based on retrospective case reports and limited animal model prospective trials exploring core etiology and alterations in post-injury clinical phenotypes. The current findings reported in the scientific literature suggest that electromagnetic therapy may hold promise as a potential non-invasive treatment for traumatic brain injury and neuropathology. Although promising, well designed clinical trials are needed to better determine its potential clinical effectiveness in this diverse patient population. Future trials will need to determine the impact of clinical variables, such as sex, age, type and extent of injury and pathology, pre-injury baseline health status and a comprehensive biopsychosocial assessment to determine a more effective personalized approach to patient care. Although initially showing promise, much work needs to be done.

Clinical Efficacy of Mesenteric Lift to Relieve Constipation in Traumatic Brain Injury Patients.

CONTEXT: Patients with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) often have multiple autonomic disturbances that interfere with normal gastrointestinal motility. Many of the pharmacologic agents used in the intensive care unit (ICU) also adversely affect gastrointestinal motility. The body is further subjected to excessive levels of sympathetic discharge in states of traumatic injury and extreme stress, which can interfere with the proper absorption of fluids and nutrients. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether mesenteric lift, an osteopathic manipulative treatment technique, is effective in relieving constipation in patients with TBI who are intubated in the ICU. METHODS: This retrospective medical record review examined the effect of mesenteric lift on intubated patients with significant TBI who were unable to have a bowel movement within 72 hours of admission. The primary endpoint was the return of normal bowel function within 24 hours. A control group consisted of intubated patients with TBI during the same period who did not receive mesenteric lift. RESULTS: Of patients who received mesenteric lift, 77% experienced bowel movements (n=27 of 35), compared with 36% (n=16 of 44) in the control group (P=.01). CONCLUSION: The application of mesenteric lift to intubated patients with severe TBI in the intensive care unit significantly increased patients' ability to resume normal bowel function and expel waste.