Treatment for Children and Adolescents with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and PCS

Children and adolescents experiencing the effects of traumatic brain injury (TBI), post-concussion syndrome, and other brain performance problems have the opportunity for a better future with the right approach to treatment. Explore an effective treatment for TBI offered by The Brain & Performance Centre:

The Brain & Performance Centre Launches Highly Specialized Youth Medical Programme to Assess and Treat TBI and Brain Performance Problems in Children and Adolescents

• The programme uses Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) to improve cognitive, emotional, and behavioral symptoms of youth suffering from specific brain-related issues.
• The new youth treatment programme is backed by a first-of-its-kind study validating the The Brain & Performance Centre HBOT protocol as an effective treatment for children suffering from persistent post-concussion syndrome.
• The youth programme can also help improve the quality of life in children, aged between 8 to 15 years, suffering from cerebral palsy, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and stroke.
  

The Brain & Performance Centre, a wholly-owned subsidiary of DP World, has opened a new wing at its JLT-based specialty brain health and performance centre dedicated to a breakthrough Youth Medical Programme that uses hyperbaric medicine to treat specific brain injuries in children and youth between the ages of 8 and 15. 

The programme specializes in the treatment of multiple disorders including cerebral palsy (a childhood motor disorder in childhood caused by brain injury due to lack of oxygen or blood supply), Traumatic Brain Injury (sudden damage to the brain caused by a blow or jolt to the head), and strokes (when the blood supply to part of the brain is cut off, because of a blockage or a blood vessel rupture). 

The Brain & Performance Centre for Youth is the focus of a new study, published in Nature Scientific Reports, which shows the effectiveness of Hyperbaric treatment in healing damaged brain tissue and alleviating symptoms in children experiencing persistent post-concussion syndrome (PPCS), where concussion symptoms continue beyond the expected recovery period. 

The study, conducted at the Sagol Centre for Hyperbaric Medicine and Research at Shamir Medical Centre, suggests that HBOT improves cognitive and behavioral function, as well as quality of life in pediatric patients suffering from PPCS, even years after receiving their traumatic injury.

The Brain & Performance Centre treatment starts with a comprehensive three-day medical, physiological, and mental assessment carried out by The Brain & Performance Centre-certified medical staff including pediatricians, pediatric neuropsychologists, physical therapists, speech therapists, occupational therapists, and nurses. This includes the most advanced brain imaging tests suited to the child’s needs, such as perfusion MRI, and SPECT.

After analyzing the results of the in-depth assessment, children undergo HBOT sessions five days a week for 12 weeks – 60 consecutive one-hour sessions in total. Alongside the HBOT sessions, the patient will receive personalized cognitive and physical training designed to maximize the effects of the rehabilitation.  At the end of the treatment, tests are repeated and compared with the results of the initial assessment.

“The diagnosis and treatment of post-concussion syndrome in children is a critical issue that physicians and researchers have struggled with, to the detriment of the children,” said Dr. Shai Efrati, Medical Director of the Sagol Centre for Hyperbaric Medicine and Research and Shamir Medical Centre, and Chair of The Brain & Performance Centre Scientific’s Medical Advisory Board.

“For the first time, we have demonstrated an effective treatment for pediatric PPCS, whether the injury occurred six months or 10 years ago. This discovery and the launch of our new Youth Medical Programme offers hope to thousands of families watching their children suffer from unrelenting symptoms.”

Upon completion of the study, researchers found that children treated with HBOT experienced a significant improvement in cognitive function, including the general cognitive score, memory, and executive function (ability to plan, prioritize tasks, and complete complex goal-directed behaviors), compared to the untreated children. 

Other PPCS symptoms that improved include behavioral symptoms such as hyperactivity, and, perhaps most strikingly, the study revealed parallel structural brain changes, as seen on MRI, in the areas of the brain known to be affected by TBI leading to cognitive dysfunction and other symptoms of PPCS.

The same treatment protocol conducted during this study is adopted in the youth wing at The Brain & Performance Centre. The same strict protocols, with additional comprehensive cognitive and physical training support for the various conditions and symptoms addressed by The Brain & Performance Centre including concussion and TBI, and more.  The Brain & Performance Centre’s Youth Medical Programme is located in a dedicated wing of the 7,000-square-meter, state-of-the-art brain health and performance clinic in Dubai’s JLT. 

If your child needs treatment for TBI symptoms or other brain conditions, we encourage you to learn more about the Youth Medical Programme at The Brain & Performance Centre.