A drug being developed in Australia, that will soon be tested with the US military, could significantly help people who suffer a traumatic brain injury.
The drug, which is under development at James Cook University in Queensland, could be used to treat badly wounded soldiers, one-punch assault victims and sports players who receive a knock to the head.
It was made to treat haemorrhagic shock but is also effective for traumatic brain injuries (TBI), which are defined as a blow or jolt to the head or a penetrating or blast injury that disrupts the function of the brain.
Tests have revealed the drug leads to increased survival and brain blood flow and can also reduce inflammation by 70 per cent, Professor Geoffrey Dobson and Dr Hayley Letson said in a paper in the Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery.
"Repeated concussions from early years to mid-30s can lead to late-life disability, including dementia-like symptoms, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and other cognitive and neurological diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease," the university said in a statement.
