Patients with a brain injury often find themselves suffering symptoms of depression, and are usually prescribed antidepressants.  However, a new study seems to indicate that the use of antidepressants in such patients may not only help them recover from the brain injury, but may also actually help heal the injury.

The researchers induced traumatic brain injury in mice, and treated some of them with the antidepressant, ipiramine.  After four weeks, they found that the mice that had received the antidepressant therapy had about 70% more numbers of neutrons in their brains than the mice who did not benefit from the antidepressant therapy.

Further, the researchers also performed a novel object recognition test.  This test was conducted in order to determine the mice’s memory capacity.  The mice were shown a series of new and novel objects, and were measured on how long they stared at these.  The researchers found that the mice that had received antidepressants stared at a new object for about 15% longer time than the mice who had not taken the antidepressants.

This shows that not only do antidepressants help existing brain cells to survive after an injury, but they also help the brain cells to thrive.  Further, the novel object recognition test seems to confirm that antidepressants have beneficial effects on memory levels, and brain function in general

More studies are needed before we can conclusively prove the benefits of the use of antidepressants on a person with traumatic brain injury.  What is exciting to me as a Houston brain injury lawyer is that approval of antidepressant therapy for treatment of TBI could be very quick.  These drugs are already prescribed for brain injury patients to deal with depression symptoms, and therefore, the path to FDA approval for TBI treatment could be quicker.

Vuk Vujasinovic is a Board Certified Houston personal injury attorney who practices Houston auto accident and other personal injury cases.

For more info on how Vuk can help you with your potential case please call him at (877) 724-7800 or fill out the contact form on the right.

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