Experimental drug may improve memory in TBI patients

There are many people in Missouri who are living with the effects of a traumatic brain injury. The brain trauma that causes a TBI is often sustained while playing contact sports. There has been a lot of media coverage about the consequences of head trauma for professional football players.

Researchers from Tetra Discovery say that they are close to developing a drug that could help to treat one of the most common side effects of TBI, the loss of memory. The biotech company is testing its experimental drug PDE4B to see if it can improve memory after the brain has sustained external trauma. The drug is also being tested for treating depression, schizophrenia and brain microglia.

Currently, many of the 5 million people in the United States who have chronic disability from a TBI are prescribed the Alzheimer’s drug donepezil, even though this drug has not been approved to treat TBI. Researchers say that the experimental drug PDE4B may be able to help an injured brain produce the CREB protein that aids memory. Animal studies have shown that PDE4B was able to reverse memory problems in rats that had been living with untreated TBIs for 12 weeks.

In addition to contact sports, traumatic brain injuries can result from slips and falls or motor vehicle collisions. Regardless of its origin, victims may require lengthy and expensive periods of rehabilitation during which they are unable to earn a living. When the injury has been caused by the negligence of another party, legal counsel could assist in pursuing appropriate compensation through a personal injury lawsuit.