A recent study by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) used a commonly administered dye when performing MRIs of the brain in patients who had just suffered a mild traumatic brain injury (a concussion). Initial scans of the patients, without using the dye, showed no physical damage to the brain tissue. Upon using the dye, however, the MRI scans showed that 49% of the patients were experiencing "leaking" of the dye into the meninges, which are the outer covers of the brain.
Using mice, further studies were performed. The scientists discovered that certain molecules are able to penetrate the skull when applied directly to the skull's surface following an injury, and that these molecules may reduce the extent of brain damage. Applying glutathione (an antioxidant found normally in our cells) directly to the brain surface immediately after a brain injury reduced the amount of cell death by 67%.
Click the link below to see the interesting images and videos from this study and to learn more about this fascinating study.
