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Crowdfunding Needed
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Prevent and Treat
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Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy
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C.T.E.
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Opioids Wrongly Blamed
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Leagues may have known about this technology since 2002 publications
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Football players have demonstrated ability to influence others
and raise money for important medical causes.
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This is not about class action law suits.
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This can be imaged early and likely treated.
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It’s about science and bringing medicine into the 21st century.
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A paradigm shift began with the discovery
of the innate immune system by internationally recognized scientists in 1991.
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The clock has been turned off.
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We can change this now.
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Funding is needed for internationally recognized leaders to continue this work.
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The tragic deaths of former NFL football players from repeated concussions has led to brain damage and death from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE). Suicide profoundly shocks us when many players like Junior Seau at age 43 and now Tyler Sash, die at age 27. He is the youngest found to have such extensive brain damage, as bad as that seen in Junior Seau. So much can be done with state of the art science now that has been ignored.
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Disclosure: I was asked by a research institute if I would evaluate retired NFL players. I chose not to do that so that I might be free to post unbiased information that is not subject to being manipulated by either side in the ongoing appeals for compensation that must be going on with the NFL for $70 million. Tragic that this is such a fight. Even more tragic, this may be diagnosed early and treated.
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Pearls
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Fear of compensation claims after concussion injury prevents imaging of football players and veterans early, while still treatable, before severe changes and death.
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Fear of compensation claims has prevented decades of research funding by internationally recognized scientists. Could politics at NIH & the VA have turned off funding for veterans with pain and with concussion blast injuries? Does cancer and heart disease forever lock up all the research money and now it shifts to stem cells?
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It is inaccurate to say that CTE cannot be diagnosed except after death at autopsy.
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PET scan imaging of glia can show changes early, while alive.
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The ligand PK1195 must be used for PET scan to image glia, available for years in Australia, not yet in America.
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FDA approval must be obtained for the ligand PK1195 before it is used to image glia in the United States.
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CTE can be diagnosed early.
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CTE is likely to be treatable.
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Internationally distinguished scientists have shown reversal of complete paralysis in rat models of multiple sclerosis in 2010, a so called “degenerative” neurological disease.
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Intractable pain and treatment resistant depression can be put into remission with glial modulators. Surely CTE and other neurological diseases can be approached with scientifically recognized mechanisms and treatments – even if doctors are not aware of the paradigm shift and how to modulate neuro-inflammation. See years of posting on this site since 2009 based on the most important finds in the field of neuroscience for more than 100 years: the innate immune system, glia, neuro-inflammation, and ability to use glial modulators, to modulate intractable conditions that are known to lead to suicide and/or death.
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Paradigm shifts in all fields including medicine, fail to be recognized.
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CTE gives opioids a bad name and misled Taylor Sash and likely others from the diagnosis of CTE that caused years of severe forgetfulness and behavior changes. He may have chosen suicide by opioid.
FACT:
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Trauma such as concussion or infection or stroke triggers inflammation in the brain: “cytokine storm”
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Inflammation kills brain cells
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Inflammatory cytokines (inflammation) are produced by glia that has been activated by trauma or other causes such as infection, stroke, etc.
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Activated glia produce neuroinflammation and cell death.
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Inflammatory cytokines produce pain and “degenerative” neurological and psychiatric disorders including dementia, depression, anxiety, delirium and death.
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Neuro-inflammation in brain has been found in teens with early signs of schizophrenia, in rats made depressed, and rodents with chronic pain.
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Glia have been detected in life, in vivo, with PET scan imaging, by internationally-recognised radiologist working at Imperial College London, now based in Australia.
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PET scans require a ligand, PK1195, approved for years in Australia – must be approved by FDA in the United States before it can be used here.
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There is good clinical data and publications in animal models to show that damage in brain and spinal cord produced by activated glia can be reversed.
E.g., In 2010, total paralysis has been completely reversed in a rat model of multiple sclerosis by internationally-recognised glial researcher who, in 1991, transformed the understanding of glia that comprise 85% of the brain, since then known to be the innate immune system.
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Publications have shown that patients with major depressive disorder and patients with chronic low back pain have memory loss and brain atrophy.
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Opioids cause pain by stimulating production of inflammatory cytokines that are known to damage neurons in brain and spinal cord – and must be tapered off. We have better treatment for pain.
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Insurance carriers routinely deny payment for recognized medications and procedures to relieve pain.
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CDC is planning a nationwide experiment to radically limit opioids.
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Treatment with glial modulators that reduce neuroinflammation has been shown clinically to relieve treatment resistant major depressive disorder, PTSD, bipolar depression and intractable pain. They are neuroprotective.
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We need to be able to flag players off the field early and intervene with treatment such as glial modulators either before, during or after repeated injury.
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GOALS
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1. PK1195, a ligand for PET scans, must be tested and approved by FDA. Approval is mandatory for all medications or substances injected into vein or body.
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It simply “tags” the PET scanner to image glia, the cells of the innate immune system that are activated by trauma, infection, stroke, etc.
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2. Do serial PET scans using PK1195 to image glia in NFL players and veterans after blast injury.
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Trauma from concussion is causing cytokine storm, killing brain cells –> ultimately end stage dementia, anxiety, depression, suicide
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3. Flag that player off the field. Follow glial changes during treatment to determine if able to return or if permanent, but prior to end stage damage.
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4. Treat with glial modulators preventively, early, middle, and/or late
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This subject will be continued. My apologies for lack of time to delete and edit. Days pass by quickly to post brief comments. Time is limited. Please send comments, below.
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It is not a substitute for medical advice,
diagnosis or treatment provided by a qualified health care provider.
Relevant comments are welcome.
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Pain Management Specialist in San Diego & La Jolla 