Research Leads to Discovery About the Nature of Traumatic Brain Injuries

In many cases, it would seem to make sense to ignore a minor bump on the head. Indeed, few would think that a minor injury – particularly one that did not cause any discernible ill effects – could possibly lead to serious trouble later on. New research about brain injuries indicates, however, that suffering multiple, repeated sub-concussive blows to the head can cause significant, even life-long, injury.
In a study published recently in the medical journal PLOS One, researchers at the Cleveland Clinic and the University of Rochester Medical Center examined 67 college football players in an effort to discover why repeated minor head injuries can be so devastating. They found that a certain protein marker, known as S100B was present in each of the athletes when they were evaluated immediately after games. S100B is a well known marker for traumatic brain injury.
Interestingly, researchers discovered that after S100B enters the bloodstream, the body begins forming antibodies to combat the protein. This immune response leads to a buildup of antibodies, which in turn leads to a more vigorous attack on the protein. Over time, some antibodies are able to infiltrate the brain and even begin attacking healthy cells.
Researchers suggest that this mechanism means that those who suffer multiple minor head injuries may actually develop a type of autoimmune condition over time. As in diseases such as multiple sclerosis, the body’s immune response goes out of control and begins damaging healthy tissue.
The suggestion that long-term brain injuries caused by repeated minor bumps to the head is due to an autoimmune response is a brand new way of looking head injuries. If this theory is correct, then it may allow doctors to develop new treatments or even vaccines that could help prevent long-term damage. If nothing else, knowing how the body reacts to S100B offers the possibility of developing a test to estimate a person’s risk for brain deterioration. Up to this point, researchers have been unable to develop such a test because they did not know what they were looking for.
Though this sort of research may seem to be of particular interest to athletes, it is important to remember that millions of people in the U.S. suffer from minor head injuries each year. Most of these injuries do not occur in sporting events, but rather in car accidents and in falls. Research such as this may well lead to new treatment strategies for all patients who have suffered a traumatic brain injury.