Concussion

[hambone2493]

My best friend is 19 y/o male and he's had upwards of 10 concussions his last one was 16 months ago and he has serious migraines mood issues and light sensitivity. Do you guys know of any nootropics that could help?

 

[Pinggolfee96]

uhhh no nootropics will help that....see a dr and get an mri...

 

[hambone2493]

uhhh no nootropics will help that....see a dr and get an mri...

He's been to a dozen different drs... I wasn't looking for a fix just wanted to see if you guys had any suggestions

 

[kisaj]

No, noots will not be helpful in that area.

 

[Pinggolfee96]

Yeah you don't f*ck w/ your health when it comes to your brain and nootropics won't do jack sh*t

 

[hambone2493]

Ok thanks guys! I just didn't know anything about em so I figured I'd ask

 

[BigKrabbe]

As someone who was in the same situation around a decade ago I agree with the previous posters. He has had brain injuries, and at this point it is best to see a good neurologist who can guide him to recovery. There are many nootropics that can potentially benefit him, but first things first he needs to be under the care and supervision of a medical professional.

As someone who played football, rugby, was a very unsuccessful professional MMA fighter, and had several other head trauma's I have been able to not have any long lasting detrimental effects from my head injuries. I wish your friend the best of luck.

 

[BBiceps]

Ok thanks guys! I just didn't know anything about em so I figured I'd ask

I would look into any growth hormones, like hgh, which is said to help brain cells grow.

 

[Pinggolfee96]

I would look into any growth hormones, like hgh, which is said to help brain cells grow.

Uhhh I def would not listen to this guy

 

[hambone2493]

Well I hop on Google scholar after people recommend compounds and while on Google scholar I've found multiple studies that certain nootropics can help with concussions.

Sent from my Moto E (4) using AnabolicMinds mobile app

 

[BBiceps]

Uhhh I def would not listen to this guy

Why not, what was wrong with that?! Do hgh help with brain cells, yes or no?

 

[hambone2493]

Brain injuries can mess with brain chemistry and ultimately the entire system.


Sent from my Moto E (4) using AnabolicMinds mobile app

 

[bosskardo]

Pregnenolone should help

 

[THOR 70]

Spot on. Supplements can certainly help but he needs to be addressed by a medical professional. Do the research on here and compile some stuff and then run it by the medical professional FIRST. I would look into omega-3s, specifically DHA. Fish oil protocols post-concussion have even been created to help recovery from TBI and post-concussive syndrome. Noots are tempting and probably will have a place later on, but with the madness going on after these head injuries, and that many ESPECIALLY, the last thing you want to do is experiment with stuff that may have some unpredictable effects. Start with a baseline and add basics, being sure to run EVERYTHING by the medical professional. Take it slow.


Can't post link:

Concussions and brain injury: Can omega-3 intake aid in brain health recovery?
Date: August 24, 2016
Source: Taylor & Francis


The treatment of concussions and traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a clinical challenge. Clinical studies thus far have failed to identify an effective treatment strategy when a combination of targets controlling aspects of neuroprotection, neuroinflammation, and neuroregeneration is needed. According to emerging science and clinical experience, aggressive intake of omega-3 fatty acids (n-3FA) seems to be beneficial to TBI, concussion, and post-concussion syndrome patients. This research is presented in Concussions, Traumatic Brain Injury, and the Innovative Use of Omega-3s, a review article from the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, official publication of the American College of Nutrition.

Research suggests that early and optimal doses of omega-3 fatty acids (n-3FA) have the potential to improve outcomes from traumatic brain injury. The article reviews preclinical research and cites three brain injury case studies that resulted from a mining accident, a motor vehicle accident, and a drowning accident. Each instance showcased evidence of safety and tolerability, wherein the patients who sustained life-threatening brain injuries recovered brain health with the aid of omega-3 fatty acids (n-3FA).

Growing clinical experience by numerous providers is that the brain needs to be saturated with high doses of n-3FA in order for the brain to have the opportunity to heal. Without an optimal supply of omegas, healing is less likely to happen. It is well recognized that n-3FAs are not a drug and not a cure and every situation is different. Clinically, some patients respond better than others. However, there is no downside to providing optimal levels of nutrition in order to give a patient the best opportunity to regain as much function as possible following a TBI.

Story Source:

Materials provided by Taylor & Francis. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

Journal Reference:

Michael D. Lewis. Concussions, Traumatic Brain Injury, and the Innovative Use of Omega-3s. Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 2016; 35 (5): 469 DOI: 10.1080/07315724.2016.1150796

Beat me to it. Spot on. Focus on things that increase mitochondria health, reduce inflammation, and a ton of healthy fats to support brain function/growth

 

[NeuroTropic]

My best friend is 19 y/o male and he's had upwards of 10 concussions his last one was 16 months ago and he has serious migraines mood issues and light sensitivity. Do you guys know of any nootropics that could help?

Yes Piracetam and CDP-Choline have been clinically studied in various types of head injuries.

Piracetam

Eksp Klin Farmakol. 2003 Jul-Aug;66(4):6-8.
Effect of Piracetam on the color discriminative function of retina in patients with craniocerebral trauma.


The chronic administration of piracetam over a period of four weeks in patients after heavy craniocerebral traumas significantly improves the color discrimination of retina with respect to all four colors studied. It is suggested that the improved functioning is related to the nootrope effect upon the GABAergic processes both in the retina and in the related cerebral structures.


Neurol Neurochir Pol 1998 Sep-Oct;32(5):1189-97
Piracetam in severe cranio-cerebral injuries

A group of 100 patients treated immediately following a cranio-cerebral injury was analyzed. The patients, administered piracetam either in an intravenous infusion (GCS 3-8) or orally (GCS above 9), were divided into groups depending on the dose and clinical status. Piracetam participates in the activity of the majority of neurotransmitters, increases glucose and oxygen consumption in the ischaemic nervous tissue and increases blood flow through cerebral terminal vessels. In cranio-cerebral injuries, piracetam is employed to achieve cytoprotection and improve cerebral blood flow. In patients with neurological deterioration following the administration of 6-10 mg/day, no good results were obtained. A dose of 24-30 mg/day had a significant positive effect on therapeutic results providing certain conditions were met, such as ensuring proper partial oxygen pressure (oxygen therapy) and proper blood glucose levels. The use of piracetam is justified immediately after an injury; after the discharge oral piracetam therapy is recommended.


Przegl Lek 1999;56(2):119-20
Clinical observations concerning piracetam treatment of patients after craniocerebral injury

Piracetam (Nootropil) is a cytoprotective to brain tissue and improving cerebral blood flow medicine. In the Department of Neurotraumatology we investigated results of piracetam treatment in a group of 100 succeeding patients admitted between 1995-96 due to craniocerebral injury. High doses (24-30 g per day) of this medicine have a positive effect on final result of treatment, when treatment is initiated immediately after the injury and described conditions are abided. We also showed usefulness of piracetam treatment in posthospital management.


Zh Nevropatol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova 1988;88(5):42-8
Effect of piracetam on the functional activity of the brain in patients with craniocerebral injuries

Repetitive EEG spectral analysis in 32 patients after severe of mild head trauma revealed two types of responses to Piracetam evidencing the ambiguity of its effect on unspecific activating brain structures. Besides the brain cortex, the hypothalamo-thalamic system was found to participate in the response. With epileptoid signs present in the EEG, the drug could reduce the seizure threshold.


Eur Neurol 1978;17(1):50-5
Piracetam in the treatment of post-concussional syndrome. A double-blind study.

The effect of piracetam, a cyclical derivative of GABA, was compared with that of a placebo in a double-blind study of 60 patients with post-concussional syndrome of 2-12 months' duration. The daily dose of piracetam was 4,800 mg. After 8 weeks of treatment piracetam significantly reduced the occurrence and severity of the following symptoms: vertigo, headache, tiredness, decreased alertness, increased sweating and neurasthenic symptoms. No significant effect was observed on the following symptoms: tremor, orthostatic symptoms, and memory disorders. Side effect were reported by 64% of the patients under piracetam and by 32% under placebo. In the author's opinion, piracetam seems to be a promising new drug for the treatment of post-concussional syndrome.

Acta Anaesthesiol Belg 1975 Apr;26(1):51-60
Clinical trial of piracetam in disorders of consciousness due to head injury.

The authors first remind some toxicological and some pharmacological properties of piracetam (Nootropil), then present the results of a test giving evidence of the presence of this drug in the cerebrospinal fluid after intravenous administration to man. In a double blind study, the activity of piracetam is tested on 31 patients suffering from coma after head injury. Only 27 patients without intracranial space occupying lesions are taken into account. Methods and results are described. Piracetam, although showing no activity on mortality, improves the level of consciousness.

CDP-Choline

Methods Find Exp Clin Pharmacol 1995 Oct;17 Suppl B:1-54
CDP-choline: pharmacological and clinical review.

Cytidine 5'-diphosphocholine, CDP-choline or citicoline, is an essential intermediate in the biosynthetic pathway of the structural phospholipids of cell membranes, especially in that of phosphatidylcholine. Upon oral or parenteral administration, CDP-choline releases its two principle components, cytidine and choline. When administered orally, it is absorbed almost completely, and its bioavailability is approximately the same as when administered intravenously. Once absorbed, the cytidine and choline disperse widely throughout the organism, cross the blood-brain barrier and reach the central nervous system (CNS), where they are incorporated into the phospholipid fraction of the membrane and microsomes. CDP-choline activates the biosynthesis of structural phospholipids in the neuronal membranes, increases cerebral metabolism and acts on the levels of various neurotransmitters. Thus, it has been experimentally proven that CDP-choline increases noradrenaline and dopamine levels in the CNS. Due to these pharmacological activities, CDP-choline has a neuroprotective effect in situations of hypoxia and ischemia, as well as improved learning and memory performance in animal models of brain aging. Furthermore, it has been demonstrated that CDP-choline restores the activity of mitochondrial ATPase and of membranal Na+/K+ ATPase, inhibits the activation of phospholipase A2 and accelerates the reabsorption of cerebral edema in various experimental models. CDP-choline is a safe drug, as toxicological tests have shown; it has no serious effects on the cholinergic system and it is perfectly tolerated. These pharmacological characteristics, combined with CDP-choline's mechanisms of action, suggest that this drug may be suitable for the treatment of cerebral vascular disease, head trauma of varying severity and cognitive disorders of diverse etiology. In studies carried out on the treatment of patients with head trauma, CDP-choline accelerated the recovery from post-traumatic coma and the recuperation of walking ability, achieved a better final functional result and reduced the hospital stay of these patients, in addition to improving the cognitive and memory disturbances which are observed after a head trauma of lesser severity and which constitute the disorder known as postconcussion syndrome. In the treatment of patients with acute cerebral vascular disease of the ischemic type, CDP-choline accelerated the recovery of consciousness and motor deficit, attaining a better final result and facilitating the rehabilitation of these patients. The other important use for CDP-choline is in the treatment of senile cognitive impairment, which is secondary to degenerative diseases (e.g., Alzheimer's disease) and to chronic cerebral vascular disease. In patients with chronic cerebral ischemia, CDP-choline improves scores on cognitive evaluation scales, while in patients with senile dementia of the Alzheimer's type, it slows the disease's evolution. Beneficial neuroendocrine, neuroimmunomodulatory and neurophysiological effects have been described. CDP-choline has also been shown to be effective as co-therapy for Parkinson's disease. No serious side effects have been found in any of the groups of patients treated with CDP-choline, which demonstrates the safety of the treatment.


Life Sci 1995;56(9):637-60
Metabolism and actions of CDP-choline as an endogenous compound and administered exogenously as citicoline.

Weiss GB. M. Hurley & Associates, Inc., Murray Hill, New Jersey 07974-1584.

CDP-choline, supplied exogenously as citicoline, has beneficial physiological actions on cellular function that have been extensively studied and characterized in numerous model systems. As the product of the rate-limiting step in the synthesis of phosphatidylcholine from choline, CDP-choline and its hydrolysis products (cytidine and choline) play important roles in generation of phospholipids involved in membrane formation and repair. They also contribute to such critical metabolic functions as formation of nucleic acids, proteins, and acetylcholine. Orally-administered citicoline is hydrolyzed in the intestine, absorbed rapidly as choline and cytidine, resynthesized in liver and other tissues, and subsequently mobilized in CDP-choline synthetic pathways. Citicoline is efficiently utilized in brain cells for membrane lipid synthesis where it not only increases phospholipid synthesis but also inhibits phospholipid degradation. Exogenously administered citicoline prevents, reduces, or reverses effects of ischemia and/or hypoxia in most animal and cellular models studied, and acts in head trauma models to decrease and limit nerve cell membrane damage, restore intracellular regulatory enzyme sensitivity and function, and limit edema. Thus, considerable accumulated evidence supports use of citicoline to enhance membrane maintenance, membrane repair, and neuronal function in conditions such as ischemic and traumatic injuries. Beneficial effects of exogenous citicoline also have been postulated and/or reported in experimental models for dyskinesia, Parkinson's disease, cardiovascular disease, aging, Alzheimer's disease, learning and memory, and cholinergic stimulation.