Excessive brain cell growth after head injury bad for brain 

Turning conventional wisdom on its head, researchers including one of Indian-origin, have found that the excessive burst of new brain cells after a traumatic head injury. That scientists have traditionally believed helped in recovery could instead lead to epileptic seizures and long-term cognitive decline.

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Findings:

• The findings suggest that memory decline after head injury may be prevented by slowing brain cell growth.
• There is an initial increase in birth of new neurons after a brain injury but within weeks.
• In addition,there is a dramatic decrease in the normal rate at which neurons are born.
• Depleting brain cells that under normal circumstances should be there to replace damaged cells and repair the brain’s network.
• “The excess new neurons lead to epileptic seizures and could contribute to cognitive decline,”Expert added.
• Symptoms of traumatic brain injury can include impaired thinking or memory.
• In addition,personality changes and depression and vision and hearing problems as well as epilepsy.
• About 80 percent of those who develop epilepsy after a brain injury have seizures within the first two years after the damage occurs.

Experiments:

• Studying laboratory rats, the scientists found that within a month after experimental brain injury.
• In addition,the number of new brain cells declined dramatically.
• Below the numbers of new neurons that would have detected if an injury had not occurred.
• When scientists were able to prevent the excessive neurogenesis.
• In addition,which occurs within days of the injury with a drug similar to one under trial for chemotherapy treatments.
• The rate of birth of new brain cells went back to normal levels and risk for seizures was reduced.
• “That’s why we believe that limiting this process might be beneficial to stopping seizures after brain injury,” Expert said.