Concussion, Brain Injury And Stroke

According to the World Health Organization, brain injury will surpass many diseases as the major cause of death and disability by the year 2020. With an estimated 10 million people affected globally by brain injury each year, the burden of mortality and morbidity that this imposes on society, makes brain injury a serious public health and medical problem. Nevertheless, since the neurological conditions experienced by those suffering brain injury, such as impairments in memory or cognition, are often not visible, it has been referred to as the “silent epidemic” (Hyder et al. 2007).Brain injury encompasses many origins of pathophysiology, such as traumatic brain injury (TBI) from accidents or violence, brain haemorrhages/ aneurism or blood clots, commonly referred to as strokes. William Mullally, the Assistant Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School, classifies concussion as the mildest form of a TBI, resulting in
a biochemically induced alteration of brain function typically affecting memory and orientation, which may involve loss of consciousness. He believes that the evaluation of a patient with neurologic impairment remains one of the most daunting and anxietyprovoking tasks in clinical medicine and although physicians usually acknowledge that neurology is the most interesting medical specialty, they also consider it the most difficult (Mullally, 2017).

Not only are the symptoms of a brain injury difficult to tangibly evaluate, there is a distinct lack of options available to ameliorate these life-changing symptoms, to provide support after a brain injury.

New data now shows that brain inflammation now seen more and more with modern day lifestyles is a key factor behind the increase in low mood and depression. We also know the changes to our everyday foods is also behind the greater presence of these issues.

Neuro Degeneration

Brain injury initiates a neuroinflammatory cascade that contributes to substantial neuronal damage and leads to temporary or permanent impairment of cognitive, physical and psychosocial functions. Headache is the most common post-concussion symptom, followed by dizziness, which is more often a sense of disequilibrium and imbalance than objective vertigo. Patients often report a feeling of mental “fogginess” with mild cognitive difficulty affecting memory and concentration (Mullally, 2017). Multiple studies have shown that repeated traumatic events, and even single events of moderate to severe head trauma, can lead to progressive neurodegeneration (Aalling Jessen et al., 2015). TBI is considered to be one of the most predictive environmental risk factors for the development of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. (Chou et al., 2017).

Misfolded Protein And Mitochrondrial Dysfunction

A number of neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, all share a common mechanistic pattern, in that buildups of misfolded protein in the brain is a key molecular feature of disease onset and/or progression. There is also increasing evidence to suggest that mitochondrial dysfunction plays an important role not only in brain ageing, but also in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases. Brain Health (powered by Voluntastrols) contain neuro phyto-actives that interfere with the generation and stability of neurotoxic misfolded protein aggregates and protect mitochondrial function, to halt the progression of neurodegeneration.

Unique Molecular Targets Of Brain health (powered by Voluntastrols)

Mitigating the long-term effects of the neuroinflammatory cascade and restoring equilibrium is where Brain health (powered by  Voluntastrols) play such an important role following brain injury. Many
phytomolecules have been studied extensively due to their antioxidant effects, free radical scavenging and anti inflammatory effects, which are beneficial in protecting neurons against further damage induced by neurotoxins. Our research team has reviewed much of this literature, and in addition to our own research, has been able to identify the neuro phyto-actives possessing the key characteristics required, such as their actions, the ability to navigate the blood-brain barrier with ease, metabolic stability, and bioactivity.

Vauzour et al (2008) and Spencer (2010) believe that the positive effects of these neuro phyto-actives is due to three key processes:
1) interaction with important neuronal signaling cascades in the brain leading to an inhibition of apoptosis triggered by neurotoxic molecules and a promotion of neuronal survival and differentiation. These effects include selective actions on a number of protein kinase and lipid kinase signalling cascades, most notably the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/ Akt and mitogenactivated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways that regulate pro-survival transcription factors and gene expression.
2) induce peripheral and cerebral vascular blood flow in a way that may lead to the induction of angiogenesis and of new nerve cell growth in the hippocampus.
3) react directly with and scavenge neurotoxic molecules and proinflammatory agents produced in the brain as a result of both normal and abnormal brain ageing.

The Glymphatic System

The brain is an extremely complex organ and as such, brain injury is a complicated and diverse condition. The recently discovered glymphatic system, a macroscopic waste clearance system that utilises a unique system of perivascular channels, which provide an efficient elimination of proteins and metabolites from the central nervous system, during sleep. Several studies have shown that acute injury, including TBI, subarachnoid bleeding or stroke, profoundly impact glymphatic function and impair convective fluid flow. Thus, this impairment of glymphatic function could further exacerbate damage due to accumulation of both normal metabolic waste as well as injury-induced debris. The degree by which glymphatic function is suppressed after brain injury might therefore contribute to the variability in outcome (Jessen et al., 2015). Voluntastrols not only support the effective functioning of the glymphatic system, but also enhance sleep quality, thus providing dual benefit.

Therapeutic Actions Of Brain Health (powered by Voluntastrols)

Brain health (powered by Voluntastrols) has been formulated based upon the latest scientific research in this rapidly growing body of evidence. The neuro phyto-actives found in Brain health (Voluntastrols), have wide-ranging therapeutic actions, such as halting the neuroinflammatory cascade and signalling pathways associated with protein folding. They also play a protective role in preventing mitochondrial dysfunction, to enhance existing neuronal function and regeneration (Camandola, Plick & Mattson, 2018). Adding to these remarkable benefits, some of the active constituents found in Voluntastrols have been found to “possess a stronger neuroprotective action than antioxidant vitamins” (Kumar & Khanum, 2012).

Brain health (powered by Voluntastrols) is a significant breakthrough for brain injury patients of diverse aetiologies.

Brain Health (powered by Voluntastrols) continues to transform lives, when often all hope has been lost.