Brain Center

Curbing stroke’s inflammatory damage: A new target

In an ischemic stroke, accounting for nearly 90 percent of all stroke cases, it happens like this: When vessels supplying blood and oxygen to the brain are blocked by a narrowing or a clot, immune cells in the brain sense the low-oxygen conditions, suspect an invading organism and try to kill it by producing molecules known as reactive oxygen species or ROS’s.

These, unfortunately, have an inflammatory effect that actually damages the brain further, injuring and killing neurons.

“Stroke produces inflammation, and that’s one of the main things people have been after in trying to reduce stroke damage,” says David Clapham, MD, PhD, chief of the Basic Cardiovascular Research Laboratories at Boston Children’s Hospital...Read the full article

Using high-tech resources to optimize brain surgeries

Surgery can play a big role in the treatment of complex conditions, like brain tumors or intractable epilepsy. Numerous studies have shown that the more precise the surgery, the better the child’s outcome. In 2005, Children’s became the first pediatric hospital to use a full-sized Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machine during operations. This means that our neurosurgeons can bring the magnet out from behind doors to take images before, during and after an operation. Using these images, we can then determine if additional tissue should be removed while the patient is still on the operating table. The precise imagery allows us to conduct the most complete tissue resection possible, while minimizing damage to healthy, nearby tissue.

Implementing innovative programs at Children's

RAGE-Control: Regulate and Gain Emotional Control

RAGE-Control teaches children to simultaneously focus, react, inhibit impulses, and keep their heart rate down in the context of a traditional space battle game. In order to score points, children must consciously overcome their instinct to get upset or angry while performing quick-reaction tasks. The game is also available as a family intervention, which teaches families how to help one another regain control of their emotions in challenging situations.

Read more about the RAGE-Control game.
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Keeping headache care close to home

Using this model, more care happens in the community so that:

• families can make fewer trips to the hospital
• wait times for children who do need to see a neurologist or pain specialist will be shorter
• insurance costs will be lower

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Read more about the innovative research happening at Children's