Scientists Identify Gene For Brain Injury Recovery

Researchers at the University of Illinois claim to have discovered a gene that affects a person's ability to recover from traumatic brain injury (TBI). Individuals with the gene are more likely to recover from TBI without suffering any permanent damage. News of this ground-breaking discovery is already rocking the medical science community, as it reveals one more use for effective DNA sequencing.

To put the problem of TBIs into perspective, the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that a third of all injury-relates deaths in the U.S. are linked to TBIs. The most common causes of TBI include falls, automobile accidents, assaults and stuck between/struck against injuries.

So, how were researchers able to identify the gene responsible for TBI recovery? According to the Plos One report, researchers meticulously went over the data from 156 Vietnam War veterans who suffered severe head wounds during their time in combat. All 156 veterans had suffered damage to the prefrontal cotex -- the part of the brain responsible for problem solving, thinking and exhibiting emotion.

Researchers ultimately concluded that the presence of a polymorphism BDNF gene led to higher intelligence levels amount Vietnam War veterans whom suffered from TBI. Everyone has the BDNF gene in their DNA sequence, but there are different versions of it available (known as polymorphism). In their report, researchers stated that veterans with the BDNF val/val polymorphism exhibited an IQ that was roughly 8 points higher than veterans with other polymorphism BDNF.

Aron Barbey, the study's team leader and professor of speech and hearing science said:

"We administered a large, cognitive battery of tests to investigate how they performed after their injury, and we had a team of neurologists who helped characterize the nature and scope of the patients’ brain injuries."

It's important to note that this is just a single study, and there's really not enough evidence to conclusively say that the presence of the BDNF val/val gene can help a person recover in the event of a TBI. In addition, the study was only done on 156 veterans, which is pretty small in the scope of things.

With that said, the discovery of a gene that's linked to TBI recovery is an exciting develop in the medical community. It brings more attention to DNA sequencing while revealing a practical use for it.

How do you feel about DNA sequencing? Would you like to know if you were pre-disposed to a certain disease or illness? Let us know in the comments section below!