Tropes

www.dailymail.co.uk_sciencetech 2015 01834.txt.txt

#The HEADPHONES that detect brain damage: Pioneering device tracks changes in pressure caused by injury and infection Doctors have developed a brain pressure test using a special set of headphones that can detect life-threatening head injuries and infections. The technique involves a patient wearing the headphones with an ear plug linked to a computer. This enables doctors to measure fluid pressure in the skull-known as intracranial pressure (ICP)- without the need for surgery or painful spinal procedures. The device is currently being used by Southampton General Hospital. In particular, the pressure tests measure fluid via a channel that links the inner ear with the brain. As fluids in the ear and brain are connected a change in pressure in the brain is reflected by a corresponding change in the ear -which can signal the need for intervention. Changes to ICP occur when the brain swells as a result of an injury or infection and prevents blood flow, depriving the brain of the oxygen it needs to function. Currently, it can only be measured by drilling a hole through the skull to implant a pressure probe into the brain in theatre or a lumbar puncture, where a sample of fluid that surrounds the spinal cord is removed using a needle under local anaesthetic. The headphones are set to be used in the diagnosis and treatment of conditions such as meningitis and head trauma injuries as well as the monitoring and management of patients in comas. Called the cerebral and cochlear fluid pressure (CCFP) analyser, it is also being adapted by Nasa to analyse brain pressure levels in astronauts to help tackle space-related visual problems and sickness. And doctors said they believe it could be used to distinguish between head injuries and post traumatic stress disorder in soldiers returning from combat zones.''We know that high pressure inside the skull resulting from injuries and infections can be fatal, so it is essential it is detected as early as possible to avoid exacerbating symptoms and ensure treatment can begin promptly'explained Dr Robert Marchbanks, a consultant clinical scientist.''Current methods for testing ICP require procedures to be carried out under sedation or anaesthetic, which means they are limited to the most severe cases and those with less obvious initial symptoms often go undetected until their symptoms have worsened.''However, as our CCFP device does not require a patient to do anything other than wear a set of headphones with an ear plug, it has the potential to provide rapid, accurate and safe assessments to patients in much larger numbers than is currently possible.''Although the researchers are already working closely with Nasa and developing relations with the UK military, they are currently focusing on completing an NHS study of the equipment. They then hope to rollout CCFP acorss the health service'in the near future.'

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