Publications by authors named "W P Walker"

Identifying historical mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) is important for many clinical care reasons; however, diagnosing mild TBI is inherently challenging and utility of screening is unknown. This study compares a standardized research process to an established clinical process for screening and diagnosis of historical mild TBI during combat deployment in a military/Veteran cohort. Using validated instruments, the Long-term Impact of Military-relevant Brain Injury Consortium-Chronic Effects of Neurotrauma Consortium (LIMBIC-CENC) prospective longitudinal study (PLS) screens for all potential concussive events (PCEs) and conducts structured concussion diagnostic interviews for each PCE.

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Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a highly prevalent and genetically heterogeneous condition that results in decreased contractility and impaired cardiac function. The FK506-binding protein FKBP12 has been implicated in regulating the ryanodine receptor in skeletal muscle, but its role in cardiac muscle remains unclear. To define the effect of FKBP12 in cardiac function, we generated conditional mouse models of FKBP12 deficiency.

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  • Researchers developed prediction models to estimate the risk of posttraumatic epilepsy (PTE) in individuals who experienced moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injuries (TBI) during a two-year recovery period.
  • The study utilized data from over 6,000 participants in the TBI Model Systems National Database, performing analyses to create models that account for various factors influencing seizure risk post-injury.
  • Key findings indicated that Model 3, which focused on predicting new or recurrent seizures in the second year, had the highest sensitivity (86.63%) and effectiveness, with factors like cranial surgeries and traumatic hemorrhages being significant risk predictors across all models.
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  • A study found that changes in the brain entorhinal cortex (EC) and specific blood lipids are linked to Alzheimer's disease (AD) in individuals with the apolipoprotein E ε4 genetic variant.
  • Analysis of brain imaging and lipid profiles revealed that ε4 carriers with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) had thicker left ECs, but repeated mTBIs reduced right EC thickness.
  • The research highlights the need for further investigation into the relationship between ε4, mTBI, and specific blood lipid ratios as potential biomarkers for early detection of AD in affected individuals.
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