[Uncovering the critical roles of magnesium and substance P in central nervous system injury].

Abstract

Dot Point Summary . First to apply phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy to the study of traumatic brain injury (TBl) and spinal cord injury (SCl) - led to a complete description of high energy phosphate metabolism after CNS trauma - led to the co-development of the lateral fluid percussion model of rodent TBI - was the first in vivo demonstration that brain trauma was different from ischaemia - identified that energy metabolism differed between brain and spinal cord injury . First to apply proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) to the study of TBI and SCI - identified that lactate concentration did not reach injury thresholds after brain trauma - first described that n-acetyl-aspartate was an unsuitable MRS concentration standard after brain injury - first described that n-acetyl-aspartate declined after brain injury . Discovered that brain magnesium concentration declined after TBI - a seminal demonstration that intracellular free magnesium concentration can change in vivo - first to demonstrate that tissue total magnesium can decline after injury - first to calculate the impact of magnesium change on critical bioenergetic parameters in vivo - first to measure altered mitochondrial bioenergetics after TBI . Discovered that magnesium treatment improved outcome after TBI - first description of magnesium as a neuroprotective agent after acute brain injury - first to demonstrate that lowering magnesium concentration was deleterious to outcome - first to demonstrate a dose-response effect for magnesium and define the therapeutic window after TBI . First to apply diffusion weighted imaging to the study of TBI - identified critical early phase of vasogenic oedema following trauma . Discovered that neuropeptides, and in particular substance P, are involved in early oedema formation after TBI and stroke - first to identify neurogenic inflammation as a characteristic feature of acute brain injury - first to describe NK1 antagonists as a novel therapeutic approach to treat oedema - first to describe beneficial effects of combined NK1 antagonists and tPA in stroke - first to describe the efficacy of NK1 antagonists in management of intracranial pressure . Discovered that substance P may play a critical role in cell death in early Parkinson's disease - first to describe NK1 antagonists as a novel therapeutic approach to treat Parkinson's disease . Over 6,500 citations according to Google Scholar . "h" index of 41 . Associate Editor for the journal, Magnesium Research . 0n the editorial boards of Journal of Neurotrauma, Neurotherapeutics and Frontiers in Neurotrauma