Brain Inflammation Collaborative
Fueling scientific advancement and hope for all impacted by brain inflammation through research, education, and partnership.
Inflammation in your brain can strike at the very core of who you are— impacting how you think, feel, move, and act. Brain inflammation, or neuroinflammation, occurs when the immune system’s inflammatory response affects the brain, nervous system, or spinal cord.
Inflammation, or the inflammatory process, is part of your immune system’s normal reaction to an illness, infection, or injury. It can be caused by viruses, infections, injuries, or even allergies. Inflammation typically resolves when the infection clears, the injury heals, or when you avoid contact with the allergen.
For some people, this process triggers an endless loop of neuroinflammation and debilitating symptoms like:
- Extreme fatigue
- Brain fog
- Severe sleep issues
- Dramatic mood or behavior changes
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Panic attacks
- and more.
These symptoms are often labeled as treatment-resistant mental health, behavioral, neurological, and systemic conditions, and they are frequently dismissed or misdiagnosed in typical healthcare settings. The relationship between brain inflammation and mental health is understudied and misunderstood.
The Brain Inflammation Collaborative is fueling the scientific advancement critically needed to inform better treatment options and care for brain inflammation.
People with neuroinflammation are shuffled from doctor to doctor, medication to medication, trapped in a cycle of debilitating symptoms, medical bills, medication side effects, and hopelessness. It can be overwhelming.
We are here to help. But we can’t do it alone.
Fundraisers
Official fundraiser
Clear the Air: A Clinical Research Study on 'Brain Fog'
'Brain fog' has become a popular term to describe cognitive challenges many people with a wide variety of diagnoses experience daily. Generally, brain fog refers to cognitive issues that are characteristic of many neurological and mental health conditions. Still, it is challenging to isolate brain fog from mental health and other medical symptoms. Together, let's clear the air on brain fog. 'Brain fog' used in clinical and scientific settings to identify issues such as forgetfulness, trouble finding one's words, confusion, fatigue, dizziness, mental exhaustion , among others. Despite widespread use, many scientists and healthcare providers use the term to describe very different medical and/or mental processes. The Brain Inflammation Collaborative will soon launch an innovative study on brain fog, a symptom that overlaps many medical conditions. A symptom this common—and debilitating for many—must be better understood. By developing better standards for isolating and treating brain fog experienced by people with many different diagnoses, we will get closer to a treatment for all the diagnoses included as well. There are no formal guidelines or protocols to support clinicians in identifying and isolating brain fog as a symptom. There are also no standards of care for addressing brain fog or investigating the root cause. Further, brain fog in children and adolescents is experienced and described differently than in adults, causing additional misdiagnoses and delayed care. Clinical research projects rarely turn to the general public and patients to help better identify the use of the term and the underlying causes. The Brain Inflammation Collaborative is different from many clinical research companies. Founded by and for patients and caregivers, we believe in the power of partnering with patients as study leaders, not just participants. Patient experiences and feedback serve a central role in our clinical research model. Join us! We're on a mission to fuel scientific advancement and hope for all who are impacted by brain inflammation through research, awareness, advocacy, and partnership. Your donation makes a lasting impact for people impacted by neuroinflammation. Getting the right diagnosis, the best treatment, and timely care shouldn't be complicated. Join us to clear the air.
- Raised
- $50
- Goal
- $50,000
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