Autonomic Dysfunction After Brain Injury - An Interview with Dr. John McClaren - Part 1 | E11

Life After Impact: The Concussion Recovery Podcast

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Dr. John McClaren shares his journey into specializing in brain injury rehabilitation and explains how autonomic nervous system dysfunction affects many TBI patients, often going undiagnosed despite causing significant symptoms.
• Personal connection to TBI after his father's severe train accident which inspired his specialization
• Conventional autonomic testing (QSART, tilt table) often has 6-month waiting lists, delaying treatment
• Autonomic nervous system functioning requires responsiveness - like a high-performance sports car - needing both acceleration and braking capabilities
• Simple bedside assessments can reveal autonomic dysfunction without lengthy waits
• Pupillary light reflex testing using smartphone apps provides millisecond-precision measurements
• Blood pressure differences between sides and positions offer valuable diagnostic information
• Heart examination with position changes can detect subtle autonomic abnormalities
• White matter connections between brain regions drive proper autonomic function
• Current focus on vagus nerve may miss the bigger picture of central autonomic network dysfunction
• New imaging techniques like DTI now allowing visualization of damaged neural connections

Dr. McClaren can be contacted at Advanced Chiropractic & Neurology in Omaha Nebraska.

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1. Autonomic Dysfunction After Brain Injury - An Interview with Dr. John McClaren - Part 1 | E11 (00:00:00)

2. Podcast Introduction & Dr. McLaren (00:00:58)

3. Dr. McLaren's Personal TBI Connection (00:03:47)

4. Journey to Neurological Specialization (00:10:06)

5. Building a Specialized TBI Practice (00:18:57)

6. Autonomic Testing and Assessment Methods (00:22:48)

7. Reading Pupillary Responses and Blood Pressure (00:31:42)

8. Vagus Nerve Oversimplification (00:37:31)

9. White Matter Connections & Adaptation (00:42:39)