Veterans suffering from seizures in the wake of head injuries, including traumatic brain injuries (TBI), could soon see their conditions improve thanks to new research into chemicals found in the gut.
Seizures, caused by a condition called post-traumatic epilepsy (PTE) that develops after a TBI, can be prevented by treating patients with chemicals derived from the gut microbiome, according to research from Texas A&M University’s Naresh K. Vashisht College of Medicine.
PTE is one of the conditions TBI causes. Symptoms of PTE include convulsions, muscle stiffening and losing consciousness.
A TBI occurs when a sudden blow to the head causes damage to the brain. More than 430,000 service members have been diagnosed with TBI since 2000, according to the Department of Defense.
The new research was led by Dr. Samba Reddy, a professor of neuroscience and experimental therapeutics at Texas A&M University. It was published in the scientific journal Experimental Neurology and supported by the DOD.
How The Chemical Works
By testing on injured brain tissue, Reddy and his team found that sodium butyrate—a molecule created in the gut microbiome when bacteria breaks down food—can block enzymes called histone deacetylase (HDACs) that are triggered by brain injury and cause inflammation and other symptoms associated with PTE.
It found that, in addition to preventing seizures, the treatment reduced brain inflammation, improved mood and memory, and helped injured brains heal.
“Severe seizures induced by TBI are a serious public health concern worldwide,” Reddy said in a statement. “My goal is to keep patients safe, mentally sharp and potentially cure PTE by intervening at the right time and before brain damage becomes permanent.”
U.S. Navy corpsmen and medical officers from across the II Marine Expeditionary Force get hands-on with a TBI assessment device during an end-user touchpoint at the Tactical Medicine Training Center, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, June 30, 2026. (Defense Health Agency Photo by T. T. Parish/Released)
Sodium butyrate is currently sold as a gut supplement, but it has not been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for therapeutic uses.
“Seizures, memory loss, depression, anxiety and cognitive decline can emerge long after the initial impact has healed,” Reddy added. “If we can intervene during the critical window after the initial injury, we have the potential to not only treat seizures, but to preserve overall brain function.”
Other New TBI Advancements
Other efforts to prevent and treat TBI and associated conditions are underway.
Last week, the Army announced what one official described as the “single most important advancement” in detecting TBIs.
The new handheld diagnostic device, i-STAT Alinity, is being fielded by U.S. Army medical leaders in Europe and uses a blood sample to detect biomarkers in the brain that are released when an injury occurs. The discovery of neural damage can occur in less than 15 minutes.
Reddy’s team said that in the future, pending further research, these newly studied chemicals could also be used to treat other issues, including spinal cord injuries and other brain-injury related diseases like Alzheimer’s and dementia.
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39 Comments
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Silver leverage is strong here; beta cuts both ways though.
Uranium names keep pushing higher—supply still tight into 2026.
Uranium names keep pushing higher—supply still tight into 2026.
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I like the balance sheet here—less leverage than peers.
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Good point. Watching costs and grades closely.