Azarenka Collapses at U.S. Open with Mild Concussion
The New York Times / September 2, 2010
Up went her service toss at the United States Open on Wednesday, and Victoria Azarenka, already wobbly on her feet and down in the first set of her second-round match, 0-4, took a swing and missed completely, the ball bouncing off her back before landing on the steamy surface of the grandstand court.
Youth Football: Is It Safe to Play?
The Today Show / August 31, 2010
Dr. Mark Adickes met with Matt Lauer Monday morning on the Today Show to discuss parents' concerns about the risks of concussion and other injuries related to playing football.
Concussions Soar Among Youth Athletes
National Public Radio / August 30, 2010
A new study in the journal Pediatrics shows a dramatic increase in the number of sports-related concussions for child athletes. NPR's Melissa Block talks to Dr. Lisa Bakhos, the lead author of the study.
Child Concussion on the Rise, Studies Show
CBS News / August 30, 2010
Two studies released today by The American Academy of Pediatrics report the number of concussions suffered by children in sports is on the rise.
VA Secretary Addresses Traumatic Brain Injury Conference
Business Wire / August 30, 2010
Recognizing the longstanding, integrated collaboration shared by the Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense, VA Secretary Eric K. Shinseki gave the keynote address Monday at the fourth annual Traumatic Brain Injury Military Training Conference here.
On Prosopagnosia (Face Blindness) and Oliver Sacks
The Baltimore Sun / August 26, 2010
Imagine having prosopagnosia or "face blindness" -- the inability to recognize faces, including those of friends and close relatives. Well, my favorite doctor/author, Oliver Sacks, talks in this week's New Yorker about his struggle with this unusual affliction, which usually results from stroke, traumatic brain injury or certain neurodegenerative diseases, according to the National Institutes of Health.
New Law Has MIAA Perplexed
THe Boston Globe / August 25, 2010
On the eve of the first full-contact football practices, a new state law regarding concussions has school officials confused and frustrated.
To Enjoy College Football, Don't Think Too Much
The New York Times / August 25, 2010
It’s entertainment. That’s the best way to think about the opening of the college football season a week from Thursday. Fans are hereby advised not to get too sad about the continuing breakdown of the old conferences and not to dwell on the plague of brain damage in former football players, possibly mimicking Lou Gehrig’s disease.
Novelty Helmets Riskier for Bikers
The Press-Enterprise / August 24, 2010
A month ago, a motorcyclist braked and skidded when Interstate 10 traffic suddenly stopped in front of him. The rider's face -- unprotected by a turtle-shell helmet -- hit the concrete. He died at the scene.
Schools, Communities Must Confront Head Trauma in Sports
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution / August 23, 2010
Throughout the past several months, increased attention has been given to the issue of concussions sustained by athletes in all levels of sports participation. A July 26 article in The New York Times raised awareness of the risks of head injuries to NFL players and of a new poster, developed by the CDC, that is now required to be placed in NFL locker rooms. The author, Alan Schwartz, described the posters as “blatantly alerting players to the long-term effects of concussions, using words like depression and early onset dementia.”
Sledding Injuries Common in Kids, Can Be Severe
MedPage Today / August 23, 2010
While most sledding accidents don't have the disastrous, decades-long consequences chronicled in Edith Wharton's classic novel Ethan Frome, injuries sustained while sledding are common and can be severe, particularly among very young children, a new study found.
Soldiers' Survival Rates on Rise, But So Are Challenges Presented by Brain Injuries
The Dallas Moring News / August 22, 2010
Thanks to advances in combat gear and battlefield medicine, more troops survive injuries that would have killed them in previous wars. This is good news, but it also presents some long-term challenges. The soldiers are "surviving, but with things like post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury," said Dr. Carol Tamminga, professor of psychiatry at UT Southwestern Medical Center.
Catchers' Head Injuries Ignored in Baseball's Early Years
The New York Times / August 21, 2010
A baseball mystery was born last week when doctors at Boston University, having discovered a connection between brain injuries and a disorder resembling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, brought up the possibility that Lou Gehrig did not have A.L.S., commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease.
Universities Turn to Wii Fit as Way of Examining Concussions
The Washington Post / August 19, 2010
Across the spectrum of athletics from youth soccer to the National Football League, concussions are one of the most worrisome of injuries: hard to diagnose and even harder to know when an athlete has recovered. Now, in an unusual combination of real sports and their digital imitators, a handful of colleges, including the University of Maryland, are turning to a video game for help.
Giants' Manning Tested for Possible Concussion, But Return Is Unclear
The New York Times / August 17, 2010
A day after a hard hit opened a bloody gash on his forehead and forced his exit from a preseason game, Giants quarterback Eli Manning said Tuesday in a radio interview that tests to make sure he did not have a concussion were negative.
Linking Head Trauma and A.L.S. in Military
The New York Times / August 17, 2010
Researchers at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Bedford, Mass., and the Boston University School of Medicine said the link between head trauma and symptoms that resemble amyotrophic lateral sclerosis may explain why A.L.S. has been diagnosed in military veterans at high rates.
Researchers Link Lou Gehrig’s Disease to Brain Trauma
The New York Times / August 17, 2010
In the 71 years since the Yankees slugger Lou Gehrig declared himself “the luckiest man on the face of the earth,” despite dying from a disease that would soon bear his name, he has stood as America’s leading icon of athletic valor struck down by random, inexplicable fate.
Experts Butt Heads on Bike Helmet Laws
ABC News / August 17, 2010
Associate Professor Chris Rissel and Dr Alexander Voukelatos from the university's school of public health have looked at the number of cyclists admitted to hospital in New South Wales with cycling-related head injuries between 1989 -- before helmets were mandatory -- and 2008.
Michelle Philpots Can't Remember Last 20 Years
Fox News, Phoenix / August 16, 2010
The British woman has anterograde amnesia, caused by head injuries she suffered in two vehicle crashes more than 20 years ago. Profiled during a recent interview on the Today Show , Philpots said she wakes up every morning thinking it is 1994, which is the last year she can fully remember.
Back Home, But Still Fighting
Stars and Stripes / August 16, 2010
On Sept. 11, 2004, Sgt. Bobby Lisek’s platoon went out to patrol the streets of Sadr City in place of another unit. Irritated by the change of plans, Lisek sat hunched over inside a Bradley Fighting Vehicle as the convoy slowly wound through the narrow city streets. “They made a half a turn, and WHOOOP,” he said. “Thirty-two days later, I woke up.”
Wounds of Iraq War: US Struggles with Surge of Returning Veterans
The Christian Science Monitor / August 16, 2010
In the spring of 2005, Marine Lt. Col. Mike Zacchea returned from the Iraq war to his Long Island, N.Y., home both a hero and a shattered man. Zacchea excelled in battle. During Operation Phantom Fury, the all-out assault against Sunni insurgents in Fallujah in late 2004, he earned a Bronze Star for valor. He received a Purple Heart for injuries sustained when a rocket-propelled grenade exploded just feet from him, piercing his shoulder with shrapnel. Doctors said his injuries were aggravated when he refused to be airlifted out – he didn't want to leave the Iraqi Army soldiers whom he trained and fought alongside in the country's infamous Sunni Triangle.
Hundreds of PTSD Soldiers Likely Misdiagnosed
The Associated Press / August 15, 2010
At the height of the Iraq war, the Army routinely fired hundreds of soldiers for having a personality disorder when they were more likely suffering from the traumatic stresses of war, discharge data suggests.
VA Explains Where $6.3M Meant for Brain Injury Research Went
The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review / August 15, 2010
Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki has provided a brief explanation of how $6.3 million targeted for traumatic brain injuries suffered by service members in Iraq and Afghanistan has been utilized.
Bay's Concussion May Prompt Revamping of Mets' Protocol
The New York Times / August 15, 2010
When Mets outfielder Jason Bay ran full speed into the padded outfield wall at Dodger Stadium last month after catching a long fly ball, then crumpled to the ground, it appeared he had hit his head, face first, against the blue padding.
A Reaons for Optimism in Diagnosing, Treating TBI
Stars and Stripes / August 13, 2010
Late one night at Joint Base Balad, Iraq, Sgt. 1st Class Eric Espinoza was watching TV when he noticed a spot describing the symptoms of mild traumatic brain injuries: dizziness, headaches, forgetfulness.
New Concussion Rules for Michigan High School Sports
WZZM, Michigan / August 13, 2010
If you've driven by a high school football field lately you've no doubt seen the players out practicing. This year their coaches will be keeping an even closer eye on them. There's been a statewide change to the rules when it comes to concussions.
New NFL Rules Designed to Limit Head Injuries
San Jose Mercury News / August 13, 2010
NFL referees will take on more responsibility this season to protect players from helmet-first hits to their heads and necks. The league has expanded its rules to prevent "defenseless" players from taking shots above their shoulders. Groups of officials are meeting with teams during training camp to go over the changes.
Hidden Disabilities
Healing into Possibility Blog, Psychology Today / August 13, 2010
Very often our perception and judgment of a person is based on what is visible or apparent to us - what we can readily notice. But what about the things that are invisible to us? How do we access information, or even remember that there is information about a person that we don't notice?
Deal Reached on Metal Bats, Protective Headgear
San Francisco Chronicle / August 12, 2010
Assemblyman Jared Huffman will abandon a bill that would have temporarily banned metal baseball bats in school sports, after striking a deal with California high school sports officials that may lead to mandatory protective headgear for pitchers and other players.
Seahawks' Curry a Test Case in New Concussion Era
Associated Press / August 12, 2010
Still in his blue practice pants, leg pads and cleats, Aaron Curry, the new husband and even newer father reached to his wife. Then he picked up their young son Maxwell. The Seahawks' $34 million linebacker playfully hugged, kissed and lifted the smiling boy, born in October. The scene showed off the two biggest reasons Curry was so scared on July 31.
For Some Players, Concussions Bring Confusion, Altered Lives
Cincinnati Enquirer / August 12, 2010
Sam Mathews wandered through a woodsy Fort Mitchell cemetery for three hours, lost and disoriented. This was after the Beechwood High School football player had suffered a football concussion, his third. It was before his fourth concussion, sustained in late July.
Spinal-Fluid Test Is Found to Predict Alzheimer's
New York Times / August 11, 2010
Researchers report that a spinal fluid test can be 100 percent accurate in identifying patients with significant memory loss who are on their way to developing Alzheimer's disease. Although there has been increasing evidence of the value of this and other tests in finding signs of Alzheimer's, the study shows how accurate they can be. The new result is one of a number of remarkable recent findings about Alzheimer's.
Detecting Concussion on the Football Field
Technology Review / August 11, 2010
Football players who suffer a concussion on the field may not have fully healed even after their outward symptoms, such as memory or balance problems, have disappeared. The findings come from a study of nearly 400 high school and college football players using a new portable device for assessing brain injury.
After Two-Year Recovery, College Dream Comes True
Milford Daily News / August 11, 2010
Two years ago on a bright August afternoon, Colin Rooney was set to start his college career. But the Nipmuc Regional High School graduate never made it to freshman orientation at the University of South Carolina campus in Aiken. He and two other boys were headed to school when their car was struck by an 18-wheeler traveling 55 mph.
How Valuable Is Your Child's Brain?
The Cincinnati Enquirer / August 10, 2010
Charles "Doc" Gamble played football at Withrow High School and now is head coach of the Tigers. He said concussions were almost a taboo subject when he played football in the late 1980s. "Concussions were never talked about," Gamble said. "If you got your bell rung, you got your bell rung. You sat out a couple of plays and went back in." Things have changed.
NFL Tries to Lessen Concussion Impact among Players
The Tennessean / August 10, 2010
Over the course of his seven-year NFL career, Tennessee Titans defensive coordinator Chuck Cecil figures he was knocked unconscious more than 50 times. The number of practices or games he missed as a result? Zero. "Basically, the thinking was, 'What, you've got a headache? Get back in the game'," Cecil said. That attitude symbolized the macho philosophy the NFL took toward concussions for decades, treating serious head injuries as if they were no different than a bruised shin or a scraped elbow.
Opinion: Surgeon Tackles Brain Injury in Youth Sports
The Lexington Dispatch / August 10, 2010
I am a pediatric neurosurgeon at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center and I love sports. Sometimes these two passions collide. I grew up playing soccer, basketball, baseball and rowed crew. I also have three children, including two boys, ages 6 and 8, who play Pop Warner football. But I worry about youth sports as much as I love the games because of the risk of head injury. That's why, when I'm not in the operating room, I've been on a mission to raise awareness about the signs and symptoms of traumatic brain injury.
Wilbon: NFL Facing the Truth About Head Injuries
Washington Post / August 9, 2010
While we've been obsessing over LeBron James's decision and Brett Favre's indecision, a real story - one of staggering importance - has pretty much been ignored. It's a story of the NFL finally facing the truth about the frightening nature of head injuries, a story that could one faraway day lead football down the same path as boxing, one that has already persuaded me to ban my son from ever playing organized football.
Jerry Eckwood: Out of Limelight, On a Dark Road
Tampa Tribune / August 9, 2010
Jerry Eckwood was on the front porch, trying to remain patient, as a van pulled up to the modest house on a winding, ordinary street. This was special. He had visitors. Thirty-one years ago, Eckwood joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as a rookie running back from the University of Arkansas. He was an important player for the 1979 worst-to-first team, the first of three seasons he played with the Bucs before injuries ended his career. Only a shell of that swift, powerful athlete remains.
Vets Returning Home to Unfriendly Job Market
Wall Street Journal / August 9, 2010
Veterans returning from overseas are encountering a particularly hostile job market these days. While the 8.4% unemployment rate for veterans overall is lower than the 9.5% rate for the population as a whole, the jobless rate for veterans who served since September 2001 rose to 11.8% in July, the Labor Department said Friday. That's up from 11.5% the month before.
Obstacle Course Changes Kids' Lives
NewsChannel 4, Oklahoma / August 6, 2010
It was a celebratory morning at The Children's Center in Bethany, OK. The sound of a hammer signaled the completion of a life-changing project. With the help of one of the staff members at the Center, Aaron Bullock drove the last metal rods in place on an obstacle course named "Community Barriers." Bullock helped design the course which will help children with disabilities train on different ground surfaces found in the community.
Alaska Has Among Highest Brain Injury Rates in Nation
Alaska Public Radio Network / August 6, 2010
Alaska has one of the highest incidences of brain injuries in the nation – more than 10,000 Alaskans live with a life-long disability resulting from a brain injury.
Pentagon Probes Alleged Research Misconduct on Wounded Troops
Fox News / August 4, 2010
The Pentagon is probing allegations that Navy medical personnel tested the use of an over-the-counter dietary supplement on 80 wounded U.S. soldiers to determine its effectiveness for treating mild brain injuries, the Pentagon's Office of Inspector General confirmed to Fox News.
Hitless or Witless?
The Wall Street Journal / August 4, 2010
Protecting football players from serious head injuries is making news again. Accused for years by outside critics and even Congress of dismissing the danger of concussions, the National Football League has finally installed measures to safeguard players during games and, when they are injured, to treat them more effectively.
New Eyeglasses Could Help Traumatic Brain Injury Patients Including Soldiers
Washington Examiner / August 3, 2010
New studies are showing that prismatic eyeglasses should be included in the overall therapy of certain traumatic brain injury patients. Treatments include physical and occupational therapy, and medication(s).
Pentagon Questions Drug Study on Troops
The Boston Globe / August 3, 2010
The Department of Defense is investigating whether 80 wounded American service members in Iraq were improperly used as subjects in a test of a possible treatment for brain injuries, according to the Pentagon’s Office of Inspector General.
