KFYR News (ND) | Jul 27, 2018
The North Dakota legislature's interim health committee is looking at a draft bill that would change the definition of a brain injury. According to state law, damage caused by a stroke or aneurysm is not considered a brain injury, which can limit the medical or financial aid that patients receive. Changing the language could include such situations.
NPR | Jul 27, 2018
Daniel, a Marine Corps veteran, used to fire a rocket launcher called the shoulder-launched multipurpose assault weapon. Two decades later, he still experiences dizzy spells and disorientation. But the Department of Veterans Affairs doesn't have a category for vets like him, who may have sustained traumatic brain injuries from training rather than combat.
NPR | Jul 26, 2018
The military is trying to figure out whether troops can sustain brain injuries from firing certain powerful weapons. Two Marines who used to shoot these weapons think they already know. "It's exhilarating," says Daniel, a former gunner in the Marine Corps who asked that we not use his last name. "When you feel a concussive wave, it's an awesome thing. It fills you with awe." It also may do bad things to your brain.
The New York Times | Jul 25, 2018
Limited by federal law, the veterans' health system can't study the benefits of cannabis or prescribe it to patients. Nearly a million veterans may be using it anyway without medical guidance on which product might help with which ailment, how much to use, or how marijuana might interact with other medications. Ordinarily, their first stop for advice like that would be the Department of Veterans Affairs health system but the department has largely said no to medical marijuana, citing federal law. It won’t recommend cannabis products for patients, and for the most part, it has declined even to study their potential benefits.
The New York Times | Jul 25, 2018
The NFL ultimately decided to settle its concussion lawsuit. The NHL is taking another path. “The NFL’s litigation strategy was informed less by the law than by the public relations and existential threat that concussions posed uniquely to their sport,” said Jodi Balsam, who teaches at Brooklyn Law School and worked at the NFL. In contrast, the NHL strategy has been largely to ignore negative publicity, or at least not to seem outwardly rattled by it, and unapologetically attempt to use the law to its advantage.
Task & Purpose | Jul 25, 2018
I began to wonder if one of the most damaging things that PTSD can do is prevent us from our ability to cope with these past traumas. Any trauma that might have reasonably occurred outside of military service, could invalidate any existing or future diagnosis. If people were in treatment, which most were not, it meant that only one trauma was being addressed. It would be like working on a broke down car but insisting that the only thing that needed to be fixed were the wheels.
NPR | Jul 24, 2018
Doctors are closer to a test in live brains that could help diagnose chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a disease that's been linked to concussions and other repeated brain assaults. The Journal of Alzheimer's Disease published a study Tuesday that helps broaden the understanding of who is potentially affected by CTE to include military personnel. And, perhaps more significantly, the study represents a step forward in developing a test for the disease in the living.
TODAY | Jul 24, 2018
Neurologists say that victims of physical abuse can be left with severe brain injuries that are rarely diagnosed or treated. Now, staff at the Phoenix-based Barrow Neurological Institute, a top brain injury clinic, have made it their mission to help victims and bring needed attention to this national health problem.
Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News | Jul 24, 2018
Investigators from the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA have identified a brain lipid molecule (LPA) that was significantly increased after TBI. The researchers also found that LPA was elevated in areas associated with cell death and axonal injury, both major hallmarks of moderate and severe TBI. These findings strengthen the evidence that LPA could be used as a biomarker of TBI through blood testing, potentially providing a prognostic indicator of injury and outcome.
LiveScience | Jul 24, 2018
A new blood test approved by the FDA to detect brain injuries might reduce the number of potentially unnecessary brain scans, according to a new study published July 24 in the journal The Lancet Neurology. The researchers argue that the blood test could reduce the number of unnecessary CT scans performed on patients suspected of having a TBI. However, several experts aren't convinced the new test would be a significant boon to patients.
HealthDay News | Jul 24, 2018
Traumatic brain injury can be a permanently disabling experience, but new research shows that obesity compounds the health problems survivors face. Achieving and maintaining a healthy diet and engaging in regular physical activity following a traumatic brain injury (TBI) are critical goals for recovery," said lead researcher Laura Dreer, from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and her colleagues.
The New York Times | Jul 23, 2018
Veterans share their stories of struggling with moral injury and how they came to understand their symptoms. "I was in a combat infantry unit in Vietnam from 1969 to 1970. After returning home, I experienced the usual PTSD symptoms: nightmares, flashbacks, hypervigilance, the need to self-medicate and an exaggerated startle reflex," says one veteran. "Years later, I read Jonathan Shay’s book 'Achilles in Vietnam and immediately understood the concept of moral injury."
Chicago Tribune | Jul 18, 2018
The damaging effects of a concussion are well-known, and recent research finds the injuries are common among U.S. high school students. In a representative survey of nearly 15,000 kids in grades 9-12, just over 15% said they had suffered at least one concussion over the prior year. What's more, 6% of respondents "reported two or more concussions" over the past 12 months, and 2% said they'd experienced four or more of the head injuries.
Forbes | Jul 18, 2018
Per order of a federal judge, a special investigator will not be appointed to the NFL’s $1 billion Concussion Settlement program to crack down on supposedly fraudulent claims. According to the July 18 ruling from U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania Judge Anita B. Brody, though “sufficient evidence of probable fraud to warrant serious concern” was found, the order denied the NFL’s request to have a third-party investigator examine the claims submission process and says the current system in place to disregard dubious claims is working properly. This came after the NFL alleged this past spring that an administrator determined that 23 percent of the claims submitted to the program were fraudulent.
Boston Herald | Jul 2, 2018
The brains of the late state auditor and former boxer Joe DeNucci and the late National Hockey League player Jeff Parker have been found to have chronic traumatic encephalopathy — providing further evidence that football players aren’t the only ones who get the progressive brain disease.The CTE Center at Boston University School of Medicine is leading much of the research into the mysteries surrounding CTE, working toward the ultimate goal of being able to diagnose the disease in living patients.
First Coast News (ABC) | Jul 2, 2018
They say if it isn't broken, don't fix it. But what happens when something is broken, but no one can see it? That is the dilemma of a concussion. "It's an invisible injury, we call [it]," said Dr. Nata Salvatori with the Brooks Center for Sports Therapy. Salvatori says concussions are heavily underdiagnosed, especially in female athletes. She attributes part of that to the difficulty in spotting it. "You're going to have a negative MRI, you're going to have a negative CT scan," Salvatori said, "so there's nothing objective to show."
Task & Purpose | Jul 2, 2018
The bright lights and booming sounds of fireworks on the Fourth of July can be tough for veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. The loud noises and bright lights of fireworks can trigger some bad memories for military veterans. “I’ve had dreams at night and then I wake up and realize it’s only fireworks,” said Atwater’s Frank Paredes, who is a 98-year old World War II Veteran.
USA Today | Jun 29, 2018
Football killed Tyler Hilinski. Officially, the Washington State quarterback’s cause of death was suicide. But that seems to be a matter of semantics after Tuesday’s news that Hilinski had the early stages of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). Hilinski’s death defies reason. He spent most of his career as a quarterback, a position not as prone to violent hits as, say, linebacker or lineman. Yet Hilinski, who had always been so good-natured and even-keeled, showed signs of depression last fall.
The Washington Post | Jun 29, 2018
Extensive portions of video depositions related to a concussion lawsuit brought against the National Hockey League by about 150 former players became public this month. The video depositions make for infuriating viewing. “You’ve seen all the research and the data,” said NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman. “There’s no medical or scientific certainty that concussions lead to CTE.”
The New York Times | Jun 27, 2018
While the severity of a collision does not necessarily translate to the severity of a concussion — or whether one takes place at all — M.L.B. put its concussion protocol in place in 2011 to avoid recurrences of situations like the ones that cut short the career of the former Mets outfielder Ryan Church.
Revisionist History Podcast | Jun 27, 2018
Malcolm gave a talk at the University of Pennsylvania on the subject of proof. How much evidence do we need of the harmfulness of some behavior, before we act? The lecture was about the long-ago fight over miner’s asthma — and about the unexpected death of a Penn student named Owen Thomas. Revisionist History returns to the question at the heart of the talk, with a visit to Owen Thomas’s family.
TODAY | Jun 26, 2018
Tyler Hilinski was a promising college football quarterback at Washington State University who died by suicide earlier this year at the age of 21. Now his parents, Mark and Kym, are speaking out about mental health and Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) in a new Sports Illustrated documentary. “It was a shock to … find out that he had it, and to realize that the sport that he loved may have contributed to that diagnosis,” the mother tells TODAY’s Hoda Kotb.
The New York Times | Jun 14, 2018
Against the backdrop of the global war on terror, moral injury has become a growing area of study within the psychology community, but whether it should be defined as an official disorder is still a contentious debate. It is not listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders and is often conflated with post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury, two health issues that are closely associated with the post-Sept. 11 veteran experience.
Quartz | Jun 12, 2018
Just a year after the NFL settled for $1 billion with the families of players who suffered brain damage, and after the college athletes’ league reached a settlement to provide free biannual medical screening for athletes, the NCAA will tackle the matter again publicly in a Texas civil court. But this time, the NCAA officials will have to testify in front of a jury. The trial, which begins today (June 11), will be the first time NCAA representatives will have to answer questions in court about brain injury, revealing just what they knew about CTE and the risks of playing football, how long they knew it, and whether they hid information about those dangers from college athletes.
KTTS | Jun 12, 2018
One of the challenges in the criminal justice system is helping people not become repeat offenders when they're released from prison. We hear all the time about the need to treat mental illness among inmates. But new research suggests something new to consider when it comes to the brain -- an actual brain injury. Identifying inmates with brain damage can give them an entirely new chance of turning their lives around.
NPR | Jun 11, 2018
American diplomats in Guangzhou, China are reporting strange symptoms that the State Department says are similar to what would follow a concussion or minor traumatic brain injury. NPR's Mary Louise Kelly speaks to New York Times Steven Lee Myers about his reporting on the story.
WTOP | Jun 8, 2018
For the last five years, Ken Falke has helped thousands of combat veterans overcome the stress, anxiety and trauma of war at his 37-acre Bluemont, Virginia retreat, Boulder Crest. Now, he wants to help others find the same peace — namely the 43.8 million Americans who struggle with mental health issues each year. Falke and his team of therapists and wellness experts, many of whom are veterans themselves, don’t treat their guests with traditional PTSD methods and medication. At Boulder Crest, it’s all about an alternative approach called post-traumatic growth (PTG). Simply put, PTG is learning how to find strength in trauma and then growing from that experience.
ABC News | Jun 7, 2018
A new study, published in the Journal of Neurosurgery, followed 35 NCAA football athletes through the course of the 2016 football season and used simple blood tests to try to detect brain damage resulting from subconcussive impacts, which don't usually cause symptoms. The researchers developed an easy-to-use diagnostic test and looked at the blood samples of the 35 athletes in the study, specifically looking for two biomarkers –- tau proteins and neurofilament light polypeptide, called NF-L -- which can become elevated in the blood after even mild brain injury.
Chicago Tribune | May 29, 2018
Losing your sense of smell isn’t something that’s obvious right away, like going blind or deaf. A smell is something we notice if it’s there. The absence of a smell is harder to discern. The side effects of concussions are well documented: headache, amnesia, vomiting, loss of consciousness. Research is growing around chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a degenerative brain disease that affects football players and others who suffered repeated blows to the head. But I didn’t know a concussion can destroy your sense of smell.
WebMD | May 29, 2018
Although millions of Americans suffer concussions each year, many aren't given information about traumatic brain injury or follow-up care, a new study finds. "The lack of follow-up after a concussion is concerning because these patients can suffer adverse and debilitating effects for a very long time," said study lead author Seth Seabury. "Even patients who reported experiencing significant post-concussive symptoms often failed to see a provider. This reflects a lack of awareness, among patients and providers, that their symptoms may be connected to their brain injury," Seabury added.
Everyday Health | May 29, 2018
On May 23, 2018, more than 150 men and women gathered in an auditorium at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City, to discuss a topic that is usually reserved for football players — chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). But this time the focus was on if and how it affects the female brain.
Portland Tribune | May 29, 2018
Oregon lawyer David Kracke explains the background to Oregon's landmark concussion legislation. Max's Law governs a coach's responsibility when a player is concussed, or when a concussion is suspected. Max's Law has essentially set out guidelines that a coach must follow in the event that he or she suspects a player has received a blow to the head or body and then exhibits signs or symptoms consistent with a concussion. Once that threshold is met, certain requirements kick in.
Sports Illustrated | May 24, 2018
For Dr. Ann McKee and her colleagues, the hockey players are the next frontier in brain trauma research. She cannot divulge specific findings until the data is finalized and published, but she estimates that between 60% and 70% of hockey players whose brains have been donated to the BU bank, a relatively small group compared to their football brethren, were discovered to have CTE.
ESPN | May 20, 2018
NASCAR is implementing the use of the King-Devick test to screen for concussions when drivers are brought to the infield medical center. The test, developed in association with the Mayo Clinic, typically takes only a few minutes and consists of reading numbers listed in a row with various spacing between them. The topic of concussion testing for drivers was heightened when IndyCar announced earlier this week that it had started using the I-Portal Portable Assessment System.
Neurology Advisor | May 18, 2018
A study published in the American Journal of Emergency Medicine demonstrates that misdiagnosis of concussion in adults is somewhat common in the emergency department, despite patients presenting with known concussion signs and symptoms. Approximately 16% of head injuries that met the World Health Organization's concussion criteria did not result in a concussion diagnosis.
NPR | May 18, 2018
For the first time, the U.S. military is speaking publicly about what it's doing to address potential health risks to troops who operate certain powerful shoulder-mounted weapons. These bazooka-like weapons produce forceful explosions just inches from the operator's head. Though several scientific reports over the past year have noted the possible risk, until now military officials have been reluctant to speak publicly about whether repeated exposure to these blasts might result in injury to a shooter's brain. Tracie Lattimore, who directs the Army's traumatic brain injury program, agreed to an interview with NPR to talk about steps the military is taking.
BBC Future | May 16, 2018
Concussion is a common brain injury. But what actually happens to the brain when we are concussed? As part of the Body of Evidence series, BBC Future explores what happens in the brain after a bang on the head.
Los Angeles Times | May 14, 2018
A new study shows that mild TBIs can have serious consequences for military veterans by raising their risk of dementia. Researchers who examined the medical records of more than 350,000 Americans who served during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan found that men and women who experienced at least one mild TBI were more than twice as likely as their uninjured peers to develop dementia after they retired from the military.
The New York Times | May 7, 2018
To the family of the former N.H.L. player Jeff Parker, the posthumous diagnosis of C.T.E., or chronic traumatic encephalopathy, was the predictable conclusion. All those hits to the head, including that final one that knocked him out of the game altogether, and all those subsequent years of struggle? In the final, difficult years before Parker’s death last September at age 53, the family figured that it must be C.T.E. “It just makes me sad,” John Parker, Jeff’s younger brother, said through tears. “It doesn’t bring him back. It just makes you feel sad, that he was living with this, and it’s a thing. It’s a real thing.”
ABC News (MN) | May 7, 2018
All totaled, Kyle suffered at least 10 severe concussions from grade school into high school and missed most of ninth grade because of recurring headaches. In college, Kyle's pain, depression and anxiety had become overwhelming. In 2015, he committed suicide in his dorm room at the age of 20. In a suicide note, he wrote that the concussions "altered" his life. An examination of Kyle's brain tissue revealed he had the early stages of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, or CTE.
ABC News (TX) | May 7, 2018
George Andrie was part of the legendary Cowboys Doomsday Defense, a 5-time pro-bowler and Super Bowl Champion. Andrie has also been diagnosed with dementia by 4 different doctors who believe it's related to the head blows he received while playing in the NFL. But these days the once powerful defensive end sits quietly at home, rarely leaving the house and unable to care for himself. “They said not only does your father not qualify for this level of dementia. He doesn't qualify for any neurocognitive damage whatsoever."
NBC News San Diego | May 3, 2018
The U.S. National Institutes of Health acknowledges CBD contains neuroprotectant and anti-inflammatory properties. In the case of a concussion, the brain swells or inflames. Theories suggest CBD could trigger repair mechanisms in the brain to counteract swelling. But sports leagues don’t want to touch CBD because of its source. That’s where a San Diego-based biotech company, Renew Biopharma, may have found a solution.
Boston University | May 3, 2018
Playing American football before age 12 leads to symptoms of cognitive, behavioral and mood disorders an average of 13 years earlier than other players, a Boston University study released Monday showed. The study by researchers at the Boston University School of Medicine and released on the school's website examined brain injuries, including chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), in 246 deceased American football players, 211 of whom were diagnosed with CTE after death.
Quartz | May 3, 2018
The most worrying part of Brady’s response, when asked if he was "concerned" about the risk of CTE, is the enthusiasm he showed to "arm" others with questionable information. When one of the league’s most high-profile players spouts dubious claims about CTE prevention, it draws attention away from meaningful discussions about how the game could or should be changed to protect its athletes.
Investigate West | May 2, 2018
Over the past six months, reporters working on a series about high school sports concussions in Oregon have made 235 requests for records — or rather, the same request 235 times. Oregon has one state law to govern how local jurisdictions handle public records. But the responses to this same request are wide and varied across the state.
WKYC News | May 1, 2018
Most people think of NFL players or male soldiers when they talk about Traumatic Brain Injuries. Did you know there is a lack of brain injury research for women? In fact, the world’s largest brain bank has fewer than 10 female brains. The VA’s National Brain Bank is trying to conduct more female brain injury research by collaborating with the non-profit PINK Concussions, a female brain injury organization.
The Roanoke Times | May 1, 2018
More than half of soccer players suffer some concussion symptoms annually. Virginia Tech researchers are working to reduce that number by rating the head injury-prevention effectiveness of headbands and caps available on the market for soccer players. The system will give players and their parents a unique safety perspective by using the first independent rating system of its kind.
NPR | Apr 30, 2018
Military personnel may be endangering their own brains when they operate certain shoulder-fired weapons, according to an Army-commissioned report released Monday. The report, from the Center for a New American Security, says these bazooka-like weapons pose a hazard because they are powered by an explosion just inches from the operator's head. "When you fire it, the pressure wave feels like getting hit in the face," says Paul Scharre, a former Army Ranger who directs the technology and national security program at the Center. Scharre is a co-author of the center's report: Protecting Warfighters from Blast Injury. The report looks at a range of injuries caused by blast waves — pulses of high-pressure air that emanate from an explosion and travel faster than the speed of sound.
ABC News (AU) | Apr 30, 2018
According to a new report, the first of its kind in Australia, 40% of family violence victims have sustained a brain injury. Many victims were also unaware of the cumulative impact of mild traumatic brain injuries "and the fact that multiple blows to the head over a long period of time can really lead to significant disability and brain injury", Dr Ayton said. "The fact is that waiting lists to get assessed can sometimes take 18 months, so when you consider that along with the complexity and the chaos that might be happening in these situations, that's just not realistic in terms of being able to get accurate assessments and diagnoses." The report also found that perpetrators were twice as likely to have sustained a brain injury themselves in the past — in some cases, inflicted during childhood — creating "a vicious cycle of inter-generational violence".
The Conversation | Apr 30, 2018
Injury to the adult brain is all too common. A brain injury will often show up on brain scans as a well-defined area of damage. But often the changes to the brain extend far beyond the visible injury. Changes in the brain also continue to evolve for many months after injury. Part of this is simply the clearing away of debris by a normal healing process (for example, the clearance of bruising in the brain after a concussion). And there are things we can do to aid our brain’s recovery.
Conkite News (AU) | Apr 25, 2018
Concussions in athletes have received attention in recent years, but experts are now looking to also address the needs of a large, yet overlooked, population – domestic abuse victims. Most of the blows from an abuser are to one of the most vulnerable parts of the body and, over years of daily and weekly incidents, those hits take a toll. “In a domestic violence situation, a lot of the abuse is focused on the head,” said Jonathan Lifshitz, director of the Translational Neurotrauma Research Program at the University of Arizona. Lifshitz said that football players, who encounter significant blows but are supported by on-hand medical assistance at games and in the off-season, have a different brain-injury reality than abuse victims. Brain injury research has followed soldiers after combat and professional athletes but the subjects have been mostly male, Zieman said. Researchers are just beginning to understand differences between men and women with concussions.
Investigate West | Apr 23, 2018
If there’s one thing adults just don’t understand, it’s probably the world and culture of high school. So when we started talking about a series on head injuries in youth sports, we thought: “Why not ask student journalists to help?” Last fall, project manager Lee van der Voo and I visited Portland-area classrooms to tell students about Rattled: Oregon’s Concussion Discussion, ask for their input, and see if they wanted to contribute. Sure enough, they did. And for many of them, the interest is personal.
The Conversation | Apr 23, 2018
Much of what we know about traumatic brain injury is the result of a large body of research and media attention over the last 10 to 15 years on athletes and sports-related concussion. Until recently, the link between traumatic brain injury and intimate partner violence has been largely unexplored. So, since June of 2017, a research team at University of British Columbia has been collaborating with Kelowna Women’s Shelter in a community-based research project designed to examine the connection between traumatic brain injury and intimate partner violence.
Chicago Tribune | Apr 18, 2018
The NFL named a new chair to its head, neck and spine committee on Thursday, a Johns Hopkins neurosurgeon who co-authored a paper two years ago titled, "Football and Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy: How Much Evidence Actually Exists?"
NINDS | Apr 17, 2018
Following head injury, the protective lining that surrounds the brain may get a little help from its friends: immune cells that spring into action to assist with repairs. In a new study, scientists from the National Institutes of Health watched in real-time as different immune cells took on carefully timed jobs to fix the damaged lining of the brain, also known as meninges, in mice. These results may help provide clues to the discovery that the meninges in humans may heal following mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and why additional hits to the head can be so devastating.
EurekAlert | Apr 17, 2018
The University of Glasgow's Sir Graham Teasdale, co-creator of the Glasgow Coma Scale, has teamed with Paul M. Brennan and Gordon D. Murray of the University of Edinburgh to create new assessment tools that build on the Glasgow Coma Scale in order to provide greater information on injury severity and prognosis in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) while still offering simplicity of use. These tools are described and evaluated in two companion papers published today in the Journal of Neurosurgery.
Gizmodo | Apr 17, 2018
A new study published this week in The Lancet Psychiatry reaffirms that traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), even those that are relatively mild, are linked to a higher risk of dementia in our later years. The researchers obtained and studied the medical records of 2.5 million Danish-born residents living in the country in 1995. (Unlike many countries, including the US, the medical histories of residents of Scandinavian countries like Denmark are easily tracked through various nationwide registries). They then looked ahead in time to see how many of the Danes over the age of 50 would go on to be diagnosed with dementia at some point between 1999 to 2013.
Medscape | Apr 16, 2018
Only a minority of all concussions in children are the result of contact sports, a new study suggests. The findings indicate that strategies to prevent such injuries in children will have to extend outside youth sports, the researchers say. "While sports concussions have been important in raising awareness of concussions, it is important to remember that many nonsports/life activities can result in concussion as well and that it is a common injury in childhood and not just in sports," senior study author, Christina Master, MD, pediatric primary care sports medicine specialist at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), Pennsylvania, told Medscape Medical News.
University of Arizona News | Apr 4, 2018
New research results indicate that traumatic brain injury, such as that resulting from impacts in sports and auto accidents, is caused by stretching and straining of tissue well below the surface of the brain.
Science News | Apr 4, 2018
A recent study released by the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine shows a stunning number of participants not only experienced concussion-related symptoms and head impacts but also continued performing either without reporting the incident or without receiving the recommended care. These participants were not taking part in any sporting contest at the time, however. They are theater personnel.
Furturity | Apr 3, 2018
Concussions and other mild traumatic brain injuries seem to arise when an area deep inside the brain shakes more rapidly and intensely than surrounding areas, report researchers. The study combines data from football players with computer simulations of the brain. They also found that the mechanical complexity of the brain means there is no straightforward relationship between different bumps, spins, and blows to the head and the likelihood of injury.
The Spokesman-Review | Apr 3, 2018
Since the prevalence of traumatic brain injury among athletes has come to light, doctors and researchers studying the problem say it’s much broader than concussions or CTE. In interviews with The Spokesman-Review and KHQ this week, retired NFL quarterback Mark Rypien estimated he’d sustained “dozens of concussions and thousands of subconcussive injuries from playing this sport,” most of which went undiagnosed at the time. “You say dozens, but you don’t really know,” he said. His first was likely in middle school.
Reuters | Apr 3, 2018
Researchers invited members of the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine to complete a 24-question online survey about their attitudes toward driving after a concussion and what they tell their patients. “In our study, 83 percent of physicians felt that concussion put individuals at a greater risk of a motor vehicle crash yet fewer than half, 49 percent, routinely counsel their patients about driving,” said lead author Dr. John Lucas IV of the Sports Medicine Institute at the Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System in South Carolina.
60 Minutes | Mar 30, 2018
Doctors have found scar tissue in the brains of combat veterans who suffered from PTSD and were exposed to high explosive blast waves. The discovery could mean that many cases of PTSD, long thought to be a mostly psychological illness, may actually be caused by physical brain trauma. Scott Pelley reports on this medical breakthrough on the next edition of 60 Minutes, Sunday, April 1 at 7:00 p.m., ET/PT on CBS.
Study Breaks Magazine | Mar 29, 2018
Stephanie Everett, a junior at Dartmouth College, kicked off 2018 with a performance of her purely autobiographical one-person play, “It’s Fine, I’m Fine” at the New Works Now festival for an audience of over 200 people. Everett’s play centers on a character navigating the many struggles of modern-day adolescence including mental health, relationships, sexuality and tough parents while suffering the affects of many traumatic brain injuries. Everett hopes audiences will take away two important themes from her show: compassion and inner strength.
Gizmodo | Mar 29, 2018
In the latest advancement from the front lines of neuroscience, researchers at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center and USC successfully restored memory to people with poor short-term memory function. The research was funded by the military’s secretive DARPA research branch as part of the Restoring Active Memory, which launched in 2013. The program’s eventual goal is to create an implantable brain-computer interface capable of restoring normal memory function to people suffering from brain injury or illness.
Washington University School of Medicine | Mar 29, 2018
Years before people start showing characteristic symptoms of Alzheimer's disease, amyloid plaques begin forming in their brains, damaging nearby cells. For decades, doctors have sought ways to clear out these plaques as a way to prevent or treat the disease. The sticky clumps, known as amyloid plaques, are composed primarily of a brain protein called amyloid beta. But nestled within the plaques are small amounts of another Alzheimer's protein: APOE. Now, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine have shown that an antibody not only targets APOE for removal but sweeps away plaques.
Bozeman Daily Chronicle | Mar 27, 2018
Former NFL player Corey Widmer was in line to be celebrated as part of the Montana Football Hall of Fame. That is, until Widmer turned the honor down. Widmer explained the sport of football “destroyed my life,” and numerous concussions have brought on symptoms of chronic traumatic encephalopathy. “I’m 49 years old, depressed to the Nth degree, but have a lot of money … and some people might say it’s still worth it. I just tell them to watch what they wish for,“ Widmer said. “If someone could’ve explained all of this to me when I was 14, I would’ve given it all back in a heartbeat. I would’ve wished for something else."
Reuters | Mar 20, 2018
Young children who are hospitalized with head injuries may be at higher than average risk for developing attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) later on, a small study suggests. U.S. researchers examined data on 187 children, including 81 who were hospitalized overnight for a traumatic brain injury (TBI) at some point from age 3 to 7, and 106 who were hospitalized with other injuries. None of the kids had ADHD at the start.
NPR | Mar 19, 2018
High School athletes often raise money door-to-door for their teams. In Newton, Mass., a football player rang the doorbell of leading brain injury researcher Dr. Lee Goldstein. Instead of money, he got a talk. Goldstein cares a great deal about high school football. It's what he was thinking about when the doorbell rang.
Desert Sun | Mar 19, 2018
“I use to be – I still try to be – outgoing and friendly to everybody. People knew me as the kid who was always smiling, and trying to make other people,” Salamone said. “And I’m trying to be happy again,” he adds, “but it’s a lot harder now.” Salamone is also at risk of losing the college education he worked so hard to obtain. After his injury, Vanguard University agreed to delay Salamone’s enrollment for one year, but he will lose his spot at the college and his scholarship if he is not ready to attend by the fall semester.
Courier Post | Mar 19, 2018
Anyone with an aging loved one likely knows the feeling: Wondering when and how you’ll recognize if your loved one needs help. But sometimes, the biggest concerns are often the silent ones. One of the most common causes of concern among older adults is traumatic brain injury - responsible for more than 80,000 emergency room visits each year among people over 65. While we often think of brain injury as a sudden, severe jolt to the head with obvious, immediate symptoms, brain injuries can take a much different shape in older adults.
News12 | Mar 19, 2018
Four eighth-graders have gained national recognition for designing a device that fits into a football helmet that can detect concussions. Middle School students Jake Carlin, Josh Chostaka, Alex Fisherman and Ian Langan say that they were inspired to create the device when a friend was hurt playing football. “One of our good friends got a really bad concussion during a game, so we felt that making something like this would help coaches and trainers keep their teams safe,” Langan says. The 14-year-olds developed a sensor that fits into a football helmet. Real-time data is transmitted directly to a smartphone, using an app that they also designed.
The New York Times | Mar 15, 2018
Just a few years after a car crash left him with a severe brain injury, Mr. Morgan is back with “The Last O.G.,” a new comedy about second chances. "It’s about getting second chances. I believe everyone deserves one.”
Reuters | Mar 13, 2018
Participation in high school football has been steadily falling in recent years amid mounting concerns about the potential for traumatic brain injuries to lead to lasting health problems, a U.S. study suggests. “This decline is associated with media attention focused on concussions or brain injuries among football players,” said study co-author Dr. Chris Feudtner of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.
The Good Men Project | Mar 13, 2018
Brain Injury Awareness Day is Tuesday, March 20, 2018 at our Nation’s Capitol in Washington DC. Although BIAA and brain injury advocates work with Congress throughout the year, Brain Injury Awareness Day is important because it is the one day dedicated to educating your elected officials about brain injury and how vital federal funding is to continue the Federal TBI State Grant Program, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention TBI Programs, and brain injury research conducted by the TBI Model Systems.
ESPN | Mar 13, 2018
AFL players whose careers are ended by concussion will be eligible for payouts under a new injury and hardship scheme. The AFL Players' Association has allocated $24.7 million to the fund, which is expected to be accessed by up to 200 former AFL/VFL players per year. Greg Williams, Nicky Winmar and John Platten are among the AFL greats to have battled concussion-related health issues in recent years. All three have been linked to a potential class action against the AFL.
Boston Globe | Mar 13, 2018
Some 42 of about 100 Patriots who were members of New England’s first three Super Bowl title teams have alleged in a landmark class-action concussion suit against the NFL and the helmet maker Riddell that they have experienced symptoms of brain injuries caused by the repetitive head impacts they absorbed in games and practices. In all, more than 340 former Patriots or their estates have sued the NFL and its former helmet manufacturer. The Globe, using the team’s official all-time roster, has for the first time compiled and analyzed a list of the Patriots who allege they suffered brain injuries on the job since the franchise was founded in 1960.
The New York Times | Mar 8, 2018
In this city with a deep and proud relationship with football, a custody dispute has pushed the debate about the sport’s safety into a new arena: family court. A father, John Orsini, has gone to court to prevent the youngest of his three sons from playing high school football because, he said, scientific studies have revealed the perils of repeated blows to the head — especially for an athlete, like his son, who has a history of concussions. The boy’s mother, Mr. Orsini’s ex-wife, believes he should be allowed to continue playing because he understands the risks.
Everyday Health | Mar 8, 2018
Victims of domestic violence suffer brain injuries similar to football players. Find out how researchers are working to address this silent epidemic. Barrow Neurological Institute, the world's largest neurological disease treatment and research institution, conducted a study on TBI and domestic violence that included 115 victims. According to this research, published in February 2017 in the Journal of Neurotrauma, 81 percent of patients reported a history of loss of consciousness associated with their injuries and only 21 percent of patients sought medical help at the time of injury.
DVBIC | Mar 8, 2018
"During Brain Injury Awareness Month and beyond, we want our military community to know that recovery from a TBI is possible," said Dr. Scott Livingston, director of education at the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center. "Each TBI is different, not everyone experiences the same symptoms or requires identical treatment. I encourage people in the military community to obtain early diagnosis, evaluation and treatment of TBI when possible." The spotlight of the videos launches a variety of activities to recognize Brain Injury Awareness Month in March.
Science Daily | Mar 5, 2018
Patients who sustain severe head injuries tend to have better outcomes if they are taken to a designated trauma center, but 44 percent of them are first taken to hospitals without these specialized care capabilities, according to new research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. The results, published today in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons, highlight a serious care disparity for these severely injured patients, and point to the need for systematic changes to improve care.
Science Daily | Mar 5, 2018
Concussions and other traumatic brain injuries may increase the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease earlier in life, according to a study from UT Southwestern's Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute. The research -- the first to use autopsy-confirmed cases of Alzheimer's disease to examine the long-term effects of head injuries -- supports a correlation that could only be speculated about in previous studies, which lacked definitive diagnostic methods.
The Daily Mail (UK) | Mar 2, 2018
The NFL Players Association has created a 'health playbook' aimed at educating players on the risks associated with the high-contact sport. The first-ever football medical guide distributed to NFLPA members this week notably includes information about chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain disease believed to be caused by repeated blows to the head. "The most important advice is not to assume you have a chronic, irreversible disease simply because you have symptoms," the playbook says. "Consult an expert in this field who can do the comprehensive neurologic evaluation and studies necessary to determine your status and the best treatment for it."
Chicago Sun-Times | Mar 1, 2018
Favre, who started a record 321 consecutive games spanning more than two decades, said that “probably 90 percent” of the tackles he endured resulted in some kind of concussion. When the NFL finally implemented a concussion protocol in 2010, “it [was] 20 years too late,” he said. Favre, fellow Hall of Famer Kurt Warner and even former Cubs catcher David Ross have become vocal advocates recently for concussion research.
News Atlas | Feb 27, 2018
Even if an armored military vehicle isn't destroyed when a land mine detonates underneath it, its occupants can still receive traumatic brain injuries. Scientists at the University of Maryland are trying to keep that from happening, with a new shock-absorbing system that could also have applications in civilian products.
The Telegraph (UK) | Feb 27, 2018
Specialists from the universities of Oxford, Exeter, Manchester, Glasgow and Sheffield, and the Centre for Mental Health, are calling for all prisoners to be routinely checked for signs of traumatic brain injuries. A comprehensive review, published in The Lancet Psychiatry, suggests that bumps to the head from falls, assaults or road accidents can lead to neural injuries which alter the brain structure, and increase the risk of violence offending. The experts say helping prisoners receive proper treatment could prevent future offending and called on schools, doctors and hospitals to help identify youngsters who have suffered head injuries before they commit crime.
Medscape | Feb 23, 2018
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report finds gaps in care and outlines opportunities for action on traumatic brain injury in childhood. Congress directed the CDC to compile the report to review the burden of TBI in children, identify gaps in systems of care, and offer recommendations for improving short- and long-term outcomes in this vulnerable population.
The Cavalier Daily | Feb 21, 2018
In a comprehensive review of literature published in the journal Clinics in Sports Medicine, researchers found that females have a higher rate of concussions compared to their male counterparts partaking in the same sport. At the same time, females also have a higher symptom burden, in that they report more severe symptoms, and they may take longer to recover from the head injury as well. These higher incidences may be due to the increased likelihood that females are more likely to report their injuries. In addition, females may not actually take significantly longer to recover from concussion-related injuries.
The New York Times | Feb 16, 2018
After examining 21 American diplomats said to have been victims of a mysterious “attack” in Havana, medical experts found concussion-like damage but no obvious causes. The experts’ report, published late Wednesday in the journal JAMA, does not solve the mystery, instead raising even more questions about what could have caused the brain injuries.
Los Angeles Times | Feb 15, 2018
The Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday approved a first-ever blood test to detect the telltale signs of serious brain injury, bringing to fruition a long quest to make the diagnosis of concussions simpler and more precise.
Association of Academic Physiatrists | Feb 15, 2018
A new study, presented this week at the Association of Academic Physiatrists Annual Meeting in Atlanta, suggests that not all children follow the same path to concussion recovery, nor do they have the same predictors for returning to normal activity. The study also suggests that younger children should be considered separately from high-school-aged students.
Imperial College of London | Feb 15, 2018
Treatment with xenon gas after blast reduces blast-induced brain injury, suggests an early-stage study using mouse brain tissue. Previously, Dr Robert Dickinson and colleagues from Imperial College London showed that xenon gas helped limit brain damage and improve long-term neurological outcomes in mice that had suffered blunt force brain injury. Now, the same research group has found for the first time that xenon can also limit blast-induced brain injury from developing in mouse brain tissue exposed to a blast shockwave, in a study published in the Journal of Neurotrauma.
The Washington Post | Feb 5, 2018
Canadian skier Justin Dorey remembered being reluctant to speak up about a head injury, and he knew his teammates were, too. While most governing bodies of Olympic sports have issued guidance or concussion protocols in recent years, awareness has not resolved the issue. “The associations can hold the athlete back, even if they’re willing to take the risk. It creates a system in which athletes aren’t always honest.”
Tech Times | Feb 5, 2018
In 1976, an influential research showed that despite all the drilling, woodpeckers did not exhibit any apparent signs of brain damage. Since then, the study has been cited in over a hundred journals, which support the conclusion that the birds do not suffer from brain injuries as a result of the behavior. However, the recent findings of researchers from Boston University suggest that woodpeckers actually do get brain damage. In fact, the evidence that they found runs similar to the evidence of brain damage in humans with Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy or CTE.
The Sydney Morning Herald | Feb 5, 2018
Domestic Violence NSW Service Management (Australia) released a paper exploring the intersection of domestic and family violence and brain injury. The report detailed well-established links between brain injuries, strangulation and domestic family violence homicide.
WBUR | Feb 5, 2018
Zac Easter, who never played football after high school, showed symptoms of CTE for six years before dying by suicide. Now his family and longtime girlfriend are honoring Zac's legacy through the organization, CTE Hope.
The New York Times | Feb 2, 2018
My husband, Rob Kelly, is a retired N.F.L. player. By the time he retired in 2002 at 28, he had been playing tackle football for about two decades. Professional football is a brutal sport, he knew that. But he loved it anyway. And he accepted the risks of bruises and broken bones. What he didn’t know was that along with a battered body can come a battered mind.
NBC News | Feb 2, 2018
Just in time for the Super Bowl, three retired NFL linebackers are pleading with parents to keep younger children out of tackle football to avoid traumatic brain injuries. This push to change how youth football is played is the latest response to the increasing number of football players diagnosed with CTE, with such symptoms as depression, memory loss and dementia
The New York Times | Feb 1, 2018
When a teenager is hit in the head, his brain can begin to show signs, within days, of the kind of damage associated with degenerative brain disease, according to an unsettling new study. The findings indicate that this damage can occur even if the hit does not result in a full-blown concussion. Boston University has established strong links between such hits to the head and later C.T.E. But for the small new study, which was published recently in Brain, they hoped to learn more about how and how quickly such injuries might contribute to the disease.
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