News & Headlines

Football season is well underway, and fans know those athletes get hit hard. Could better helmets and guidelines around concussion prevention someday eliminate head injuries from the sport?

Host Flora Lichtman speaks with concussion doctor Michael Collins and helmet specialist Barry Miller about how our understanding of head injuries and equipment has evolved.

New research in amateur football and soccer players has identified some potential early warning signs of C.T.E.

Clinical features suggestive of the degenerative brain disorder chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) are seen in former athletes and soldiers and are linked to repetitive head impacts, but a definitive diagnosis is only possible postmortem, through the detection of a buildup of tau protein around brain blood vessels. 

A paper published Wednesday, however, could aid efforts to identify biomarkers of the disease before symptoms emerge, so that protective measures can be adopted. 

As awareness grows around the dangers of head trauma in sports, a small number of professional fighters and football players are turning to a psychedelic called ibogaine for treatment.

Ibogaine, which is derived from a West African shrub, is a Schedule 1 drug in America with no legal medical uses, and experts urge caution because of the need for further studies. But the results, several athletes say, are “game-changing.”

Chronic social isolation directly leads to psychological stress and depression, and especially for older adults, this can be a significant risk factor for developing dementia, including Alzheimer’s. 

They work for depression and P.T.S.D. Could they also help the brain repair itself after a neurologic catastrophe?

Research into whether drugs like ayahuasca can mitigate the effects of traumatic brain injury is in its infancy. Pro athletes like the Buffalo Bills’ Jordan Poyer are forging ahead anyway.

Athletes, often thought of as durable and tough, are vulnerable to PTSD.

Funded by an $11.5 million NIH grant, the CREATE Center aims to improve PTSD therapies through responsible AI development, working closely with mental health professionals and survivors to ensure a human-centered approach.

A former rugby player who was forced to give up the sport after suffering repeated concussions has spoken about his struggle with his mental health.

Nick Stephen, 30, started playing rugby in York aged eight, but had to walk away from the game aged 25 after his 13th concussion in three seasons.

He said leaving the sport behind "felt like my whole life had caved in" and he began suffering with migraines, tinnitus, nausea and panic attacks, and was later diagnosed with post-concussion syndrome.

Two members of Congress and a veteran call to keep momentum going.

After decades of underinvestment in new approaches to treating post-traumatic stress disorder and related conditions, the Department of Veterans Affairs is finally turning a corner. In late 2023, the VA announced its first investment in psychedelic research in more than 50 years, launching clinical trials of MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD. Now, we must keep the momentum going.

Monkeys who have been surrendered and people who have suffered trauma are helping each other learn to trust again.