A new study suggests that neurostimulation therapies targeting a specific brain circuit might work as a novel treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Research suggests that targeting a specific brain circuit with neurostimulation could offer a promising PTSD treatment. By analyzing veterans with traumatic brain injuries (TBI), the team at Brigham and Women’s Hospital discovered that damage to certain areas of the brain was associated with a lower likelihood of developing PTSD. The findings, published in Nature Neuroscience, could chart a course to more accurate therapeutic PTSD treatment.

The recent revelation that Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease has reignited the debate about the link between contact sports, such as football, and the long-term risk of neurodegenerative diseases. Favre, a legendary NFL quarterback who spent 20 seasons primarily with the Green Bay Packers, made the announcement while testifying before Congress. His diagnosis has highlighted growing concerns regarding the dangers of repeated head injuries in collision sports and their possible connection to conditions like Parkinson’s, chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), and other brain diseases.

A study has revealed that the COVID-19 pandemic has sped up adolescent brain aging, with the effects being more pronounced in females. According to NBC News, researchers from the University of Washington’s Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences (I-LABS) found that adolescent brain maturation has accelerated due to lockdowns. The study revealed that female brains aged an average of 4.2 years faster, while male adolescents’ brains aged 1.4 years faster. The research team analyzed MRI scans on the brains of 160 adolescents aged 9 to 17, taken between 2018 and 2021, focusing on changes in the thickness of the cerebral cortex. This region, which manages responsible, long-term memory, perception, and judgment, naturally thins with age.

Ontario's Minister of Sport, 71-year-old Neil Lumsden, recently announced his decision to donate his brain to the Concussion Legacy Foundation Canada to support research on brain injuries. Lumsden played 10 years in the Canadian Football League, winning four Grey Cups and while he knows he had his "bell rung" a number of times during his career, he doesn't believe he has had any long-term neurological damage. Helping researchers find out why his brain seems to be more resilient than some of his teammates motivated his decision. As if on cue, on Sept. 24, 54-year-old National Football League Hall of Famer Brett Favre revealed during unrelated testimony before the United States congress that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, likely as a result of hundreds of concussions experienced during his storied career. Why have these two athletes had such different outcomes?

Brain damage that veterans suffered from flying shrapnel has provided a major clue that could lead to better treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a new study says. Veterans who suffered shrapnel damage connected to their amygdala, the fear center of the brain, were less likely to develop PTSD, researchers reported Sept. 24 in the journal Nature Neuroscience. The results suggest that PTSD could be treated by using electrical pulses to disrupt brain networks linked to the amygdala, they added.

A 2020 study found that having a single concussion increased the risk of developing Parkinson's disease by 57% and having multiple concussions further compounds the danger.

OVID-19 may leave some people with lasting memory problems long after their infection has cleared, new research has found, with the findings particularly pronounced among those who suffered from the earliest variants of the virus. COVID-19 is known for its respiratory symptoms. But we are increasingly learning that SARS-CoV-2—the virus that causes the infection—can affect our brains too. Brain fog, cognitive deficits, and loss of smell and taste are commonly reported symptoms of the virus and some report these neurological symptoms long after the initial infection has subsided.

One-third of former professional football players reported in a new survey that they believe they have the degenerative brain disease known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE. The research, published Monday in the medical journal JAMA Neurology, represents one of the broadest surveys to date of former NFL players' perception of their cognitive health and how widely they report symptoms linked to CTE, which is thought to be caused by concussions and repeated hits to the head.

A single treatment session, which includes the video game Tetris, can reduce symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This has been shown in a new study carried out with health care professionals working during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study is led by researchers at Uppsala University and is published in BMC Medicine. "It is possible to reduce the frequency of unpleasant and intrusive memories of trauma, and thereby also alleviate other PTSD symptoms. With just one guided treatment  session, we saw positive effects that persisted after five weeks and even six months after treatment.

One concussion is bad. Two are worse. Three? There might be a problem. That's the dilemma faced by Tua Tagovailoa, the Miami Dolphins quarterback, who suffered a concussion — at least his third in the NFL — this month in a nationally televised game. Now his football future is in question. The most recent concussion "has prompted a dramatic response by fans and former players" urging Tagovailoa to retire, said NPR. "It's not worth it," said Antonio Pierce, coach of the Las Vegas Raiders. "If that was my son, I'd be like, 'it might be time,'" said Tony Gonzalez, the Hall of Fame former tight end. That's because concussions and lower-level blows to the head are "key factors" in the development of chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a condition known to cause "early dementia and death" among retired players.