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

Army veteran Jason Ayala had spent years in therapy, battling the effects of PTSD. Nothing seemed to click. So, when Ayala was encouraged to participate in Empowering the Spirit, an evidence-based program launched by the Department of Veterans Affairs, Ayala was skeptical. 

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. 

Iraq War veteran Adrian Anthony’s regimen of anti-psychotics and anti-depressants to ease his hallucinations, depression and night terrors have been adjusted a half-dozen times in two years.

But Anthony said he is not convinced that proposals for alternative treatments — including hallucinogenic drugs and breathing pure oxygen in special chambers — that some veterans groups and lawmakers are pushing on Capitol Hill will address his mental health problems from military service 20 years ago.

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.”

Women's Rugby World Cup players are trialling LED mouthguards that light up when they sustain an impact that could lead to a concussion.

The mouthguards flash red and send a Bluetooth signal to support staff, indicating the need for a head injury assessment.

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. 

NhuNgoc Pham was a high school student living in the New Orleans metro area when Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast on August 29, 2005. Her parents, immigrants from Vietnam, had recently purchased and been living in their new home for about a month when the huge storm made landfall.

She describes the experience as formative. "The Katrina experience made me grow as a person," she says. "Also, [it] made me rethink about how you recover from a major trauma."

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

Neurologists are exploring medications that would help the brain recover after a stroke or traumatic injury.