Researchers from Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) found that young children between the ages of 5 and 12 were more likely to experience a concussion from recreation and other non-sport activities, yet those injuries were not seen by specialists until days later compared with sports-related concussions in the same age group. This study suggests concussion research is needed for children outside of sports and that providing more resources and education to those providers diagnosing most concussions in this age group, particularly emergency departments and primary care, could reduce inequities in concussion care regardless of the mechanism of injury by which these patients experience concussions. The findings were recently published by the Journal of Pediatrics.

Falls are the most common cause of injury among adults 65 and older in the United States. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, every year, more than 14 million older adults (one in four) report a fall. About 90% of head injuries among older individuals is due to ground-level falls. Evaluating an older adult with a head injury in the emergency department (ED) requires careful assessment due to the increased risk of complications such as intracranial hemorrhage. There also is heightened concern for older patients taking anticoagulants or blood thinners who sustain a head injury because of the risk of delayed intracranial hemorrhage (ICH).

A government watchdog will probe the Pentagon's efforts to identify, treat and prevent traumatic brain injuries caused by blast exposure. The Government Accountability Office has accepted a request from two dozen lawmakers in both parties and chambers of Congress to conduct a review in response to their concerns that the Pentagon is not taking the issue seriously enough, according to a copy of a letter the GAO sent to the lawmakers that was obtained by Military.com.

New data suggested that repeated blast exposure may impair the brain's waste clearance system leading to biomarker changes indicative of preclinical Alzheimer's disease (AD) 20 years earlier than typical. A higher index of suspicion for dementia or AD may be warranted in patients with a history of blast exposure or subconcussive brain injury who present with cognitive issues, according to the experts Medscape Medical News interviewed.

A critical part of the brain linked to risks for anxiety later in life – the left amygdala – was significantly smaller by volume in babies of mothers who reported stress during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new manuscript published in JAMA Network Open. The right hippocampus, which governs spatial, visual and verbal memories, and the white matter were also reduced in children whose mothers reported stress. The research from Children’s National Hospital provides mounting evidence that children of the pandemic, even those far too young to understand it, need ongoing assessments of developmental or mental health support later in life.

Among the many dangers faced by those serving in the military, sexual trauma is shockingly common. About 1 in 3 female veterans seen by Veterans Affairs (VA) providers report experiencing military sexual trauma — defined as any sexual assault or sexual harassment that happens during military service. About 1 in 50 male veterans report military sexual trauma, too. Self-reports and interviews show higher prevalence rates of military harassment and assault for veterans of all genders compared to reviews of VA medical records, data shows. 

Dr. John Kirwan, Executive Director of Pennington Biomedical Research Center, is serving as a co-principal investigator on the Pathobiology in RECOVER of Metabolic and Immune Systems, or PROMIS, study. The study has been awarded more than $802,000 by the National Institutes of Health to identify potential causes of Long COVID. "The PROMIS study will help us better understand what is driving Long COVID," Dr. Kirwan said. "In the early days of the pandemic, Pennington Biomedical directed its resources to address the urgent health needs of our population. Now with estimates that more than 25 percent of people in the U.S. who had COVID have experienced Long COVID at some point, there is a need for Pennington Biomedical scientists to find the causes and potential cures of this debilitating syndrome. It is well known, for example, that those with diabetes and obesity are at a higher risk for Long COVID. Following our mission, this is one more reason for Pennington Biomedical to pursue measures in treating these chronic diseases as well."

Former Australian rules football player Heather Anderson is the first female athlete to be diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). Anderson played seven games in the Australian Football League Women's in 2017 before retiring later that year. She then committed suicide this past November at just 28. "She is the first female athlete diagnosed with CTE, but she will not be the last," researchers said, via ESPN. Researchers were able to make this discovery after Anderson's family donated her brain to the Australian Sports Brain Bank.

A vote against using MDMA as part of therapy for PTSD has provoked a powerful backlash among researchers who study psychedelic drugs. Some 13 million Americans struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Existing therapies only bring relief for a fraction of patients, and new treatments are sorely needed, according to psychiatrists wrestling with the scale of the problem. So, there was distinct disappointment when an advisory committee at the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) voted earlier this month against a therapy that many had hoped could offer the first new treatment for PTSD in 25 years.

Austin Valley’s death exposed the Army’s most urgent challenge: a suicide crisis among soldiers in peacetime.