Researchers know a lot about the traumatic brain injuries that occur in contact sports and combat, but they're just beginning to study injuries from another leading cause - domestic violence. NPR's Jon Hamilton reports on how assaults by a spouse or intimate partner can damage the brain - and a warning that this story contains graphic descriptions of physical violence.

Researchers are trying to determine if a number of Canadian veterans are suffering from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, also known as CTE -- a disorder previously found in the brains of professional football and hockey players after their death. CTE is often accompanied by psychiatric symptoms, which could develop into suicidal thoughts, according to researchers. However, little is understood scientifically about a possible link, nor how widespread CTE is among veterans. Standing inside a brain imaging lab at Toronto’s Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, researcher Isabelle Boileau says it’s possible that armed forces members who’ve been exposed to explosions could be suffering from CTE.

Mental-health problems often follow traumatic brain injuries; U.S. doctors are helping their Ukrainian counterparts, and learning from them.

The NFL is set to introduce a significant rule change for the upcoming 2024 season, as it allows players to wear Guardian Caps in a bid to ramp up safety measures. The league has been proactive in its approach to player safety, with the new helmets reportedly slashing concussion rates by almost half during training camps over the last two years. Data from specific position groups that used the helmets in 2022 and 2023 showed a substantial reduction in head injuries, prompting NFL executive vice president Jeff Miller to endorse the move.

A new genetic study of more than 1.2 million people has pinpointed 95 loci, or locations in the genome, linked with risk of developing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), in which exposure to trauma can harm a person’s quality of life with symptoms such as intrusive thoughts and mood instability. The findings further validate the role that heritability plays in the disorder and could lead to new prevention and treatment strategies.

Soldiers can suffer brain injury if they are repeatedly exposed to explosive blasts, a new study shows. Further, the more frequently a soldier is exposed to explosions, the greater their risk for brain injury, researchers reported April 22 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Based on this, researchers intend to develop a diagnostic test to detect blast brain injury in military personnel.

The number of head CT scans completed during concussion evaluations in emergency departments could soon be affected by a blood test newly approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. In early April, Abbott Laboratories announced the approval of its its i-STAT TBI cartridge, which can help determine whether a patient has a concussion in as little as 15 minutes using only a small blood sample. 

A legendary rugby player has cited the fear and anxiety that has come into his life among the reasons for urging the Australian government to fund support services and education about chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).

When 12 students and one teacher were gunned down in a mass shooting at Columbine High School in 1999, the tragic event marked a turning point for America. Twenty five years later, some survivors recall how they have dealt with the physical and mental impact of PTSD, anxiety and depression.

The Secretary of the Army says all new soldiers will receive cognitive testing as part of basic training, as a way to set a baseline for their neurological health from shockwave trauma.