News for Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
Brainline News Feed
Nineteen-year-old Army Pvt. Cody Dollman has a look in his eyes that makes you think he probably used to fight much bigger kids on the playground back home in Wichita, Kan. He says he always wanted to be a soldier — both his grandfathers served in the military — but he's the first in his family to see action overseas. "I love it. It's what I signed up to do, you know?" says Dollman, who had been patrolling the battle-scared villages around Kandahar, Afghanistan. "I get to go back home and tell stories. That's one of the coolest things. What did you do on Christmas? I got blown up." He isn't joking. Since he deployed last April, Dollman has been "blown up" three times by roadside bombs that hit his convoy of armored trucks. The third time was the worst.
Could freestyle skier Sarah Burke, who died Jan. 19, nine days after a devastating crash, have been helped by an experimental drug? A new study offers a glimmer of hope for future victims of traumatic brain injury. In the hours after she has sustained a blow to the head, the victim of a traumatic injury experiences a slow down of blood flow to the brain -- arguably when she needs it most. That mismatch between a brain's response and its needs in the wake of injury has set many a neuroscientist thinking: Can a way be found to keep the flow of oxygenated blood pumping normally? And if it can, could that reduce the damage done by a blow that affects the brain?
Rangers defenseman Marc Staal can look back, one year after sustaining a concussion, and be candid about mistakes made along the way. The one thing I would have changed is, I shouldn’t have played,” Staal said Monday after practice. Staal was injured last Feb. 22, when he was checked by his brother Eric, a forward with the Carolina Hurricanes. He missed the next four games, and another two in March. In hindsight, Staal acknowledged he should have sat out longer.
Of all the adjustments forced on Rose Anderson and her family, among the hardest was dealing with the crying jags. Around 9 p.m. on Aug. 4, 2004, while Anderson and her family were crossing the street from a New Jersey beach boardwalk to their hotel, a drunk driver barreled into her husband, Richard. He was flung 26 feet before slamming headfirst onto the pavement. A 47-year-old manager for the New York City government, Richard underwent emergency brain surgery and spent three weeks in a coma, followed by nearly two months in the hospital. He suffered a severe traumatic brain injury that left him with permanent cognitive and speech problems and robbed him of his sense of smell and taste.
American football is in the spotlight when it comes to head concussions among U.S. high school athletes, but other sports carry a risk as well, according to a U.S. study. The findings, published in the American Journal of Sports Medicine, come at a time of increasing concern about concussions in young athletes in the United States. Between 2008 and 2010, U.S. high school athletes suffered them at a rate of 2.5 for every 10,000 times they hit the playing field, whether for practice or competition, and the ranges of sports involved was broad, researchers said.
The first evidence of a causal link between traumatic brain injury and an increased risk for post-traumatic stress disorder has been provided by scientists at the University of California, Los Angeles. The study also suggests that individuals who experience even a mild traumatic brain injury face a higher risk for developing an anxiety disorder and should try to avoid stressful situations for at least awhile. The motivation for the study (conducted in rats) was the observed association between traumatic brain injury (TBI) and PTSD, especially in military veterans, said Michael Fanselow, a UCLA professor of psychology and the senior author of the study.
After what seemed to be mild car accident five years ago, “John” began suffering from a host of symptoms—headaches, fatigue, irritability, difficulty concentrating. At the time of the accident—John was rear-ended by the driver behind him—he was diagnosed with concussion and mild whiplash. But he and his wife had been struggling with the aftermath ever since. Brain scans showed no visible damage, and during the next few years John saw several doctors and specialists who gave him a haphazard regimen of drugs and recommendations, but no solutions. Apathy, depression, anger, and mood shifts strained his marriage and family life to the breaking point.
For high school athletes, the first thing on their mind may be the next big game, or how they did in practice. However, doctors say they should also pay attention to something else. "Headaches, dizziness, sometimes even confusion, unsteadiness on your feet.. Things like that," said Dr. Allen Brown, describing symptoms of a traumatic brain injury. A new study published by the Mayo Clinic shows that TBI's might be more common than we thought.
Chicago Bears chairman George McCaskey says Brian Urlacher was simply being honest when he told HBO he would hide concussion symptoms from team doctors. He also was quick to point out his star linebacker didn't say that was the right thing to do. McCaskey said it was just an "honest reaction" from someone who, like most players, doesn't want to let down his teammates and coaches. "There's a warrior mentality, and this is exactly the reason we are here today," he said.
When Dr. Gabor Mate began to investigate the medical literature about brain injury and addictions, he was expecting to find addictions could develop after acquiring a brain injury, but he discovered the opposite was true. The reality is many people who end up with a brain injury have substance abuse issues already, he said. "Brain injuries happen mostly to young men and they tend to have a history of substance abuse. When you look at the literature you'll find drug use tends to predate the injury," he said.
What is the most effective way to track recovery from concussions in athletes?
More than half of people with TBI use Facebook to create and maintain friendships.
Goal-directed OT can help people after brain injury.
Learn why it's better to "plan" than "avoid" after a brain injury.
Learn the risk factors for heterotopic ossification.
What devices and strategies for remembering work best for people with brain injury?
If misunderstood, small cultural differences can hinder a good treatment plan for someone with a brain injury.
An inability to perceive others’ emotions can make communication and social interactions difficult.
Psychiatric disorders are common and often debilitating after a brain injury. Learn who is more at risk.
