Good concussion news! (I never thought I would type those words.) Scientists have come up with a simple blood test that can detect concussion up to seven days after the injury, taking the guesswork out of making a diagnosis. Concussions have reached almost epidemic proportions in young people, especially among those who play sports. Whether […]
New Blood Test Can Detect Concussions Read More »
As doctors like to say, “Time is brain,” meaning that every minute a brain injury goes untreated, more brain cells die. Swift, effective treatment can save a live and, if circumstances are right, prevent catastrophic brain injury. With that in mind, we’d like to introduce you to the heroes of the day: trauma surgeon Dr.
Winning a Single Battle Against Brain Injury Read More »
This is a story about athletes and concussions. When you read that sentence, what picture popped into your mind: 250-pound football players… or 10-year-old girls with ponytails? According to research published in The American Journal of Sports Medicine, the severity of symptoms after a concussion is–in part–dependent on the age and gender of the patient.
Girls and Younger Athletes May Suffer More From Concussions Read More »
For Eastern Oregon University student and softball pitcher Holly Martin, February 25, 2010 was both the luckiest and unluckiest day of her life. On that day, she suffered a life-threatening, life-changing head injury. Given the reported lack of care she received after the injury, Holly was lucky to survive. According to an article in an
Oregon Softball Player Sues Over Brain Injury Read More »
Junior Seau was a star. He was the kind of football hero that put butts on couches and raised Sunday TV ratings. Junior Seau died on May 2 of an apparent suicide. In echoes of the suicide of another former NFL great Dave Duerson, Seau killed himself with a shot to the chest, presumably because
Another NFL Concussion Tragedy Read More »
Ray Easterling, former player for the Atlanta Falcons, died Thursday at age 62 of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. According to an article in The New York Times, Easterling was part of a group of former NFL players who sued the league, claiming that it had failed to treat players for concussions, and for attempting
NFL Player in Concussion Lawsuit Dies Read More »
After a head injury, patients face numerous physical and emotional challenges. During and even after hospitalization, there are many medical decisions that need to be made as part of treatment. But the very act of making decisions is a problem, according to research published in the April 11, 2012, issue of the medical journal Neurology.
Brain Injuries Impair Decision-Making Skills Read More »
There are two new and wonderful resources about concussion. You know we write a lot about mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI), and it takes a lot to impress us, but these resources are truly special: One is a physician-developed smart phone app designed to help coaches, parents, and athletes recognize and assess concussion; the other
Concussion Information for Home or On the Go Read More »
About 18 months ago, we wrote with great excitement about the National Football League (NFL) and the new attention they were bringing to the crisis of concussion. The 2010 football season began with new concussion awareness posters in the locker rooms. As quoted in The New York Times, the Baltimore Ravens’ center, Matt Birk, said:
"Organized Savagery" in the NFL Read More »
Patrick Donohue’s world is defined by two things: His daughter, Sarah Jane, and numbers. When Sarah Jane was five days old, her baby nurse shook her violently, causing four broken ribs, two broken collarbones, and severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). That injury sparked the interest in numbers. According to an article in Utah’s Deseret News,
The Crisis of TBI is Physical, Emotional, and Financial Read More »