Category: Brain Injury

Even one brain injury could raise the risk of dementia decades later, according to a new study. An article in the Financial Times cites research from the Imperial College in London, which has found that a single serious head injury could lead to brain damage even if the patient makes a full recovery in the short term. …Read the rest »

A California woman is suing a Los Angeles school district claiming that her son was left with permanent brain and spinal injuries after another student choked him during a bullying incident last year, which was caught on video. According to an NBC news report, the mother said her son, 12 years old at the time, was a sixth-grader at Animo Westside Charter Middle School. The lawsuit states the boy was “brutally assaulted and strangled” in January 2018 by a 14-year-old who allegedly had been violent toward other students, according to a lawsuit filed Monday, Aug. 12, in Los Angeles Superior Court. …Read the rest »

Individuals who suffer so-called mild traumatic brain injuries run the risk of losing their jobs due to “persistent post-concussive symptoms,” according to a new study published in BMJ Open. According to the study, those who are in their 30s are particularly susceptible to this risk. For this study, researchers looked at 19,732 Danish hospital patients between the ages of 18 and 60 who were diagnosed with mild traumatic brain injury. …Read the rest »

A new study has found that student athletes who have no access or limited access to athletic trainers are less likely to have concussions diagnosed and treated in a timely manner. According to a report on WPR.org, trainers are licensed medical providers who are equipped to diagnose head injuries after blows to the head. They can also ensure athletes aren’t cleared to return to play too soon. …Read the rest »

Caring for a loved one with serious traumatic brain injury can be extremely challenging and stressful. Depending on the nature and severity of the head injury, you may find that your loved one needs assistance with routine daily activities such as feeding themselves, using the restroom, changing clothes or bathing. In many cases where someone has suffered a traumatic brain injury, home care happens only after extended hospital stays and additional treatment at rehabilitation facilities. …Read the rest »

UCLA biologists have discovered how head injuries adversely affect individual cells and genes that can lead to serious brain disorders. According to a UCLA news report, the life scientists are able to provide a virtual map of the hippocampus — the part of the brain that regulates learning and memory — when it is affected by a traumatic brain injury. As part of this study, researchers studied more than 6,000 cells in 15 hippocampal cell types. Each cell has the same DNA, but which genes will vary in different cell types. This gave them a detailed understanding of the impact that brain injuries can have. …Read the rest »

A new study shows evidence of brain injuries in football players at a surprisingly young age. The study by Orlando Health in collaboration with the Concussion Neuroimaging Consortium finds evidence of lasting effects from head injuries at a much younger age than expected. The study essentially tested biomarkers in the blood called microRNAs and found that college football players had elevated levels of these biomarkers that indicate concussions before the season even started. …Read the rest »

A new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) has found that traumatic brain injury significantly increases the risk of suicide. According to a report in The Washington Post, researchers found that of the nearly 7.5 million people who make up the population of Denmark, more than 34,500 deaths between 1980 and 2014 were by suicide. About 10 percent of those who took their lives had also suffered a medically documented traumatic brain injury. This statistical analysis was done using the Danish Cause of Death registry. …Read the rest »

Aaron Hernandez, the former New England Patriots tight end who killed himself in his prison cell in April while serving a life sentence for murder, had a severe form of CTE, a degenerative brain disease linked to repeated head trauma. According to a report in The New York Times, this brain disease is said to have affected more than 100 former NFL players. Researchers who examined Hernandez’s brain after his death determined that it was “the most severe case they had even seen” in someone his age. Hernandez was only 27 when he died.

Unfortunately chronic traumatic encephalopathy or CTE can only be diagnosed after the individual’s death. Hernandez is the latest former football player to have committed suicide and then found to …Read the rest »

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy known as CTE has been found in 99 percent of deceased NFL players’ brains that were donated to scientific research. According to a study published in the medical journal JAMA, the neurodegenerative brain disease can be found in those who have been exposed to repeated head trauma. The disease is marked by a buildup of abnormal tau protein in the brain that could lead to symptoms such as memory loss, confusion, aggression, depression, anxiety, violent behavior or even suicidal ideation. …Read the rest »