Category: Brain Injury

A new study is showing that when it comes to boxing and mixed martial arts (MMA), the effects of traumatic brain injuries are different for younger, current fighters and older, retired fighters. The study, which was published in the Dec. 23 2019 online issue of the journal Neurology, looked into whether there is a safe level of exposure for these athletes when it comes to head trauma. …Read the rest »

A new study conducted by the University of British Columbia and published in The Lancet Public Health revealed that people who are homeless experience a disproportionately high lifetime prevalence of traumatic brain injuries. The meta-analysis examined 38 studies published between 1995 and 2018.

It’s the first type of analysis to examine the prevalence of brain injuries or head injuries in people who are in unstable housing situations. The results show that one in two or 53% of homeless people had suffered a brain injury and one in four (25%) have experienced a traumatic brain injury that is moderate or severe. …Read the rest »

Deaths tied to traumatic brain injuries have risen amid higher rates of suicides and accidental falls in the United States. According to a report released by U.S. News, every year, millions of people are hospitalized or go to the emergency room for traumatic brain injuries, which are usually caused by violent blows to the head and can lead to death or disabilities. In 2017 alone, there were 61,131 TBI-related fatalities. Nearly half of these deaths were by suicide or homicide from 2015-2017, the study released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stated. …Read the rest »

If your child is in high school sports, you are probably concerned if he or she would be affected by concussions or traumatic brain injuries and how it might affect them. According to a new study, there is good and bad news. The rates of football practice concussions and recurrent concussions across all sports have gone down in recent years, the study published in the journal Pediatrics states. The bad news is that concussion rates have increased in football games. …Read the rest »

A new study shows that former professional football players with chronic traumatic encephalopathy or CTE, a degenerative brain disease linked to repeated concussions, doubled their risk of developing the worst forms of the disease for every 5.3 years they played. According to a report in The New York Times, scientists have known that more years playing tackle football is associated with thinking and memory deficits later in life. This study builds on that research. But, for the first time, it calculated the number of years played with levels of measurable damage to the brain. …Read the rest »

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 »