Feature Channels: Trauma

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New research suggests that even in the absence of a concussion, blows to the head during a single season of football or ice hockey may affect the brain’s white matter and cognition, or memory and thinking abilities. The study is published in the December 11, 2013, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. White matter is brain tissue that plays an important role in the speed of nerve signals.

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In a novel study of U.S. Marines investigating the association between traumatic brain injury (TBI) and the risk of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) over time, a team of scientists led by researchers from the Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System and University of California, San Diego School of Medicine report that TBIs suffered during active-duty deployment to Iraq and Afghanistan were the greatest predictor for subsequent PTSD, but found pre-deployment PTSD symptoms and high combat intensity were also significant factors.

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Scientists who fed a cocktail of key amino acids to mice improved sleep disturbances caused by brain injuries. The findings suggest a potential dietary treatment for millions of people affected by traumatic brain injury.

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A recent study used diffusion tensor imaging, a type of highly sensitive magnetic resonance image (MRI), to examine the way water moves throughout the brain’s white matter.

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A man attempting a bicycle stunt made a significant—if unintended—contribution to surgical science, as a video of his crash allowed researchers to analyze the "kinematic and dynamic parameters" of the accident and resulting facial fractures. The study appears in The Journal of Craniofacial Surgery, edited by Mutaz B. Habal, MD, and published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health.

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Three studies coming out of the American Epilepsy Society’s 67th Annual Meeting in Washington DC expose the high prevalence of epilepsy and other neurological disorders in US Veterans who served in Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation New Dawn. The research conducted from these studies indicate that veterans are at a particularly high risk for traumatic brain injury (TBI), post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), psychological non-epileptic seizures (PNES) and epileptic seizure diagnoses.

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High chairs and booster seats are commonly used to help make feeding young children easier. Although most parents assume these products are safe, millions have been recalled in recent years, and injuries associated with their use continue to occur.

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For patients recovering from a traumatic brain injury (TBI), the rehabilitation process – compensating for changes in functioning, adaptation and even community reintegration – can be challenging. Unfortunately, not all rehab programs are created equal, and with the differences comes a difference in outcomes, according to a first-of-its-kind study published in The Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation.

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Any athlete with concussion symptoms should not be allowed to return to play on the same day, according to the latest consensus statement on sports-related concussion. The updated guidelines are summarized in Neurosurgery, official journal of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health.

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It’s been widely reported that football and other contact sports increase the risk of a debilitating neurological condition called chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). But a new study finds little evidence to support such a link.

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A year after a trauma injury, seniors had difficulty with daily tasks such as simple shopping trips.

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Mayo Clinic researchers found that improvement of mood over the course of post-acute brain rehabilitation is associated with increased participation in day-to-day activities, independent living, and ability to work after rehabilitation is complete.

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After a mild concussion, special brain scans show evidence of brain abnormalities four months later, when symptoms from the concussion have mostly dissipated, according to research published in the November 20, 2013, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

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JRRD Volume 50, Issue 7, produced by the Journal of Rehabilitation Research and Development (JRRD) and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is now available online at http://www.rehab.research.va.gov/ jour/2013/507/contents507.html.

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A new blood biomarker correctly predicted which concussion victims went on to have white matter tract structural damage and persistent cognitive dysfunction following a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). If validated in larger studies, this blood test could identify concussion patients at increased risk for persistent cognitive dysfunction or further brain damage and disability if returning to sports or military activities.

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According to a recent study done by doctors at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, high school athletes who play collision sports at higher altitudes are less likely to suffer from concussions than those who play at lower altitudes.

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Hospitals vary in management of children with traumatic brain injury—particularly in monitoring and preventing the harmful effects of increased intracranial pressure (ICP), according to a study in the November issue of Neurosurgery, official journal of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health.

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To better measure the effects and causes of sports concussions, researchers from University of Virginia School of Medicine and UVA’s Curry School of Education plan to track 130 student-athletes in three sports over the next year.

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A stem cell therapy previously shown to reduce inflammation in the critical time window after traumatic brain injury also promotes lasting cognitive improvement, according to preclinical research at UTHealth in Houston.