Does Iron Accumulate in Brain After Concussions?

People who have headaches after experiencing concussions may also be more likely to have higher levels of iron in areas of the brain, which is a sign of injury to brain cells, according to a preliminary study released today, March 5, 2024, that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 76th Annual Meeting taking place April 13–18, 2024, in person in Denver and online.

Concussions Early in Life Tied to Late Life Cognitive Decline

A study of twins shows that having a concussion early in life is tied to having lower scores on tests of thinking and memory skills decades later as well as having more rapid decline in those scores than twins who did not have a concussion, or traumatic brain injury (TBI). The study is published in the September 6, 2023, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

Dr. Carol Nwelue discusses school backpack and playground safety.

Carol Nwelue, MD, at Baylor Scott & White Health, answers common patient questions and reacts to the latest medical research. Why are heavy backpacks potentially dangerous for kids? (SOT@ :14, TRT :30) Are roller bag backpacks a safe choice? (SOT@…

CHOP Researchers Comprehensively Assess the Safety of Using Your Head in Youth Soccer

Repeatedly heading a soccer ball has been previously associated with negative long-term brain health for professional players. However, a new study found that a small number of repeated soccer headers equivalent to a throw-in did not cause immediate neurophysiological deficits for teens, suggesting that limited soccer heading exposure in youth sports may not result in irreversible harm if players are properly trained.

Hackensack Meridian Concussion Expert Available To Comment On Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell Concussion And Recovery

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell Hospitalized With Concussion, Hackensack Meridian JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Institute Available To Comment On Injury And Recovery. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is hospitalized in a Washington, D.C. area hospital, after suffering a concussion from a…

Slow Recovery from Concussion? Exercise, Breathing Practice May Improve Symptoms

Breathing practice as well as gradual aerobic exercise may help improve concussion symptoms in teens experiencing slow recovery, according to a preliminary study released today, February 21, 2023, that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 75th Annual Meeting being held in person in Boston and live online from April 22-27, 2023. The study found that while the two therapies are each beneficial separately, when combined they resulted in even greater improvement in thinking and memory skills, depression and mood.

Good News for Athletes Who Are Slow to Recover from Concussion

A new study suggests that athletes who recover more slowly from concussion may be able to return to play with an additional month of recovery beyond the typical recovery time, according to a new study published in the January 18, 2023, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Slow recovery was defined as taking more than 14 days for symptoms to resolve or taking more than 24 days to return to play, both of which are considered the typical recovery times for about 80% of athletes with concussion.

Saliva, Genomic Analysis Used to Identify Promising Biomarkers for Persistent Post-Concussive Symptoms in Children

In a study published in Frontiers in Public Health, researchers at Nationwide Children’s Hospital have demonstrated a method by which increased risk of persistent post-concussive symptoms (PPCS) in children with concussion can be identified. This could allow families and their care teams to better assess recovery time of children with concussion.

Sports Medicine Physician Available to Comment on Concussion Following Tua Tagovailoa’s Injury

Following last night’s concussion of Miami Dolphins football star Tua Tagovailoa, one sports medicine physician is reminding sports fans and athletes alike about the dangers of head injuries.  “Watching the frightening moment when Tua Tagovailoa was violently tackled and landed…

Young Athletes with History of Concussions May Have More Changes to Their Brains

A new study suggests athletes with a history of concussion may show more brain injury from a later concussion, particularly in middle regions of the brain that are more susceptible to damage, when compared to athletes with no history of concussion. The research is published in the August 25, 2021, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The athletes participated in sports like football, volleyball and soccer.

Racial Differences in Recovery Following Sports-Related Concussion Identified in Young Black and White Athletes

Researchers examined whether race (Black or White) influences outcomes and subjective experiences in young athletes who have sustained a sports-related concussion. Of primary interest were how long it takes for symptom resolution and return to school as well as changes in daily activities and sports behaviors.

Suiting Up to Ensure Safe Environments for All Youth Athletes

The National Youth Sports Health & Safety Institute, a joint initiative between the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and Sanford Health, launches policy agenda to protect kids participating in sports. The institute to work with state legislators to act on seven critical areas of athlete health.

ACSM Announces 2020 Paper of the Year Selections

The ACSM Publications Committee established an annual Paper of the Year Award in 2020 to recognize one scientific article from each of ACSM’s five journals. Award-winning articles are selected based on impact, research significance, conceptual design and/or technical innovation.

Concussion with Loss of Consciousness May Be Linked to Life with Some Disability

People who have had a concussion where they lost consciousness may be more likely to have some disability or limitations later in life—such as difficulty walking or limitations in the amount or type of work they can do—than people who have never had a concussion, according to a study published in the May 26, 2021, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

Insights about the Genetic Basis for Concussion

Despite significant advances in treatment, sports-related concussion continues to plague athletes. Part of the reason for this is that the biological basis of concussion is poorly understood. Genetics play a key role in the biology underlying concussion. In this study,…

No increase in brain health problems in middle age for men who played football in high school

Decades after their days on the gridiron, middle-aged men who played football in high school are not experiencing greater problems with concentration, memory, or depression compared to men who did not play football, reports a study in Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine. The journal is published in the Lippincott portfolio by Wolters Kluwer.

Visio-Vestibular Examination is a Critical Component of Diagnosing Concussion in Young Athletes, Feasible Across Multiple Care Settings

Early and accurate diagnosis leads to optimal recovery from concussion. Over the past year across a series of studies, the Minds Matter Concussion Program research team at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) has systematically evaluated the use of the visio-vestibular examination (VVE) and its ability to enhance concussion diagnosis and management.

Doubling Down on Headache Pain

It’s not uncommon for people who experience a concussion to have moderate to severe headaches in the weeks after the injury. A new study has found a combination of two drugs, both common anti-nausea medications, given intravenously in the emergency room may relieve those headaches better than a placebo. The study is published in the March 24, 2021, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

Press and Media Registration is Open for 2021 AAN Annual Meeting

No matter where you are in the world, the 2021 AAN Annual Meeting is one click away. Journalists can now register to attend the 73rd Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) being held virtually April 17-22, 2021. The AAN Annual Meeting is the world’s largest gathering of neurologists who come together to share the latest advances in neurologic research.

No Overall Difference in Concussion Recovery Time Seen for Male and Female Collegiate Athletes

Researchers found female and male collegiate athletes take approximately the same amount of time to recover from a concussion, with subtle differences in recovery time depending on the type of sports being played and the division level of the sport. The findings suggest that equity in access to sports medical care among college athletes may be contributing to these similar outcomes.

Lack of sleep, stress can lead to symptoms resembling concussion

A new study suggests that a lot of people might be going through life with symptoms that resemble concussion – a finding supporting researchers’ argument that athletes recovering from a brain injury should be assessed and treated on a highly individualized basis.

Eggs Reveal What May Happen to Brain on Impact

Our brains consist of soft matter bathed in watery cerebrospinal fluid inside a hard skull, and in Physics of Fluids, researchers describe studying another system with the same features, an egg, to search for answers about concussions. Considering that in most concussive brain injuries, the skull does not break, they wanted to find out if it was possible to break or deform the egg yolk without breaking the eggshell and did a simple experiment using an egg scrambler, measuring the soft matter deformation.

Noninvasive Way to Explore Traumatic Brain Injuries

A noninvasive method to measure the stiffness parameters along fibrous pathways within the brain is helping researchers explore traumatic brain injuries. The stiffness of these tissues can reveal clues about changes and pathologies within the brain’s gray and white matter. During the 179th ASA Meeting, Anthony J. Romano will describe the method known as waveguide elastography. Waveguide elastography merges magnetic resonance elastography and diffusion tensor imaging with a combination of isotropic and anisotropic inversion algorithms.

Study Suggests Brain Injuries May Evolve, Not Resolve, Over Time

Service members with concussions may have symptoms that continue to evolve up to five years after the initial injury, according to a study published in the November 11, 2020, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The findings challenge the idea that these individuals with chronic brain injuries maintain a relatively stable course of recovery.

Brain magnetic stimulation for veterans with concussion: Need is high, but evidence is limited

Studies using repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), a noninvasive technique, to help veterans and active-duty service members living with depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and other lasting consequences of concussion have shown promise. However, there’s an urgent need for studies designed to address the unique patterns of post-concussion symptoms seen in military populations, concludes a review in the November/December issue of the Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation (JHTR). The official journal of the Brain Injury Association of America, JHTR is published in the Lippincott portfolio by Wolters Kluwer.

Should You Really Be Behind the Wheel After Concussion?

Even after all of their symptoms are gone, people who have had a concussion take longer to regain complex reaction times, the kind you need in most real-life driving situations on the road, according to a preliminary study released today that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s Sports Concussion Virtual Conference from July 31 to August 1, 2020.

Concussions are associated with cognitive, behavioral, and emotional health consequences for student athletes

Concussions can have a compounding effect on children, leading to long-term cognitive, behavioral, and emotional health consequences, according to researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), who published their findings in the American Journal of Sports Medicine.

Simple Blood Test May Predict Concussion Severity Just as Well as Spinal Tap

A blood biomarker in people who have had concussions may be just as accurate at predicting the severity of the injury and how long it will last as biomarkers that are obtained through more expensive and invasive tests, according to a study published in the July 8, 2020, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

New Study Finds Distinctive Neurological Pattern in Injured Havana Embassy Staff

A new study published in Frontiers in Neurology has found a distinctive neurological pattern among U.S. Embassy staffers and family members who were injured three years ago while stationed in Havana, Cuba. By analyzing videos taken during initial clinical evaluations, researchers from the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine found staffers with neurological impairments had similar changes in eye movements and pupil responses.