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Repeated cerebral trauma in boxing career may result in boxer's dementia

Up to 20% of professional boxers develop neuropsychiatric sequelae. But which acute complications and which late sequelae can boxers expect throughout the course of their career? These are the questions studied by Hans Förstl from the Technical University Munich and his co-authors in the current issue of Deutsches Ärzteblatt International (Dtsch Arztebl Int 2010; 107[47]: 835-9).

10 Dec 2010

AANS injury prevention tips during winter holiday season

During the winter holiday season there are many warnings in the news about preventing house fires caused by Christmas trees and faulty electrical wiring. There are also warnings about too much merriment leading to alcohol-related motor vehicle accidents. A lesser known fact is the risk of head injury related to hanging and taking down Christmas decorations.

4 Dec 2010

National study examines management of sport-related concussions in high school athletes

Each academic year, an estimated 136,000 sports-related concussions occur among high school athletes in the United States. A new study conducted by researchers at the Sports Concussion Clinic at Children's Hospital Boston and the Center for Injury Research and Policy of The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital examined concussions in high school athletes during the 2008-2009 school year.

1 Dec 2010

New comprehensive program effective in reducing neurological injuries among rugby players: Report

A comprehensive program combining education and rule enforcement has been effective in reducing the high rate of brain and spinal cord injuries among rugby players, reports the November issue of Neurosurgery, official journal of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons.

18 Nov 2010

Neuropsychologist advices soldiers struggling with mild traumatic brain injury

For soldiers who have suffered a head injury, it can be frustrating when problems linger after returning home. Because there may be no physical signs of injury, issues like memory complaints or sleep disturbances that follow mild traumatic brain injury can be underestimated or overlooked by veterans and their families.

12 Nov 2010

New Chicago Sports Concussion Clinic at Rush University provides proper diagnosis for athletes

Concussions, like any injury, need proper assessment and time to heal. Some may brush off an injury to the head, but an injury to the brain may be severe with possible long-term consequences. Athletes or individuals who suffer a bump or blow to the head now can see a physician for assessment within 24 to 48 hours at the new Chicago Sports Concussion Clinic at Rush University Medical Center.

29 Oct 2010

NFL players with concussions now stay away from the game longer

NFL players with concussions now stay away from the game significantly longer than they did in the late 1990s and early 2000s, according to research in Sports Health (owned by American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine and published by SAGE). The mean days lost with concussion increased from 1.92 days during 1996-2001 to 4.73 days during 2002-2007.

13 Oct 2010

Study suggests athletes suffer a form of injury that is difficult to diagnose

A study by researchers at Purdue University suggests that some high school football players suffer undiagnosed changes in brain function and continue playing even though they are impaired.

8 Oct 2010

Top experts to discuss concussion-related issues at Ice Hockey summit

On Oct. 19-20, 2010, Mayo Clinic's Sports Medicine Center will host "Ice Hockey Summit: Action on Concussion." The summit will bring together top scientists, trainers, coaches, officials and manufacturers from across the United States, Canada and Europe to discuss concussion-related issues, including the science of concussions, impact on children, and sporting world response.

7 Oct 2010

Congress considers setting standards to reduce football concussions

NPR: "A college player who recently committed suicide had a degenerative brain disease normally linked to much older players. It's prompting a new round of questions about safety in the dangerous game that Americans love. ... [Chronic traumatic encephalopathy] is the football concussion 'disease of the moment.' In the past couple of years, Boston University's Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy has revealed that many deceased NFL players had CTE. The symptoms include depression, erratic behavior and, ultimately, dementia" (Goldman, 9/23).

24 Sep 2010

Parents and coaches should be mindful of risks of concussions

With the recent deaths of football players top of mind, parents and coaches should always be mindful of the risks of concussions. Kim Gorgens, assistant professor and neuropsychologist at the University of Denver (DU), says that the average football player receives 103 Gs when hit during a game. Most concussions deliver 95 Gs to the human body upon impact.

24 Sep 2010

New guidance on making complex decisions about injured athlete's return to play

When is it appropriate for an injured athlete to return to competition? A new three-step framework provides team physicians and other sport medicine clinicians with guidance on making complex decisions about return to play, reported in the September Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine.

13 Sep 2010

Emergency department visits for concussions in young athletes on the rise

A new study from Hasbro Children's Hospital finds visits to emergency departments for concussions that occurred during organized team sports have increased dramatically over a 10-year period, and appear to be highest in ice hockey and football. The number of sports-related concussions is highest in high school-aged athletes, but the number in younger athletes is significant and rising.

31 Aug 2010

Axon Sports CCAT system now available to assess cognitive function in children

Every year, more than 300,000 student-athletes sustain sports-related head injuries. With the fall sports season just around the corner, this is a startling statistic for parents who worry about the devastating effects concussions can have on their children.

25 Aug 2010

U-M launches new program to prevent sports-related injuries

Christopher Roth doesn't remember the train wreck on the practice field: As a University of Michigan fullback, he and another player were running at each other from about 10 yards apart. The resulting collision left him stumbling around, unaware of what he was doing.Like 3 million athletes every year, Roth had suffered a concussion. It wasn't the first time, but this injury ended his football career.

21 Aug 2010

CDC study finds American traumatic brain injury population on the rise

The number of Americans living with traumatic brain injury (TBI) is growing, according to research by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The Brain Injury Association of Michigan (BIAMI) believes the following issues will have a profound impact on the nearly 200,000 Michigan residents who have suffered a TBI and the many more who may suffer one in the future.

21 Aug 2010

Brain trauma in sports associated with motor neuron disease, researchers find

The Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy at Boston University School of Medicine and Department of Veterans Affairs announced today that they have provided the first pathological evidence that repetitive head trauma experienced in collision sports is associated with motor neuron disease, a neurological condition that affects voluntary muscle movements.

18 Aug 2010

Specific brain abnormalities linked to motor neuron disease in athletes with head trauma

Professional athletes with repetitive head trauma and possibly others with a history of head injuries many years previously may be prone the development of a motor neuron disease similar to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or "Lou Gehrig's disease"), reports a study in the September Journal of Neuropathology & Experimental Neurology, official journal of the American Association of Neuropathologists, Inc.

18 Aug 2010

Play It Safe Concussion Care Solution to use Axon Sports CCAT for Baseline testing

Wells Fargo Insurance Services' Student Insurance Division announced today that its Play It Safe Concussion Care Solution will use Axon Sports Computerized Cognitive Assessment Tool for its Baseline testing. Launched in 2009, the Play It Safe Concussion Care Solution is a broad concussion management treatment and services solution for athletes nationwide.

13 Aug 2010

Special issue on new developments in vestibular rehabilitation

Rehabilitation is essential for patients with disabling symptoms of dizziness, vertigo, and unsteadiness caused by disorders of the vestibular system. A special issue of The Journal of Neurologic Physical Therapy (JNPT) presents an update on new and emerging vestibular rehabilitation techniques, highlighting the physical therapist's role on the multidisciplinary teams providing patient care and research.

4 Aug 2010