NPR interview with Sex with a Brain Injury author and concussion patient Annie Liontas (1/11/24 Newsletter)

Written By Concussion Alliance

This week’s lead article, NPR interview with Sex with a Brain Injury author and concussion patient Annie Liontas, is in the Culture category.

In this newsletter: Opportunities, Pathophysiology, Self Care, Therapies & Diagnostic Tools Under Research, Mental Health, Women’s Health, and Culture.

We appreciate the Concussion Alliance volunteers, board members, and staff members who created this edition:
Writers: Esmeralda Garcia-Ramirez, Ella Gullickson, Susan Klein MD PhD, Sravya Valiveti, Hannah Hartmann & Malayka Gormally

Editors: Conor Gormally and Malayka Gormally

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Opportunities

Photo courtesy of Love Your Brain

Wednesday, January 17, 8 am PST: A free webinar, A Chat with Gerry Gioia: Moderating Concussion Complexities, hosted by The Center on Brain Injury Research and Training. Register in advance.

Wednesday, January 17, 11 am EST: A webinar, Many Heads are Better Than One: A Multidisciplinary Approach to Building a Research Program in Concussion, presented by Roger Zemek, MD, and hosted by the International Brain Injury Association (IBIA). The webinar is free for IBIA members and $25 for non-members. Register in advance.

Tuesday, January 23, 6 pm EST: A free webinar, Imaging in Concussion, presented by Dr. Andrea Para and hosted by the Canadian Concussion Centre. Register in advance.

Wednesday, January 31, 6 pm EST: A webinar, iRest® Guided Meditation for Sleep and PTS(D) after TBI: Science and Practice, hosted by Love Your Brain. The fee for the webinar is on a sliding scale, including free. Topics covered include how sleep and the nervous system are impacted after concussion and other TBI and how iRest® has been proven to help. You will experience TBI-friendly iRest® practices, which are based on Yoga Nidra. iRest® was developed by a psychologist, promoted by the nonprofit iRest Institute, and taught in some military and veteran settings.

Pathophysiology

Multiple concussions negatively affect heart activity, brain oxygen levels––may be associated with symptoms such as headaches

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Multiple concussions negatively affect heart activity, and brain oxygen levels–and may be associated with symptoms such as headaches

Concussion can alter heart function through an upset to the autonomic nervous system (ANS), part of the nervous system in charge of involuntary body processes, such as the heart beating, breathing, and digestion.

Read More →

Self Care

Physical activity is as good or slightly better than medication and psychotherapy for managing mental health issues; high-intensity exercise is even better

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Physical activity is as good or slightly better than medication and psychotherapy for managing mental health issues; high-intensity exercise is even better

An article highlighted the effectiveness and significant benefits of physical activity when utilized as an intervention for a range of mental health issues, specifically in managing symptoms of depression, anxiety, and psychological distress in adults.

Read More →

Therapies & Diagnostic Tools Under Research

Novel hand-held eye (retina) scanning device measures biomarkers and accurately identifies brain injury in pig eyes

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Novel hand-held eye (retina) scanning device measures biomarkers and accurately identifies brain injury in pig eyes

A recent study reported results on a handheld device, tested on a pig model, that can scan the retina of the eye to detect biochemical markers produced by the brain immediately after mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI).

Read More →

Mental Health

Athletes with comorbid depression and anxiety and no recent concussion  report more post-concussion symptoms than “healthy mood” athletes who are two weeks post-concussion

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Athletes with comorbid depression and anxiety and no recent concussion  report more post-concussion symptoms than “healthy mood” athletes who are two weeks post-concussion

Scientists have found that athletes with baseline comorbid depression and anxiety reported more symptoms on the Post-Concussion Symptom Scale, without having a recent concussion, than the post-concussion athletes who had a healthy mood at baseline.

Read More →

Women’s Health

Compared to men, women have significantly greater risk of depression after concussion or TBI

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Compared to men, women have significantly greater risk of depression after concussion or TBI

According to a news release by the American Society of Anesthesiologists, women are significantly more likely to experience depression following a concussion or other traumatic brain injury (TBI) when compared to men.

Read More →

Culture

NPR interview with Sex with a Brain Injury author and concussion patient Annie Liontas

Blog
NPR interview with Sex with a Brain Injury author and concussion patient Annie Liontas

In Sex with a Brain Injury, On Concussion and Recovery, author Annie Liontas tells how their injuries have affected every area of their lives, including sex, marriage, work, and sense of self.

Read More →
Concussion Alliance
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Mediterranean diet and subsequently improved gut microbiome tied to lower PTSD symptom burden in women (2/1/24 Newsletter)
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Intern Newsletter–New diagnostics and imaging lead to greater understanding of concussions (12/15/23 Newsletter)