Helping solve the hidden concussion epidemic

While brain injury prevention in sports has largely focused on concussions, a groundbreaking study revealed that the development and severity of CTE are associated with the duration of play and the cumulative force of all repetitive head impacts.

A analysis found that concussion knowledge often depends on personal experience, teachers were “not exposed to concussion education as part of their training,” and that structured concussion education and recognition protocols are needed immediately in Irish secondary schools

In a study researchers found that after a single collegiate football game, which involves repetitive head hits (RHHs), changes to glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) correlated with head impact exposure and reduced brain white matter integrity in 30 football players two days later.

A study found that an athlete’s symptom report is more accurate for concussion diagnosis than the Standardized Assessment of Concussion (SAC), a cognitive evaluation commonly used as part of the Sports Concussion Assessment Tool (SCAT).

A study of rates and mechanisms of head contact and suspected concussions in youth basketball found a lack of fouls called for head contacts during the game, despite contact to the head being illegal in basketball.

A study found that females reported higher total postconcussive symptoms compared to males and that military personnel reported higher total symptoms than the civilian population.

A team of experts argues that the term “subconcussive” should be replaced by the term “non-concussive” when referring to head impacts.

A study found that neurodegeneration is “progressive and continues for many years after mild head trauma without signs of brain injury on conventional MRI.”

A study found that engaging in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity during post-concussion recovery can reduce anxiety levels in teens and have other beneficial effects.

Research published in the Journal of Headache and Pain reveals altered connectivity between certain brain regions in patients with posttraumatic headache (PTH) following mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI).

A recent study in The Journal of Pediatrics found that recreation-related concussions (RRC)––such as those from recess, gym class, and play––and non-sport or recreation-related concussions (non-SRRC)––from events like motor vehicle crashes, falls, and assault––are more common among patients 5 through 12 years old than sports-related concussions (SRC) from organized sports.

In a longitudinal study published in JAMA Network Open, researchers discovered that over 18 years, 13% of older Americans suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI).

In a multimodal study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Natalie Gilmore et al. found that higher cumulative blast exposure was associated with decreased brain function and lower quality of life. According to a New York Times article, the damage seen in these brains was not CTE but a new pathology.

Researchers identified 13 key nutrients that were found in higher concentrations for those in the delayed brain aging group than those in the accelerated brain aging group. The 13 nutrients, including fatty acids, antioxidants, carotenoids, and vitamins, are commonly found in the Mediterranean diet in foods such as fish, nuts, oils, and leafy greens. 

A study published in Acta Neuropathologica found that female swine brains are at a "higher risk of concussion and suffer worse outcomes" than male swine brains.

A press release from Penn Medicine News highlighted that individuals with a history of traumatic brain injury (TBI) were at higher risk of developing an ischemic stroke later in life.

Veterans exposed to blast-induced mild traumatic brain injury (blast mTBI) may experience impaired function of the glymphatic system, according to a recent study published in Brain.

A study published in Radiology discovered that low-level light therapy (LLLT) administered within 72 hours of a moderate traumatic brain injury (TBI) showed increased resting-state functional connectivity in the brains of participants during the early recovery stages.

A BBC article explains how patients with persisting post-concussion symptoms (PPCS) and Long Covid exhibit similar symptoms, including fatigue, exercise intolerance, sleep disturbances, memory and concentration problems, light and sound sensitivity, and visual dysfunction, such as impairments in eye tracking.

In a study published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease Reports, researchers write that “this is the first report of a potential treatment modality to mitigate symptoms of Possible CTE.” The study is a case-series report of four former football players (3 professionals) who met the NIH criteria for Possible CTE and were treated with transcranial photobiomodulation (tPBM), a specific kind of light therapy.

A study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine examined whether the sports concussion assessment tool, version 5 (SCAT5), could be utilized for para-athletes with a visual impairment, a spinal cord injury, or a limb deficiency.

From a survey given to a random sample of 208 college students, the authors concluded that students of both sexes demonstrated a limited understanding of the symptoms, consequences, and appropriate management of concussions–though females scored slightly higher.

In late March, the National Athletic Trainers’ Association released its updated recommendations for the management of sport-related concussions – a document that hadn’t been updated in over a decade.

A recent study published in JAMA Neurology by DeCarli et al. found that brain volumes and brain size are becoming progressively larger––based on MRI brain imaging observations of participants born between 1930 and 1970.

Ronda Rousey, a former MMA fighter, tells her story of her life-long experience with concussions and lasting health impacts in a recent interview with The Guardian.

A study published in JAMA Network Open challenges the existing idea that early childhood concussion may have relatively benign effects and highlights that postconcussive symptoms can be relatively long-lasting.

In a study published in Sports Health, Master et al. found that the existence of pre-injury mental health diagnoses correlated with longer concussion recovery time and increased emotional symptoms.