In 2021, the NFL offered an opportunity to researchers to examine possible treatments for pain in NFL athletes. An article written for CBC News indicates that the NFL awarded over $500,000 to a study led by Patrick Neary, a professor and exercise physiologist at the University of Regina, a public university in Canada.

An article published on Verywell Health provides a well-written overview of the symptoms, causes, diagnosis, and treatment of post-traumatic headaches (PTH). These headaches typically stem from traumatic brain injuries, including concussions, the most common causes of which are falls, automobile injuries, sports injuries, and domestic abuse.

Veterans with mTBI (concussion) and their caregivers are invited to participate in a research study. Mind Over Matter (M.O.M.) provides a platform that gives veterans with an mTBI and their caregivers an active voice in developing a pathway for increasing the relevance of TBI Patient-Centered Outcomes Research (PCOR) and Comparative Effectiveness Research (C.E.R.).

A study conducted by Joan Machamer et al. found that over two-thirds of concussion patients report persistent symptoms a year post-injury. At the 12 month evaluation, 50 percent of participants reported at least three symptoms, and 71 percent of participants reported that at least one symptom was new or worse than pre-injury.

A study investigated whether concussion nondisclosure disparities existed by race, socioeconomic status (SES), or athletic training health care access before college. One of the study’s goals was to understand the differential reasons for concussion nondisclosure between White and Black collegiate athletes.

A recent study by Tiffany O’Connor et al. explored the incidence of traumatic brain injury among homeless and precariously housed persons. Of the 326 individuals who participated in the study, 100 acquired at least one TBI during the study period (with 31% suffering more than one) – yielding an incidence proportion of 30.7%.

A study found associations between certain personality traits and the time until return to play after a concussion. Experience seeking and impulsivity are personality traits that indicate a shorter return to play after a concussion. In contrast, conscientiousness is a personality trait that investigators associated with a more extended return to play delay.

A study found that veterans with mTBI history performed significantly worse on 4 of 9 cognitive tests than either the age-matched non mTBI veterans or the healthy controls. Concerningly, the test results for veterans with mTBI showed they were cognitively “at least three decades older.” They performed most closely to the cohort of early-stage Parkinson’s Disease patients.

An excellent article from Elizabeth Sandel, MD, explores the relationship between falls and TBI in older adults and lays out interventions for a variety of common risk factors. Sandel points out that “Falls are the leading cause of traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) in the U.S."

When is virtual concussion care appropriate? How do you conduct a virtual concussion exam? Which part of the exam cannot be done virtually? (Spoiler alert, it’s orthostatic vitals, cardiovascular/respiratory, and gait). A group of leading U.S. and Canadian concussion researchers/clinicians have authored a Virtual Concussion Exam Training Manual.

A study found that over half of participants had persistent sensorimotor impairments at four weeks to six months after suffering a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). The authors note that “These disturbances were evident regardless of whether ongoing symptoms were reported,” including those patients who said they were asymptomatic.

Researchers utilized NCAA-DOD CARE Consortium data to investigate whether the presence of ADHD or learning disability (LD) increased the odds that NCAA athletes would report a history of concussion or sustain a concussion after enrolling in the CARE Consortium study.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) affects up to 1 in 3 women over their lifetime. COVID-19 has intensified this problem. The intersection of IPV and brain injury (BI) remains relatively understudied. However, this study, published in Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation, focused on improving understanding of intimate partner violence and brain injury.

According to a preliminary research study published in the American Journal of Sports Medicine, an 8-week neuromuscular training (NMT) intervention on sports-related injuries of young athletes may lead to a 3.5 times lower risk of injury when they return to play post-concussion.

A study by Dr. Michael Robinson et al., published in American Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, used a decision tree to identify patients at higher risk of developing prolonged concussion symptoms. The researchers found that feelings of fogginess and sadness at initial assessment were predictive of prolonged symptoms “lasting 28 days or more postconcussion.”

A study found that “students who sustained a concussion during the pandemic did not report increased academic concerns or reduced QOL [quality of life] compared to those whose injury was prior to the pandemic.”

A study found that persistent post-concussion symptoms (PPCSs) “were associated with an increased likelihood of perpetrating IPV in the subsequent year when controlling for other common IPV risk factors,” including binge drinking, marijuana use, pain level, and probable PTSD.

PedsConcussion tweeted a flowchart and breakdown of their “Telemedicine and Virtual Care Algorithm.” This flowchart can be helpful for both patients and providers when considering whether or not to go for in-person care, which is particularly important considering the current increased incidence of COVID-19.

In an article published in The Marshall Project, Melissa Bickford details her experience with intimate partner violence and the subsequent impact of the TBI she suffered as a result. Connecting with a previously incancerated man made Bickford realize that the psycho-emotional and physical fallout of a brain injury can push victims to become perpetrators.

Veterans with or without a history of head injury are encouraged to participate in a remote study to learn about how receiving bright light or negative ions in the morning might affect sleep in veterans of all ages.