In October 2023, Willie Stewart et al. published a paper in Acta Neuropathologica demonstrating an association between the development of CTE and the length of a person’s rugby career.

A study published in Biological Psychiatry

found that concussions may alter the trajectory of white matter maturation in female children and that this alteration may play a role in the onset of new depression and anxiety after concussion. 

Findings from a recent study in Nature Mental Health exploring the gut-brain-microbiota axis revealed that those who adhered to a Mediterranean diet experienced reduced PTSD symptoms,

In a recent study, Lily Li-Wen Wang et al. found that macrophage-adhering GLAMs can be used to identify the presence of mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBIs) that do not show up on standard MRI brain scans.

A study published in The Journal of Neuroscience found that in mice, memory loss after being subjected to a high frequency of mild head impacts was linked to a deficiency in synaptic plasticity rather than “a loss of neural infrastructure.” There is the possibility that “cognitive impairment caused by head impact” could be clinically reversed.

A study published in Sports Medicine showed the recovery trajectories for both sexes to be quite similar. However, the study authors note that females have a greater overall symptom burden during their recovery period.

The Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics published a study that found a significant correlation between children who sustain mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBIs/concussions) and risk of developing affective disorders (anxiety, depression, OCD, or adjustment disorders) and behavioral disorders (ADHD or Conduct Disorder) within four years post-injury.

On February 28, the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Personnel held a hearing about traumatic brain injury from repeated blast exposure for U.S. service members. Senator Elizabeth Warren, Chairwoman of the subpanel, led the two-hour hearing in which senators questioned experts. Senator Warren said, “We need to do better for our troops, and we need to do it right now.”

A recent study has found that acupuncture has a statisticcally significant effect on reducing symptoms of PTSD.

The Journal of Neurotrauma recently published a study comparing conventional rehabilitation to high-intensity training (HIT) in patients with moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury. Compared to rehabilitation, high-intensity training participants showed better outcomes in the physical tests used to measure locomotive outcomes (6-min walk test and peak treadmill speed). There were also more improvements in aerobic capacity and cognitive functioning after HIT. 

A landmark study published in Nature Medicine found that ibogaine, an “atypical psychedelic” derived from the root bark of an African shrub, showed highly beneficial effects on emotional well-being and cognition in a group of Special Operations Forces (SOF) veterans with chronic illness relating to their military careers and history of traumatic brain injury (TBI), primarily mild TBIs.

The Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation dedicated its latest issue to chronic pain after TBI, featuring a series of ten papers. A press release by UW Medicine describes the team’s survey findings that about 60% of the 3,800 patients from the TBI cohort reported current or previous chronic pain.

There is a significant gap in knowledge and guidance on handling IPV-related injuries among medical providers. To address this gap, Canadian organizations have collaborated to develop a resource to aid healthcare professionals in understanding and managing these injuries effectively.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

A study conducted by Jacob Kay et al. found that male and female teenagers who reported a history of concussion in the last year were at greater risk of suicidal ideation, planning, and attempts than those who had not sustained a concussion in the previous year.