In this newsletter: Opportunities, Sports, Therapies Currently Available, Therapies Under Research, Veterans & Service Members, Mental Health, Youth, Women’s Health, and CTE & Neurodegeneration Issues.

The lead article, Evidence Suggests that Female Veterans with Brain Trauma Require Different Recovery Methods, is in the Veterans & Service Members category.

We appreciate the December 2021 Interns who created this edition:

Writers: Aaron Banse, Claire Holmes, Gigi Paulig, Hannah Moran, Henry Petrini, Ian Scott, Leah Snidman, Samihat Rahman

Editors: Conor Gormally, Malayka Gormally, and Sam Kanny.

Do you find the Concussion Update helpful? If so, forward this to a friend and suggest they subscribe.

Opportunities

December 16, 3:30 pm PST: free online class, Music and the Brain, facilitated by Kaylee Allen, Board-Certified Music Therapist, produced by BIAWA. Register in advance.

January 7, 11 am PST: free online class, Tango Stride, a dance-based walking class for people with mobility challenges, produced by BIAWA. Register in advance.

New podcast, the BrainSPORT podcast, produced by the UCLA Steve Tisch BrainSPORT Program, available on YouTube. Topics include concussions in women’s sports, football, inequities in care, facts on CTE, and more.

Currently enrolling for January 16, 2022 start-date: Concussion Corner Academy, a 12-week course providing CEUs for physical therapists and athletic trainers, produced by Dr. Jessica Schwartz of the Concussion Corner podcast. The program faculty are leaders in the concussion field; Concussion Alliance highly recommends this course for healthcare professionals.

Sports

Rugby Football League approves impact detection mouth guards

See our blog post to read this synopsis.

Therapies Currently Available

Virtual reality, augmented reality, and other games may provide remote cognitive rehab to patients during COVID-19

See our blog post to read this synopsis.

Therapies Under Research

Navy researcher designs shock-absorbing helmet

See our blog post to read this synopsis.

Veterans & Service Members

Evidence Suggests that Female Veterans with Brain Trauma Require Different Recovery Methods

See our blog post to read about female veterans with brain trauma.

Clinical Trial for veterans and active-duty military members with Insomnia

A current study is enrolling service members and veterans to test the efficacy of an online Cognitive Behavioral Therapy app for insomnia (SHUTi), customized specifically for military members. The study is totally online and remote; contact the study team by emailing cnrm-ecbti@usuhs.edu or call or text (301)456-5474 to learn more.

Sleep study for veterans with sleep issues and concussion history

The Sleepless Warriors At-Home study is recruiting veterans age 21+ who have served in the military for at least 180 days, have trouble sleeping, and have a concussion history.

“Participants are randomly assigned to one of two therapies that are specifically focused on sleep. Both are short-term, structured treatments that teach different skills and techniques aimed at improving insomnia symptoms. The specific skills you learn will depend on which therapy you are assigned.”

“In both treatments, you’ll meet online with a therapist once a week for approximately 1 hour to discuss your difficulties with sleep. The techniques they teach you will be tailored to your personal circumstances.”

The study involves nine teletherapy appointments and one follow-up appointment after six months. The study also offers compensation for each visit, up to a total of $325. Follow this link to the study page if you’re interested in participating; the study page has a link to a survey to determine if you are eligible to participate. You can also call (650) 446-3373 for more information.