This week’s lead article, Branched chain amino acids may expedite concussion recovery, is in the Therapies & Diagnostic Tools Under Research category.

In this newsletter: Opportunities, Education, Sports, Pathophysiology, Therapies Currently Available, Therapies & Diagnostic Tools Under Research, Mental Health, Youth, Culture, and CTE & Neurodegeneration Issues.

We appreciate the Concussion Alliance volunteers and staff members who created this edition:
Writers: Sravya Valiveti, Chelsea Ryan, Josh Wu, Aamy Woldesenbet, Kira Kunzman, Ike Smalley, Zoe Heart, Camilla Smith-Donald, and Sarah Brown

Editors: Conor Gormally and Malayka Gormally

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

Opportunities

Summer Internship Opportunity: The application cycle for our Summer 2024 Education & Advocacy Internship is open! It runs June 24 – August 16 and is open to undergraduate students. Our program is remote and open to any interested students who can attend our synchronous meetings. For more information about the program and how to apply, go to our Internship Program page.

Friday, April 12, 8 am PDT: A free webinar, The Development of Executive Dysfunction from Childhood Trauma and Mild-Traumatic Brain Injuries, presented by Nick Mehrnoosh, MS, LMHC, MHP, and hosted by CBIRT. Register in advance.

Tuesday, April 16, 6 pm EDT: A free webinar, Concussion –Headache Types and Treatment, presented by Dr. Marie Slegr and hosted by the Canadian Concussion Centre. Register in advance.

Wednesday, April 17, 12:00 pm EDT: A webinar, Our Journey to Recognizing Brain Injury as a Chronic Condition, features John D. Corrigan, PhD, interviewed by Katherine Snedaker, LCSW, and hosted by the International Brain Injury Association (IBIA). Webinar registration is $25 for nonmembers.

Thursday, April 18, 4:00-5:00 pm EDT: Dr. Cheryl Wellington will present a free webinar, Fluid Biomarkers in Neurological Diseases, hosted by the University of Michigan Concussion Speaker Series. Register in advance.

Friday, April 19, 9 am PDT: A free webinar, Addressing Traumatic Brain Injury in the Alaskan Juvenile Justice System, presented by Sena Gilbert, M.S. CCC-SLP, CBIS, and hosted by CBIRT. Register in advance.

Thursday, April 25, 6:00 - 8:00 pm EDT: A free Concussion Public Forum, How Do I Get Treatment for My Concussion?, hosted by The Canadian Concussion Centre. A dozen leading researchers and clinicians will present on various topics. Highly recommended! Register in advance.

Tuesday, April 30, 6 pm EDT: A free webinar, Whiplash and Other Spinal Injuries in Patients with Concussions, presented by Dr. Eric Massicotte, hosted by the Canadian Concussion Centre. Register in advance.

Education

Massive Open Online Course is effective at providing concussion education

Blog

As reported in a recent study, a massive open online course (MOOC) developed by Laval University (Quebec, Canada) offering education on concussion was found to have considerable success, suggesting courses like this could be an important tool for spreading concussion prevention and treatment information in the future.

Read More →

Sports

National Athletic Trainers’ Association updates clinical recommendations

Blog

Apr 25, 2024

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.

Read More →

Apr 25, 2024

Pathophysiology

Study finds potential therapeutic target to combat mitochondrial dysfunction after TBI

Blog

The journal Neurochemistry International recently published a review that details the role of mitochondria in traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Read More →

Therapies Currently Available

Cooling therapy reduces symptom burden in adolescent concussions

Blog

A study conducted by Matthew Smith et al. and published in The Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine found that, in adolescent athletes, cooling therapy was associated with a significant decrease in post-concussion symptoms.

Read More →

Therapies & Diagnostic Tools Under Research

Branched chain amino acids may expedite concussion recovery

Blog

A six-year study in the Journal of Neurotrauma explored the impact of branched chain amino acids (BCAAs) on concussion recovery in adolescents and young adults.

Read More →

Mental Health

Study finds more pre-existing mental diagnoses associated with longer recovery time and higher emotional symptom burden

Blog

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.

Read More →

Youth

Concussions associated with increased risk of children developing behavioral and affective disorders

Blog

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.

Read More →

Culture

Former MMA fighter Ronda Rousey: concussions under the spotlight

Blog

Apr 23, 2024

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.

Read More →

Apr 23, 2024

CTE & Neurodegeneration Issues

Increased brain size and volume may underly reduction in dementia incidence

Blog

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.

Read More →