Concussion Update Newsletter
See below for previous editions.
Our biweekly Concussion Update newsletter provides thoughtful synopses of new research, news related to concussions, listings of free webinars, and calls for study participants for research.
University of Calgary Finds Link Between Teen Concussions and Dating Violence (10/24/24 Newsletter)
Need for football changes to be implemented at all levels, cerebral microbleeds and worse clinical outcomes, more exercise linked to better sleep in youth, TBI (including concussion) increases stroke risk
World Mental Health Day, Brett Favre’s Parkinson’s diagnosis (10/10/24 Newsletter)
Q-collar evidence questioned, Return to sport and school, immunotherapy treatment for concussion, acupuncture for chronic neck pain
National Concussion Awareness Day plus Tua Tagovailoa’s Concussion and Elevated Risks (9/19/24 Internship Newsletter)
Head contacts in youth basketball, blood biomarker for concussion, cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia, why youth athletes don’t report concussion, females and military report higher symptoms
Chronic symptoms increase risk of visually-induced motion sickness (8/1/24 Internship Newsletter)
Education for secondary teachers, CBT-I helps insomnia, Australian concussion crisis, Parkinsonism and CTE
Brain white matter changes following repetitive head hits in a single sporting event (7/25/24 Internship Newsletter)
Moving away from “subconcussive,” symptom reporting better than cognitive test in SCAT, exercise for anxiety post-concussion, neurodegeneration after all-severity TBI
Altered Brain Connectivity in Posttraumatic Headache: Insights into Potential Biomarkers and Neuroplasticity (7/18/24 Internship Newsletter)
Nutritional biomarkers of healthy brain aging, repetitive blast TBI exposure outcomes in veterans, incidence of concussions in older adults, non-sports concussions in youth
Prior head injury is associated with a 34% increased risk of stroke in older adults (6/27/24 Newsletter)
Blast mTBI, sleep, and the glymphatic system; female vulnerability in concussions,; continuing debate about helmets in girls’ lacrosse
Research provides insight into treating persistent post-concussion symptoms (PPSC), Long-Covid, and chronic fatigue syndrome (6/13/24 Newsletter)
Modifying sports concussion assessment for para-athletes, low-level light therapy for moderate TBI, Long Covid and persisting concussion symptom overlap
Branched chain amino acids may expedite concussion recovery (4/11/24 Newsletter)
Massive online course educates, new athletic trainer practice guidelines, mitochondrial dysfunction, head-cooling device, dose-effect for pre-existing mental health issues and longer recovery, significant postconcussion symptoms in young children, MMA fighter Ronda Rousey talks about concussion, MRIs show brains are getting bigger
“Atypical psychedelic” ibogaine shows promise as a treatment for chronic disability following TBI (3/7/24 Newsletter)
Special journal issue on TBI and chronic pain, high-intensity training better for locomotion & cognition, concussion experts testify in Senate hearing on blast TBI, acupuncture reduces PTSD symptoms, concussions increase risk of behavioral and affective disorders in kids, similar recovery times but different symptom burdens in male vs female athletes
Mediterranean diet and subsequently improved gut microbiome tied to lower PTSD symptom burden in women (2/1/24 Newsletter)
IPV resource for providers, reversing memory deficits in mice, better MRI imaging of inflammation, white matter maturation slowed in female children, all-level rugby increases CTE risk 14% per year
NPR interview with Sex with a Brain Injury author and concussion patient Annie Liontas (1/11/24 Newsletter)
heart inefficiencies after multiple concussions, exercise at least as good as medication for mental health, retina-scanning concussion test, mental health and concussion symptoms, women at higher risk for depression after concussion
Intern Newsletter–New diagnostics and imaging lead to greater understanding of concussions (12/15/23 Newsletter)
identifying executive dysfunction, soccer headers affect brain microstructure, medical cannabis and PTSD, cerebral microstructure reorganization, vision therapy for concussion, blood oxygen variability indicates functional and vascular disturbance, low level training blasts add up for US troops, increased suicidal ideation in high schoolers with concussion, pathology of intimate partner violence, blood biomarkers of neurodegeneration in boxers
Special Veterans Day edition: Join concussion diagnosis and treatment studies (11/10/23 Newsletter)
Dual-task assessments more effective, firing heavy weaponry causes damage, elevated stroke risk, cognitive decline in veterans with TBI history
Concussed adolescents are returning to driving sooner than might be safe (10/19/23 Newsletter)
Faster recovery earlier in the season for sports-related concussions, MDMA-assisted therapy is more effective for PTSD than therapy alone; early speech-language pathology screening can aid in timely referral and treatment; individuals with pre-existing disability; improving fatigue The Standard Advice for Concussions is Wrong
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia: Highly Effective and Easily Accessible (10/5/23 Newsletter)
Questions about the Q-collar, hypertension and concussion recovery, sleep-wake disturbances, mental health & musculoskeletal injury, pediatric posttraumatic headache.
Neuroinflammation found in athletes with persistent post-concussive symptoms (9/14/23 Newsletter)
exercise-induced vision dysfunction predicts persisting symptoms, hormonal contraception doesn’t affect 3 baseline tests, Football players’ increased parkinson’s rates
Chronic cannabis use may protect young adult athletes from the effects of subconcussive head impacts (8/24/23 Newsletter)
College students need better concussion plans, pro soccer heading frequency associated with dementia, chronic cannabis use may be neuroprotective from subconcussive hits, no significant associations between neck strength and concussion risk, concussion spotters in WWC
Brain fitness program improves symptoms in post-concussion syndrome patients (8/10/23 Newsletter)
TBI-associated depression is its own disorder–transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) may help; auditory processing reveals subconcussive head impact history; youth tackle football perceptions; first CTE in a female athlete, Women's World Cup & soccer safety.
Blood pressure drug shows promise in preventing posttraumatic headaches (7/20 Newsletter)
CBD & THC for anxiety disorders; moderate to vigorous physical activity linked to faster symptom recovery; promoting mental health in schools–but take into account social inequalities; females have disrupted brain activity not seen in males