Concussion

BrainHQ selected for NIH-funded Study for Long Covid Cognitive Issues

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, August 2, 2023

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 02, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As announced by the US National Institutes of Health (NIH), BrainHQ is being incorporated into phase 2 clinical trials addressing persistent cognitive issues associated with long Covid.

Key Points: 
  • SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 02, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As announced by the US National Institutes of Health (NIH), BrainHQ is being incorporated into phase 2 clinical trials addressing persistent cognitive issues associated with long Covid.
  • BrainHQ is an online brain exercise program, developed and marketed by Posit Science , and has been shown in hundreds of peer-reviewed studies to improve cognitive function and brain health.
  • “We have been working with the lead researchers on this study for many months now,” said Dr. Dr. Henry Mahncke , CEO of Posit Science.
  • RECOVER-NEURO will examine interventions for cognitive dysfunction related to long COVID, including brain fog, memory problems, and difficulty with attention, thinking clearly, and problem solving.

Law Firm of Corsiglia, McMahon & Allard sues Gilroy Unified School District Over Student Safety

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, July 20, 2023

The law firm of Corsiglia, McMahon & Allard has filed a lawsuit against the Gilroy Unified School District (Santa Clara County Superior Court, Case 23CV418646) alleging that school officials were negligent in their failure to protect students on school grounds from criminal assaults.

Key Points: 
  • The law firm of Corsiglia, McMahon & Allard has filed a lawsuit against the Gilroy Unified School District (Santa Clara County Superior Court, Case 23CV418646) alleging that school officials were negligent in their failure to protect students on school grounds from criminal assaults.
  • At no time during this school assault is there a Solorsano Middle School official to be seen.
  • The National Center for Education reports that more than one in four middle school students report being bullied at school.
  • And nearly 15% of middle school students report that they were targets of physical threats or assaults on school grounds.

Jogan Health Invites Lucky Fans to Taylor Swift Concert to Honor Incredible Story of Strength in the Face of Adversity

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, July 20, 2023

ENGLEWOOD, Colo., July 20, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- In a move that displays true empathy, Jogan Health offered two tickets to Katherine Gibson and her sister Laura. Unlike concert ticket winners from the Jogan Health Concert Ticket Giveaway, this gesture stems from a truly inspiring story, and not from luck or chance. 

Key Points: 
  • Unlike concert ticket winners from the Jogan Health Concert Ticket Giveaway , this gesture stems from a truly inspiring story, and not from luck or chance.
  • Katherine contacted Jogan Health to share this testimonial and it moved CEO Dan Dietrich and his team immensely.
  • On a call with Jogan Health, they were invited to watch Taylor Swift perform live from Jogan's private suite at Empower Field in Denver.
  • Katherine and Laura attended the Taylor Swift concert on 7/14 and it is Jogan Health's hope that the experience helps them get through the months of recovery ahead.

Do women soccer players have more concussions? This world cup and beyond, here's how to keep our players safe

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, July 20, 2023

The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup starts today, and more teams are taking part than ever before.

Key Points: 
  • The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup starts today, and more teams are taking part than ever before.
  • The number of women and girls playing soccer around the world has also increased from about five million in 2014 to more than 13 million in 2019.
  • This greater participation in soccer over the years has led to an increase in injuries, including concussions.

What is concussion?

    • But it can also happen after being hit on the body, causing a whiplash-type motion to the head.
    • Most soccer players return to play within four weeks of a concussion.
    • Although an estimated 10% of players (particularly women) will have persisting symptoms lasting several months.

When the ball hits the head

    • Heading the ball, when players intentionally use their heads to redirect the ball, is unique to soccer.
    • But concussion is more likely after the ball hits the head accidentally.
    • Regardless of whether such an impact is intentional, there is increasing concern that players exposed to repeated head impacts in soccer, including from headers, are more at risk of developing neurodegenerative diseases, such as dementia, in later life.

Are women more at risk?

    • In soccer, and other sports where men and women participate under the same rules, women appear to have much higher rates of concussion compared to men.
    • For every 1,000 hours of playing or practising soccer, there are about 1.5 concussions for women compared with 1.0 for men.
    • Women report greater number of symptoms, increased symptom intensity and greater time lost from sport after a concussion.

1. Neck strength


    Women soccer players generally have weaker neck muscles than men. This may place them at higher risk of concussion if they cannot engage these muscles to stabilise their head if it is hit by another head, body or the ball.

    Read more:
    Sports concussions affect men and women differently. Female athletes need more attention in brain research

2. Hormones

    • The female sex hormones oestrogen and progesterone may protect women from sustaining a concussion.
    • However, the research is too limited to speculate further on the role of sex hormones.

3. Training

    • Adolescent players without this training are more likely to report concussion.
    • Most concussions in soccer occur when two players compete to head the ball.
    • So training players to safely head the ball should include how to position the body to minimise the risk of injury and keeping the eyes open to track the ball’s trajectory to prepare for ball-to-head contact.

How do we reduce the risk?


    Guidelines published last month aim to reduce the numbers of headers in soccer. These approaches are also likely to decrease the number of header duels, a common mechanism of concussion, as well as the long-term risks associated with ball-to-head impacts. Recommended strategies include:
    • So now is the ideal time to explore strategies that keep all soccer’s positive benefits while minimising the risk to current and future generations of players.
    • She has previously been a Contract Physiotherapist for Cricket Australia, Hobart Hurricanes WBBL, Singapore Sports Council and the WTA.

Brain injuries may affect women worse than men – introduction of concussion spotters to Women's World Cup could prove vital

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, July 19, 2023

The matches at the 2023 Fifa Women’s World Cup will be watched by concussion spotters for the first time.

Key Points: 
  • The matches at the 2023 Fifa Women’s World Cup will be watched by concussion spotters for the first time.
  • The role of the concussion spotter may be particularly vital in the women’s game because there is evidence that concussion has a worse impact on women.
  • Their use at the Women’s World Cup comes after a similar trial at the men’s competition in Qatar in 2022.

Concussion in women

    • What’s more, research has found that women reported more concussion symptoms than men.
    • Some studies suggest that it takes women longer to recover.
    • A large-scale study of teenage footballers found that concussion was almost twice as likely in girls than their male counterparts.

Power to the spotters

    • Since 2015, ATC spotters have the ability to stop the game with a medical time-out.
    • The spotters will be discussed in commentary and broadcasts around the world.
    • Although the current power of concussion spotters may be debatable, it is a step in the right direction.
    • As the tournament commences, the concussion spotters will have a keen eye on the players – but many people, like me, will be paying attention to the spotters, too.

Nexalin Technology Announces Abstract Accepted for Presentation at 2023 Military Health System Research Symposium Validating the Potential of its Non-Invasive, Frequency-Based Deep-Brain Stimulation Device for the Treatment of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

Retrieved on: 
Monday, July 10, 2023

The abstract was accepted under the breakout session: Mental Health and Traumatic Brain Injury.

Key Points: 
  • The abstract was accepted under the breakout session: Mental Health and Traumatic Brain Injury.
  • The poster for this breakout session will be presented in Poster Session 2 on Tuesday, August 15, 2023.
  • Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is a leading cause of sustained physical, cognitive, emotional, and behavioral deficits in veterans and the general public.
  • Mark White, CEO of Nexalin Technology, stated, "We are honored to announce the acceptance of our abstract regarding our non-invasive, frequency-based, deep-brain stimulation device for presentation at the highly prestigious Military Health System Research Symposium.

gammaCore™ Non-Invasive Vagal Nerve Stimulation Selected for Study Funded by the National Football League (NFL) and National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) on Alleviating Concussion Symptoms

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, July 6, 2023

The grants will fund investigations into innovative, first-of-their-kind, alternative pain management methods that could benefit NFL players, and society at large.

Key Points: 
  • The grants will fund investigations into innovative, first-of-their-kind, alternative pain management methods that could benefit NFL players, and society at large.
  • The randomized study will compare nVNS and cannabidiol (CBD) in contact sport athletes experiencing Post-Traumatic Headache (PTH) to current standard of care treatment.
  • The pilot data gathered in this study will guide future investigations into treatment of patients with post-traumatic headache.
  • We are hopeful that nVNS will prove to be a pain management option for athletes, military personnel, or anyone suffering from pain associated with PTH.”

Australian researchers confirm world’s first case of dementia linked to repetitive brain trauma in a female athlete

Retrieved on: 
Monday, July 3, 2023

Researchers at the Australian Sports Brain Bank have today reported the world’s first diagnosis of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in a female athlete.

Key Points: 
  • Researchers at the Australian Sports Brain Bank have today reported the world’s first diagnosis of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in a female athlete.
  • Heather’s family donated her brain to the Australian Sports Brain Bank hoping to better understand why she died.

What is chronic traumatic encephalopathy?

    • It is increasingly associated with athletes who play contact sports, such as football, boxing and martial arts.
    • Athletes with long careers in contact sport are at particular risk, especially if they play from an early age.
    • Read more:
      Repeated head injury may cause degenerative brain disease for people who play sport – juniors and amateurs included

A sporting life

    • She played representative football in the Australian Capital Territory and Northern Territory before being drafted into the inaugural season of the AFLW in 2017.
    • Anderson played a single season with the Adelaide Crows, during which she won a premiership and suffered a career-ending shoulder injury.

Was this diagnosis expected?

    • The Australian Sports Brain Bank team believe Anderson is a “sentinel case” we can learn from.
    • Although Australian women have historically been excluded from the sports most associated with repeated head injuries, this is changing.

Are women more prone to CTE than men?

    • There is emerging evidence that women are at significantly higher risk of mild traumatic brain injury (concussion) and may suffer more severe symptoms.
    • Concussion alone does not cause CTE, but an athlete’s number of concussions is a reliable indicator of their cumulative exposure to brain trauma, which is the biggest predictor of CTE.
    • Given their growth in participation and the enhanced risks they face in sport, it is concerning that women and girls are underrepresented in concussion research.

A disease that does not discriminate

    • This world-first report of CTE in a female athlete is proof the disease does not discriminate and lends urgency to calls for greater representation of women in brain injury studies.
    • Efforts to reduce concussion in women’s sport must first address resource inequalities between men’s and women’s sport.
    • This includes giving women access to quality training and coaching support, as well as greater attention from sport science and medical research.

New Study by GWU Professor Reveals Breakthrough “Brain Fitness Program” for Patients with ADHD, Concussion, and Memory Loss

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, June 29, 2023

“The program's emphasis on improving neuroplasticity through non-drug interventions holds great potential for people who suffer from poor attention, persistent concussion symptoms, or memory loss.

Key Points: 
  • “The program's emphasis on improving neuroplasticity through non-drug interventions holds great potential for people who suffer from poor attention, persistent concussion symptoms, or memory loss.
  • The cohort encompassed 71 individuals with ADHD, 88 with PCS, and 64 with memory loss (Mild Cognitive Impairment or Subjective Cognitive Decline).
  • The study follows earlier research findings by Dr. Fotuhi that these interventions are effective for patients with memory loss or traumatic brain injury.
  • For additional information about the study or to schedule an interview with Dr. Fotuhi, contact Shawn Flaherty at 703-554-3609.

Sports Medicine Doctor Offers Non-Surgical Treatment Options in Tampa, Florida

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, June 21, 2023

They are extracted and used as a regenerative medicine to repair orthopedic injuries and other conditions.

Key Points: 
  • They are extracted and used as a regenerative medicine to repair orthopedic injuries and other conditions.
  • "It's like Star Trek meets a Western—both a New Frontier and the Wild, Wild West," says Dr. Andrew Sprouse with Florida Medical Clinic.
  • The field of Orthobiologic medicine is rapidly advancing to help treat non-surgical acute and chronic injuries.
  • As a sports medicine doctor, Dr. Sprouse is a Primary Care doctor with additional education and board certification in sports medicine.