...conducting longitudinal research on the relationship between concussive and sub-concussive head trauma and behavioral change [TTA 21 Sept] in the living. More details and video available here: Boston Herald, CNN. The September BU CTE Center diagnosis of Mr. Hernandez. The importance to health tech is in the prevention, mitigation, and early diagnosis (not possible yet) of the end result of repeated concussive and sub-concussive damage, sustained in contact sports, military service (usually combat), and in civilian trauma from, for instance, car and industrial accidents. TTA’s long-standing coverage of CTE and brain trauma can be gleaned from searches on these terms.... Continue Reading
Search Results for "brain trauma"
Youth football playing may contribute to long-term cognitive, behavioral issues: BU study
...in past youth football for the average age respondent (51) and the self-reporting methodology. It is not a risk study for CTE, nor is it intended to advocate the reduction or elimination of youth football. It does advocate for more longitudinal studies. This Editor has attended at least two talks by the CTE Center’s Robert Stern, MD, and he has been never been content with limiting his study to either football or to purely concussive damage. Why is this research important to healthcare and to technology? (I’ll expand upon a previous closing.) First, because repetitive brain trauma–concussive and sub-concussive–now has... Continue Reading
CTE found in 99% of former, deceased NFL players’ brains: JAMA study (updated)
...were far more motivated to donate brains after death into the study. There is no control group, whether normal or from other types of brain trauma. Dr. Stern also has stated previously that we know the outcome, but not the reasons why some get it and others do not (more on this in ‘Brain Games’). BU Research, BU School of Medicine, NY Times (interactive presentation with histories of players and position analysis). Why is this research important to healthcare and to technology? First, because repetitive brain trauma–concussive and sub-concussive–now has an even better-documented relationship to significant medical and behavioral conditions.... Continue Reading
Testing the ‘blast response’ of synthetic bone
While protection against concussive and sub-concussive head blows that lead to brain trauma (TBI) and may lead long-term to chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is being developed in several areas, by DARPA, US Army research, universities and the NFL‘s helmet providers, the final test has to involve cranial bone similar to those belonging to 20-30 year olds. Testing on humans is out of the question, deceased animal and older human crania are dissimilar and surgical implants do not react like real bone. The US Army Research Laboratory (ARL) along with university partners are developing synthetic cranial bone that behaves like real... Continue Reading
‘Brain Games’ on preventing, diagnosing sub-concussive brain trauma
...which developed the Checklight head impact indicator for Reebok; and Uzma Samadani, MD, PhD, co-founder of Oculogica which presented at ELabNYC a few weeks ago. Dr. Stern’s presentation reviewed his clinical work with primarily NFL players in how CTE manifests in both behavior patterns and the brain. His focus remains on sub-concussive trauma, the ‘bottom of the iceberg’ in his analogy, and its cumulative, long-term effects. Repetitive brain trauma–neuronal shearing which is produced by linear, lateral and rotational forces to the head–produce a cascade of brain changes leading to destruction of brain tissues that show as dark patches on post-mortem... Continue Reading
International CES unveils in NYC
...drinks. Most notable: Reebok’s new Checklight, which fits in a skullcap and measures impact with a simple red-yellow-green display on the athlete’s neck (red being the highest level of impact). [grow_thumb image=”https://telecareaware.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Reebok-Checklight.jpg” thumb_width=”150″ /]This product reflects the growing concern with sports concussions, TBI and CTE. Reebok claims it can be worn with or without a helmet; this would benefit athletes who don’t wear helmets in sports such as baseball, soccer (football), rugby and lacrosse but have significant impacts and possible brain trauma. It does not currently send data via M2M but their representative told me Reebok is working on this.... Continue Reading
Contact sports, long term effects and CTE
...Update 10 June: video (1:38:00), event summary. Dr. Stern detailed for this largely non-clinical audience post-concussive syndrome and the specific neurodegenerative/behavioral pattern of CTE including the startling tau neurotangles (but unlike Alzheimers, no amyloid presence). It is an old problem. The first research was published in 1928 in JAMA by Dr. Harrison Stanford Martland who documented what was for many years called Dementia pugilistica (DP). Dr. Stern’s research has focused on the long-term effects of repetitive brain trauma in athletes, including the post-mortem analysis published last October in Brain [TTA 6 Dec 12] as part of your Editors’ multi-part examination... Continue Reading
Further sad confirmation of CTE
...readers: Do you believe that sensors in helmets and EHRs can mitigate this, which is where the NFL (and Army-NFL) funding is directed? Is this being found in other countries in contact sports such as rugby? Is there evidence, in other countries’ armed forces which have participated in Iraq and Afghanistan action, of suspected high frequencies of brain trauma? Related: National Football League Readies New EHR System To Boost Care Quality for Players (includes Olympics and NBA) (iHealthBeat audio interview 06:13 and PDF transcript) NEW: CTE, as cumulative, starts early Institute of Medicine Studying Concussions in Young Athletes (NY Times)... Continue Reading
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