With public awareness growing about the risks to brain health from multiple concussions, thanks to the debut of the movie Concussion, MyBrainTest is providing a free online tool to track and document concussion symptoms. Repeated knocks to the head can trigger a neuro-degenerative cascade known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), which typically results in dementia… Read More »
The answer is a hedged, very qualified “maybe” – helmets can prevent some, but not all concussions. It is always a good practice to wear head protection when cycling, riding a motorcycle or ATV, or participating in contact sports like American football, soccer, baseball, and hockey. At the same time, everyone should be aware that… Read More »
Adding to the drumbeat of worries about football and brain injuries, the science journal Neurology just published a study of over 3,000 retired NFL players that points to a 400% increased risk of Alzheimer’s and ALS, compared to the general population. What makes the risk of brain deterioration in these retired players even more striking… Read More »
The University of California San Diego School of Medicine hosted a wide ranging conference on brain health at the end of May. The first topic I’ll cover is a talk by Robert Stern, PhD, professor of neurology at Boston University. Dr. Stern is also Co-Director at the Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy, known… Read More »
Peter King at Sports Illustrated reported earlier today that researchers who run the NFL ‘Brain Bank’ at Boston University have requested that Junior Seau’s brain be donated for research on chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a serious degenerative brain disease. (The San Diego medical examiner confirmed today that Seau, 43, whose NFL career spanned 20 years,… Read More »
A recent research article by Dr. Bennet Omalu in the journal Neurosurgical Focus highlights a probable connection between blast-related brain injuries common in Iraq and Afghanistan deployments, and a brain disease usually associated with certain sports like boxing, American football, and hockey. This connection was first reported in the New York Times by Nicholas Kristof.… Read More »