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 »
The Pop Warner youth football group shrank by over 25,000 members since 2010, according to several recent news reports. We believe this is the beginning of a long term decline in football program participation rates among grade school age to high school age players, who form the lower steps of a broad feeder system into… Read More »
The US Department of Defense is in the process of field testing and validating a portable neurocognitive assessment tool for traumatic brain injuries (TBIs). The Defense Automated Neurobehavioral Assessment (DANA) is a portable and “field-hardened” software system that runs on the Android operating system. The DoD is running a formal clinical trial to compare the… Read More »
Imagine stepping into a virtual reality environment that recreates in amazing detail the sights, sounds, and smells of a past experience, or a setting that triggers addictive behaviors, such as a bar scene with a favorite drink placed in front of a recovering alcoholic. And then into this virtual reality steps a helpful digital avatar… Read More »
We’ll give you the answer up front: It depends. With the growing number of brain training products and cognitive training service providers in the market today, it’s important to understand the potential benefits and drawbacks of formalized, structured cognitive training. Using analogies with physical rehabilitation and fitness training can help define the type (and potential… 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 »