New York State Traumatic Brain Injury Services Council Meeting Agenda
The quarterly meeting of the New York State Traumatic Brain Injury Services Council (TBISCC) which I am honored to chair will take place tomorrow beginning at 10:30 AM at the offices of the New York State Department of Health located at 161 Delaware Avenue, Delmar, New York (just outside of Albany)
The agenda for this meeting is a presentation by Patrick Donohue, founder and executive director of the Sarah Jane Brain Foundation. The Mission of The Sarah Jane Brain Project is to create a model system for children suffering from all Pediatric Acquired Brain Injuries.
Learn more about the Sarah Jane Brain Project.
The NYS TBISCC was established by act of New York State legislature and is "charged with recommending to the department [of health], long range goals, and priorities. It shall also provide advice on the planning, coordination and development of needed services."
December 14, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
View NFL Public Service Concussion Video
Wow, four posts in one day, is a lot, but the brain injury news keeps happening.
I have finally been able to get a hold of the NFL concussion video public service announcement that will be aired for the first time tonight. You can view it for yourself at the NFL News blog.
Well, its a start, To bad they don't bother to list the CDC signs and symptoms of a concussionor state the most important fact that the public doesn't seem to get, you don't need to be knocked out to have sustained a concussion; that all concussions must be taken seriously and that medical clearance is necessary before returning to play. How long would it have taken to include these important points.
Next time, they also should put in a link to the Brain Injury Association of America. Maybe a statement to contact their State brain injury association for more information would be a nice idea.
So guys, nice try, but let's get it right.
Just in case the NFL and their coaches and trainers have forgotten here are the signs and symptoms of a concussion according to the Center for Disease Control and what you need to do if you suspect your child has sustained a concussion:
Signs Observed by Parents or Guardians
If your child has experienced a bump or blow to the head during a game or practice, look for any of the following signs and symptoms of a concussion:
- Appears dazed or stunned
- Is confused about assignment or position
- Forgets an instruction
- Is unsure of game, score, or opponent
- Moves clumsily
- Answers questions slowly
- Loses consciousness (even briefly)
- Shows behavior or personality changes
- Can’t recall events prior to hit or fall
- Can’t recall events after hit or fall
Symptoms Reported by Athlete
- Headache or “pressure” in head
- Nausea or vomiting
- Balance problems or dizziness
- Double or blurry vision
- Sensitivity to light
- Sensitivity to noise
- Feeling sluggish, hazy, foggy, or groggy
- Concentration or memory problems
- Confusion
- Does not “feel right”
HOW CAN YOU HELP YOUR CHILD PREVENT A CONCUSSION?
Every sport is different, but there are steps your children can take to protect themselves from concussion.
- Ensure that they follow their coach’s rules for safety and the rules of the sport.
- Encourage them to practice good sportsmanship at all times.
- Make sure they wear the right protective equipment for their activity (such as helmets, padding, shin guards, and eye and mouth guards). Protective equipment should fit properly, be well maintained, and be worn consistently and correctly.
- Learn the signs and symptoms of a concussion.
WHAT SHOULD YOU DO IF YOU THINK YOUR CHILD HAS A CONCUSSION?
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Seek medical attention right away. A health care professional will be able to decide how serious the concussion is and when it is safe for your child to return to sports.
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Keep your child out of play. Concussions take time to heal. Don’t let your child return to play until a health care professional says it’s OK. Children who return to play too soon—while the brain is still healing—risk a greater chance of having a second concussion. Second or later concussions can be very serious. They can cause permanent brain damage, affecting your child for a lifetime.
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Tell your child’s coach about any recent concussion. Coaches should know if your child had a recent concussion in ANY sport. Your child’s coach may not know about a concussion your child received in another sport or activity unless you tell the coach.
Remember, WHEN IN DOUBT, KEEP THEM OUT!
December 10, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
NFL to begin airing public service announcements on concussion awareness
Thanks to Mark Maske’s NFL News Feed in the Washington Post for tipping me off to an NFL public service announcement about concussion treatment and management that is scheduled to begin airing on television networks this Thursday.
The 30-second spot was approved by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and is to debut Thursday during the league-owned NFL Network's telecast of the Steelers-Browns game, officials said. It also is to air this weekend and in the future on NBC, CBS, Fox and ESPN.
Sounds like the NFL reads the Brain Injury News and Information Blog! The spot is aimed at athletes, parents and coaches, and at young athletes and their parents and coaches in particular, officials said. It urges players not to try to hide concussions, and advises coaches and parents to educate themselves about head injuries and to prevent any athlete who suffers such an injury from returning to play before a qualified health professional approves such a move. The spot directs viewers to the CDC's "Heads Up" Web site.
Now all that we need is the NFL it self to listen to what the CDC says about the dangers of concussions and prevent needless further injury and brain damage to its own players.
When in dobut, keep them out!
December 10, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
We need to protect brains and prevent further brain damage in these players who refuse to protect themselves
Do as I say, not as I do, that must be the mantra of the NFL and many of their players. Here is an amazing story reported in USA Today concerning Eagles running back Brian Westbrook who returns to team practice following TWO concussions within weeks of each other and who has no memory of the knee to the head he took in the first concussion.
He told the Philadelphia Inquirer that he's worried about how his body will react to the concussions long after his playing days end:
"I'm very concerned just because there is not a lot of data that says in 10 years or 20 years you'll be fine if you had too many concussions. I'm worried about that, and, hopefully, next time I go out there I don't have to worry about it anymore.
"That's my biggest concern. How am I going to be when I'm 50 or when I'm 60? Will I have all these brain diseases and will I have a problem remembering things? . . . Now, I'm trying to get myself together with the help of the doctors as well as coach (Andy) Reid and the training staff. Now, the most important thing is to get 100 percent healthy - and not play football . . . until I'm 100 percent healthy."
Just a simple question from a brain injury attorney representing individuals with mild head injury who suffer life long consequences, WHY ARE YOU TAKING A CHANCE? WHY IS YOUR TEAM ALLOWING YOU TO GO BACK AND RISK FURTHER INJURY?
Maybe the NFL needs to retire these players now. Mandate that they get paid for their entire contract and provide them with proper future compensation benefits, now, before they risk further brain damage.
Read the full USA Today: Eagles RB Brian Westbrook 'really scared' about concussions as he rejoins team
December 10, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Congratulations to BrainLine
Congratulations to BrainLine for receiving the Best in Class Award, the highest award in the Health/Nutrition Category, from Interactive Media Council, Inc. The IMC recognizes excellent web design and development with their Interactive Media Awards.
Over the last several years, my partner, brain injury lawyer, Shana De Caro and I have worked with BrainLine to provide information to persons facing the legal hurdles of traumatic brain injury. We are honored to be part of their ask the expert series and look forward to contributing more articles in the next year.
BrainLine is a national multimedia project offering information and resources about preventing, treating, and living with TBI. BrainLine includes a series of webcasts, an electronic newsletter, and an extensive outreach campaign in partnership with national organizations concerned about traumatic brain injury.
BrainLine is funded by the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center, the Primary Operational TBI Component of the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury, through a subcontract award with the Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine.
December 10, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
The dangers of public misconception about concussions
A column in today’s Washington Post, When it comes to concussions, young men will play now, pay later, points to the important need to better educate players, spouses and parents about the dangers associated with concussions.
From years of watching players just shake off a head trauma, to popular films that depict concussions and even comas as no big deal with a full recovery promised, the public has come to believe that a concussion is nothing to worry about. That belief needs to be fixed by a far reaching education campaign. In schools and in locker rooms, players need to know the long term consequences of hiding their symptoms, parents must be given the proper information and spouses need to know what are the signs and symptoms of a concussion so that they can properly assess their wounded loved one.
As proof of the belief system that needs to be changed, the Post did an informal survey of high school football players and asked them the following question:
Let's say your team is playing in a championship in three days. You're still feeling the effects of a big hit that you took in the previous game. You're experiencing headaches or blurred vision or general fogginess but remain functional. Do you report this to your parents or coach or school athletic trainer, knowing that, given your symptoms, they very well might make you sit out the championship? Or do you conceal this information, at least until after the game, risking further damage to your brain?
Surprisingly, most players answered that they would play if they were physically capable, no matter that a sustained concussion could endanger their still-developing brain for a lifetime and that the waning of symptoms does not necessarily indicate a clean bill of health.
Here are some of the comments:
A defensive lineman said, "Depending on how big the game is, like if it was a state championship, I would have to take that risk."
A junior receiver came to the following conclusion, "If you love the game like you say you do, then you might as well go out and play until it really affects you."
A junior linebacker remarked, "I want that ring. I worked hard for that ring. This might be the only chance that I get. So I'd just take the risk."
Here is what a senior linebacker observed, "Everything you've been working for your whole life is coming down to this one game, and even though you have this injury that might affect you for years to come, you wouldn't want to regret not playing, and your team lose, when you know you could have made a difference."
Part of the problem is that a concussion is an invisible injury. A person looks normal and we have been trained to believe that we can make an accurate assessment of a person’s condition just by looking at them. Not true for concussions, a person suffering from head trauma doesn’t need a wheelchair, doesn’t walk with a limp and looks just like everyone else, but this is not what the public understands.
According to the post story, here is how fellow teammates view a concussed player: A guy sitting out with a head injury looks like he always does. He has no cast or limp to indicate that he's hurt. So there he is, in street clothes, while everyone else is practicing or playing, prompting good-natured (but at times stinging) comments.
I have viewed short films sponsored by the National Hockey League and Neuropsychological groups that feature prominent players who have sustained career ending concussions describe the dangers to fellow players. Films like this need to be shown early and often to players so they understand the dangers of hiding their symptoms.
Remember, When in doubt, keep them out!
You can read the full story in the post by clicking here.
December 10, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
New Jersey Family Seminars for Brain Injury Information
The Brain Injury Association of New Jersey has announced a series of free seminars that will be held throughout New Jersey during 2010 which are intended to provide important information to families about traumatic brain injury and available resources.
The brain injury family seminars are intended to:
- Provide an overview of brain injury, including definitions and the rate of incidence.
- Provide information on the effects of brain injury on families, including the stages of grief family members experience.
- Provide information about the common consequences of brain injury: cognitive,
physical, and emotional. - Provide information about strategies families can utilize and tips for caregivers.
- Provide information on resources available through the Brain Injury Association of New Jersey and agencies throughout the state.
For registration and the dates and places in New Jersey where these seminars will be held can be accessed by clicking Brain Injury Basics.
December 9, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
New research on memory-how it is formed, where it resides within the brain
Researchers have long known that the brain houses different memory in different locations and that there are different types of memories within the brain. It is much more complicated then just the concept of long term memory or short term memory and involves memories of events,memory of facts. memories related to music as well as memories of motor learning such as bicycle riding.
Much still needs to be learned about these different types of memory, where they are stored and how they are interconnected within the brain. Now researchers will be aided by the donation of the brain of Henry Molaison, known during his life by the medical community as "H.M" This individual lost his ability to form new memories following an operation he had in 1953 when a portion of his brain was removed to control seizures.
Following the removal of brain tissue, it was observed that he would continue to repeat the same story without any knowledge or memory that he just told it. Each time he would go to a store or meet an individual, it would be like it was the first time. His memory has been widely studied during his life and researchers were surprised to find that although he could not remember persons or events, he was able to remember maps and locations of things within his residence.
Now with this brain donated to the the Brain Observation project, it will be carefully imaged and dissected and digitally mapped to determine the pathways involved in the brain's memory functions. The brain computer controlled brain dissection is being shown live on line. You can see it by clicking here.
December 6, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
New legislation introduced in Senate to protect high school athletes with concussions
The movement to insure the safety of high school athletes who may have sustained a concussion has received a boost under legislation introduced yesterday in the United States Senate.
U.S. Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) introduced legislation in the Senate to create a grant program that would help ensure proper prevention, diagnosis and treatment of sports-related concussions in U.S. high schools and middle schools. The Concussion Treatment and Care Tools (ConTACT) Act establishes a five year grant program, authorized at $5 million for the first year, to be distributed to states to implement proven concussion management strategies.
The legislation was previously introduced in the House of Representatives by Rep. Bill Pascrell who is co-chair of the traumatic brain injury congressional task force.
Under the legislation, grants would be awarded to states to implement best practices in concussion management for school-sponsored sports and fund schools’ implementation of baseline and post-concussion neuropsychological testing technologies. Best practices would be developed by a conference of medical, athletic, and education stakeholders and will be used to model grant guidelines.
Hopefully, this guidelines that are implemented will be far reaching and require any athlete who has sustained a concussion or a suspected concussion from returning to play in that game and any subsequent game until all signs and symptoms of a concussion resolve. This included the subtle symptoms that were omitted from recent changes in concussion policy by the N.F.L.
December 5, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
NFL New Concussion Policy Still Doesn't Go Far Enough
The NFL announced last evening new concussion policies regarding when it is appropriate to allow a player to return to play. Unfortunately these new policies while acknowledging the dangers of concussions and the need to keep a player out of the game until they have fully recovered, they fail to take into account all of the subtle signs of concussions and the mentality of players who try to minimize and mask their condition. It's time that the league take the important step of absolutely prohibiting any player who has had a concussion or suspected concussion from returning to play until they are fully cleared by objective evaluations which can never be performed on the field.
The NFL new concussion rule now prohibits any player who experiences amnesia, poor balance and who exhibits an abnormal neurological examination from returning to play during the same game, whether or not these symptoms quickly subside. However, for more subtle brain injury symptoms such as dizziness and headache, a player is permitted to return to play unless these symptoms are "persistent"
It is troubling that the league still chooses not to acknowledge the subtle signs of concussion and post concussion syndrome and still chooses to place players with these symptoms at risk for further injury. It is these subtle signs and symptoms and the fact that many signs and symptoms of concussion do not appear for hours or even days after the event that makes the NFL policy a dangerous one not only for its own players, but for all those who use the NFL as an example.
Still hoping that they get it right, WHEN IN DOUBT, KEEP THEM OUT!
You can read the full report in today's New York Times, New N.F.L. Rule on Concussions Benches Injured .
December 3, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
NFL to tell teams to keep players out following any concussion or suspected concussion
The Associated Press reports that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell will tighten the restrictions on returning to play following a concussion or a suspected concussion.
Citing information obtain by Fox Sports, it is reported that Goodell will issue a memo this week to all 32 teams expanding grounds for the removal of a player with a head injury or concussion. Under the new rule, any concussion or suspected concussion will ban the individual from competing for the remainder of the game. Currently, a player can return to the game after being diagnosed with a concussion if he is asymptomatic at rest and under exertion, and is cleared by the team doctor. The lone exception is if the medical staff determines the player lost consciousness, in which case he is ruled out for the remainder of the game.
The report said that if a player is "woozy, has general dementia or memory loss," Goodell wants him barred from returning to a game.
While it has taken some time, it is encouraging to see that the league is now taking a more aggressive stance on concussions. At least they are beginning to read the medical literature and understand that a concussion can happen even without loss of consciousness and that it takes time for the full array of concussion symptoms to develop.
When in doubt, keep them out!
Read the full AP story here.
November 30, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
A thanksgiving prayer
On this thanksgiving day, let us pray that all brain injuries that are preventable are prevented and that all those in need of treatment for their brain injuries receive the treatment they deserve. Let us remember in our hearts and prayers all those who have been victims of traumatic brain injury and pray for their recovery.
Thanksgiving is a difficult time for all those families and friends with a loved one who has recently experienced a traumatic event. A helpful article on coping on this holiday can be found Facing Thanksgiving Together After Trauma published at Psych Central.
November 26, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Heads of NFL Concussion Committee Quit
In the latest development concerning implementation of a new concussion policy by the National Football League, the co chairpersons of the league’s brain injury committee have resigned.
In newspapers this morning, it is reported that the panel’s co-chairs, Dr. Ira Casson and Dr. David Viano have resigned. Good riddance to both of these individuals who should have been replaced by the league a long time ago.
The opinions of Drs Casson and Viano concerning concussions have for many years been criticized by world renowed experts on concussions and their long term effects. As a result of their backward thinking and insistence that concussions were a minor problem and posed no danger to the health and safety of players, they not only placed the lives and health of professional athletes in danger, they also placed in danger the health and safety of every child who plays football and engages in other sporting activities where here is a risk of concussion and head injury.
The National Football League is looked to by student players, parents, coaches and trainers throughout the country for guidance on how to handle the important decisions of when to allow an athlete to return to play. By minimizing, trivializing and by issue false and misleading statements, these two individuals, unfortunately set the wrong example.
It is time that the league get its house in order and come to grips with the realities and dangers of concussions. If it means that players must not play, that some will be required to retire and that the league’s disability plan will be required to provide benefits, that’s the reality of the dangers in dealing with head injuries and contact sports.
You can read the full story on the resignation of these two “experts”: NFL Head Injury Study Leaders Quit
November 25, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
More evidence that those previously thought to be in a vegetative state are capable of conscious awareness
There is more evidence that those previously thought to be in a vegetative state and incapable of appreciating the world around them, do have conscious thoughts and are aware of their surroundings.
The New York Times reports about a car accident victim who was thought to be in a deep coma for 23 years. In fact, this gentlemen was conscious all the time, but no one realized it!
With the assistance of modern imaging techniques, using brain scans, researchers in Belgium discovered that his brain was still active. Now, techniques are being developed so that he will be able to communicate with those who are caring for him.
The lead researcher, Dr. Laureys, who recently published a paper on comas, said that as many as 4 out of 10 similar patients may have been misdiagnosed.
Read the full New York Times story: Misdiagnosed with coma, Belgium man communicates after 23 years.
November 24, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Can cinnamon extract prevent cell death following a traumatic brain injury?
The United States Department of Agriculture reports on new research being conducting on the use of cinnamon extracts to prevent cell death following a traumatic brain injury.
According the department, the researchers have reported findings that the cinnamon compounds studied prevented isolated brain cells from swelling, one of the many abnormal conditions resulting from traumatic brain injury and stroke due to impaired blood flow to the brain.
The scientists used isolated glial cells—cells that support essential elements of neural tissue found in the brain and spinal cord—and put them in a culture solution. When the cell cultures were deprived of oxygen and glucose for five hours, the researchers measured the function of the mitochondrial inner membrane in the glial cells. They found a nearly 40 percent decline in the mitochondrial membrane potential due to the lack of oxygen and glucose.
The researchers then exposed some of the cells to a cinnamon extract, while other cells served as “nonexposed” controls. The reduction in the membrane potential was alleviated in the presence of the cinnamon extract.
Ninety minutes later, the researchers measured volume of the glial cells. They found that cell volume among the oxygen- and glucose-deprived cells had increased by more than 34 percent. But this increased swelling was absent in the presence of cinnamon polyphenol extract at the highest level tested.
Because neuroglial cell swelling can contribute to further neuronal injury, the study indicates that further animal-model research is warranted, according to the authors. The researchers caution that table cinnamon compounds may accumulate in the body and should not be ingested consistently as more than a spice over long periods of time.
The study was published this year in Experimental Neurology.
November 23, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
NFL to require "independent" medical examinations following concussions--will they truly be independent?
FOX Sports has reported an important new policy development in the NFL policies toward concussions. According to FOX, the NFL will now require teams to retain the services of independent neurologists and neurosurgeons to assess players following a concussion or head injury.
FOX Sports has learned that the teams were instructed to immediately find "independent" doctors and send names to the league for approval. The league will then team with the NFL Players Association's medical people to determine that each doctor is in fact an expert in this field as well as impartial to the team they are handling. You can read the full Fox report: NFL Implements new concussion policy. The New York Times has also followed up with a story of its own on this same subject, NFL To Shift In Its Handling of Concussions.
While this all sounds good, the concept of an “independent” examination is always something I am always cautious of. In the area of personal injury, insurance companies routinely seek the service of “independent” medical examiners to assess our clients. Unfortunately, these physicians are anything but independent and are in reality doctors for hire. They understand who pays the bills and what the insurance company wants them to find and/or not find. Time and time again, in the context of traumatic brain injury litigation my clients have been subject to phony medical examinations by neuropsychologists and neurologists who were anything but independent, ignored the available medical evidence, gave improper and incomplete examinations, relied upon faulty data and made up medicine to come to a conclusion that insurance company who was paying the bill wanted. In fact, I call these “independent” medical examiners, Paid doctors for hire. Other professions have different names for paid services.
The travesty of these exams came to light recently in a three part New York Times expose on “independent” medical examinations in the workers compensation context. The physicians were retained by third party providers and understood what expectations were regarding their opinions. These physicians tailored their opinions in favor of those who were paying for their services.
The NFL is no stranger to these biased examinations. In fact, the examinations conducted by the league's disability plan are anything but independent. The medical providers hired to perform these examinations to determine a player's entitlement to disability benefits routinely come to conclusions that are biased and faulty. If the league goes to these same "experts" this time, the results will be predictable and more players will suffer from the life long consequences of a traumatic brain injury.
I am all in favor of taking the decision away from team physicians and team trainers, but I believe that players need the ability to retain their own physicians to provide advice and make important decisions for them.
November 22, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Is it time that NFL fire the head of its concussion committee?
According to the New York Times and AP, the National Football League Players Association has called for the removal of Dr. Ira Casson as co-chairman of the league's committee on concussions, saying that he is too biased to lead research efforts and fails to appreciate the dangers inherent with the post concussion syndrome.
Without commenting on the association's position, I can only add that I have had my own difficulties in trying to discuss the important issues of player safety with Dr. Casson. While president of the Brain Injury Association of New York State an chair of its major sports concussion conference at Madison Square Garden, I invited both Dr. Casson and his co-chair, to participate. I was amazed that despite the participation of the leading experts in sports concussions from throughout the nation, the NFL "experts" refused to participate. Later, when the league was holding open meetings on the subject, I asked for permission to attend. I was curtly informed that as an attorney and president of the Brain Injury Association, I was not welcome.
The player's association has said that they do not feel that Dr. Casson is impartial. He has dismissed all studies which have found a link between football concussions and early onset dementia.
It is time that the NFL examines the important public health crisis of concussions in sports in an objective and forthright manner. It is not only the professional players that need this protection, but also all those involved in youth sports who look to the NFL for advice and guidance on this safety issue.
WHEN IN DOUBT, KEEP THEM OUT!
November 22, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
A refreshing bit of honesty about concussion management
USA Today reports a refreshing bit of honesty regarding the manner in which sports concussions have been treated in the past with the NFL.
The article reports on information obtained by the Huffington Post in which former Packers VP Andrew Brandt questioned whether he had acted appropriately to combat the effect of concussions during his stint with the team.
According to Brandt, "The honest answer is: I don't know. ... I saw the fuzzy looks when some of our players came off the field. I took calls from wives, mothers, fathers and brothers of players who had suffered concussions. I watched players vomit in the triage of the training room after concussions."
The paper also reports that, Brandt, who now serves as a consultant to the Eagles (in addition to writing for the National Football Post), said teams must yield decisions about the playing status of concussed players entirely to doctors and not allow coaches -- or players -- to have a say.
With the current information about concussions now available to teams, coaches and trainers, there can no longer be an acceptable excuse for allowing players who have sustained a concussion or a suspected concussion to return to play in the same game or even in a subsequent game without proper medical clearance.
You can read the full story by clicking here.
WHEN IN DOUBT, KEEP THEM OUT!
November 20, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Congratulatons to ThinkFirst on receiving distinguished service award from Congress of Neurological Surgeons
Congratulations to the ThinkFirst National Injury Prevention Foundation `which was recognized as a leader in injury prevention by the Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS). CNS presented the 2009 Distinguished Service Award to the ThinkFirst Foundation at the CNS Annual Meeting of over 2,000 neurosurgeons in New Orleans.
The ThinkFirst National Injury Prevention Foundation has been focused on teaching children and teens the importance of making safe choices since 1986. Educational programs for first through twelfth grades have a major impact on impressing kids to “Think First” when it comes to safety.
We all know that the best cure for brain injury is prevention and this organization has had a long standing commitment to head injury prevention programs.
ThinkFirst was recognized for its work in providing meaningful, educational injury prevention programs to thousands of children and teens each year. One hundred and thirty national and 39 international chapters visit health, science and driver education classes to teach students how to reduce their risk for injury. Based largely in injury prevention departments within hospitals and medical universities, nurses, health educators and their sponsoring physicians schedule programs with schools to assure every child and teen in a given community learns simple measures for protecting themselves from the most common causes of injury: vehicle crashes, violence, falls and sports.
Formerly known as the National Head and Spinal Cord Injury Prevention Program, ThinkFirst was established in 1986. The American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) and the Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS) directed two neurosurgeons, to develop a national injury prevention program. ThinkFirst has since developed into one of the largest injury prevention programs in both the U.S. and Canada.
One of the most recent projects was the production of a new educational film for teens titled “Think About Your Choices,” with support from the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation. For more information on ThinkFirst visit the ThinkFirst web site.
November 20, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Nearly 20 percent of professional football players fail to report their concussion symtoms according to an AP study
A study sponsored by the Associated Press reports that nearly 20 percent of professional football players have hidden the fact that they sustained a concussion or down played their concussion symptoms.
The AP concussion study interviewed a cross section of NFL players, talking to five players on each of the 32 teams, which amounts to approximately 10 percent of all players. The interview results confirms what we all know, concussions are a bigger problem in football then the NFL or its players association wants to admit to.
Players reported feeling there head vibrate like a bell, but going back to play within minutes and never reporting their symptoms. Another player said,
"You get back up, and things are spinning," but he didn’t tell anyone.
Now the NFL wants players to keep tabs on each other and tell their teams if they believe someone else has a head injury.
The NFL told the AP that they believe all concussion symptoms need to be reported and that team members should be encouraged to report observations of their team mates to the medical staff.
According to the AP, “What emerged from the AP's interviews was a wide-ranging, unprecedented look at the way active players think about head injuries in a world where "getting dinged" and "seeing stars" — and the potential long-term effects of concussions — are deemed a frightening but perhaps inevitable consequence of their job.”
The NFL says its data shows an average of one reported concussion every other game — about 120 to 130 concussions per regular season.
Of the 160 players interviewed by the AP, half said they've had at least one concussion playing football; 61 said they missed playing time because of the injury.
Players acknowledged staying on the field despite feeling "dazed" or "woozy" or having blurred vision, because, "It's what you're taught."
One thing is clear, the efforts by the NFL and the players association to educate players about the dangers and long term consequences of concussions, to date, have not worked. Much more is needed and needed now. Merely handing out brochures to warriors in the locker room about the dangers of concussions is not doing the job. More serious efforts must be undertaken. In addition to educational films which should be mandatory of former players who describe their disabling injuries and the need for vigilance, player’s wives and mothers should also be told about the dangers faced by their loved ones. Maybe it’s time that we bring in the heavy guns to tell players, WHEN IN DOUBT, STAY OUT!
The full AP story can be read by clicking here.
November 19, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Caring for family members with a brain injury
Thanks to BrainLine for providing this tip: On November 20, NOW - PBS's weekly national news magazine show - will examine the issue of families acting as caregivers for service members with TBI. The show will profile several caregivers including a former teacher with a toddler son and a former research scientist, both looking at a lifetime of caring for their spouses with brain injuries. NOW will also talk with experts about advances in medical science that could help the thousands of families in this position.
November 5, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Some important insights into concussions from Harry Carson
Hall of famer, Harry Carson has delivered some important messages on the tragedy of concussions in professional sports today.
Harry has devoted a great deal of time to alert the public and especially those participating in amateur athletics to the dangers associated with concussions. As Harry aptly observed while a guest of honor at the recent Brain Injury Association of New York State Journey of Hope Gala, "According to the NFL and their physician, Dr. Ira Casson, they've been conducting studies for fifteen years. How much longer do you have to extend your research to come up with any kind of definitive conclusion?"
Here are some more of his comments:
“It’s that train that’s coming down the track and it’s coming full speed and more and more players are being affected by lingering effect of concussions,”
“As a parent you really should be concerned,” -- “So if there is one thing that should come out of this thing, parents should have the information to determine whether they want their child to play a contact sport, football or not. Unfortunately for many of us who have played the game, there’s nothing really that can be done. The damage is already done."
Hopefully the league and congress will both hear these important messages and take appropriate steps to reduce the risk of permanent damage from concussions to all players, both professional and amateur.
November 4, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
November Brain Injury Conferences
The following brain injury conferences will take place during the month of November 2009:
Nov 4
Collaborative Approaches to Rehabilitation for Adults with Brain Injury
Omaha, NE
715-829-8055
click here
Nov 5
Cognitive Rehabilitation: Meeting the Challenges in The Treatment of Traumatic Brain Injury & Polytrauma
Grand Forks, ND
715-829-8055
click here
Nov 5-6
BIA of West Virginia presents "My Child Has a Brain Injury: Information for Families and Schools"
South Charleston, WV
click here
Nov 16-18
14th Annual Brain Injury Association State Affiliate Leadership Conference
San Antonio, TX
703-761-0750 ext. 622
click here
www.brain-injury.org/education.htm
Nov 17
2nd Annual Partners in Brain Injury Conference
Little Rock, AK
800-444-6433
click here
Nov 20-21
10th Annual Neuroscience of Brain Injury: Research Informing Medical Treatment and Legal Practice
Napa, CA
661-872-4903
click here
November 1, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Brain Injury Association Legislative Update
Her is the latest brain injury legislative update prepared by the Brain Injury Association of America (BIA)
Health Care Reform Update
On Wednesday, October 28, 2009, House Democrats introduced their consensus health bill, HR 3962, at a rally on the Capitol's West Front. According to House Majority Leader, Steny Hoyer, the bill could be considered on the House floor as early as November 5, 2009.
The consensus bill prohibits insurance rating based on health status or pre-existing conditions and prohibits annual or lifetime limits on medical spending. It also establishes important consumer protections, including internal and external appeal requirements, provider network adequacy requirements, and greater transparency by insurance companies.
BIAA will continue to monitor the situation closely and alert grassroots advocates if any action is necessary.
BIAA participates in Sports and Concussion hearing on Capitol Hill
On Wednesday, October 28, 2009, the House Judiciary Committee held a hearing on legal issues relating to brain injuries sustained while playing football. Testimony was given from the National Football League, Commissioner Roger Goodell, and retired players, Tiki Barber and Merril Hoge, as well as Congressional Brain Injury Task Force Chairman, Congressman Bill Pascrell, jr. and the Co-Director of the Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy at Boston University and member of the Brain Injury Association of America board of directors, Chris Nowinski.
The Committee investigated the findings of a recent study done by the University of Michigan regarding the prevalence of brain injuries among former football players. The study raised significant health concerns about concussions and how they may contribute to lasting effects starting at both the professional and amateur levels.
BIAA is committed to assisting in the awareness campaign to educate coaches, parents, and players regarding the dangers of concussion.
Appropriations Update
Consideration of an appropriations measure that would fund labor, health and education programs for Fiscal Year 2010 continues to stall in the Senate. This week, Congress cleared a continuing resolution that will fund the federal government at the FY2009 levels through December 18, 2009.
BIAA will continue to monitor the situation and alert advocates when action is needed.
BIAA supports S. 801, The Caregiver and Veterans Health Services Act of 2009
BIAA and our friends at the Wounded Warrior Project are currently working towards enactment of legislation establishing a national program to provide training and critically-needed supports to family caregivers of veterans living with traumatic brain injuries and other severe wounds.
Reported in the Senate, S. 801, the Caregiver and Veterans Health Services Act of 2009, would provide comprehensive supports for caregivers of veterans who sustained severe injuries after September 11, 2001. The bill has been approved by the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee and is awaiting floor action.
October 31, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Finding statistics on disabilities
Thanks to the special education law blog for information on where to find statistics that are important in the disability arena. An important resource that provides a wealth of disability related statistics is published by the Rehabilitation Research & Training Center on Disability Statistics & Demographics. They have published a 160 page report that has statistics on the disabilities, education and employment issues.
Some of the interesting and important information on the prevalence of disabilities in the school system and children receiving services under IDEA:
2.6 Million specific learning disability 43.3%
1.1 Million speech/language impairment 19.2%
624,000 other health impairment 10.6%
487,000 mental retardation 8.3%
438,000 emotional disturbance 7.4%
257,000 autism 4.3%
131,000 multiple disabilities 2.2%
88,000 developmental delay 1.5%
71,000 hearing impairment 1.2%
60,000 orthopedic impairment 1.0%
26,000 visual impairment 0.4%
24,000 traumatic brain injury 0.4%
1,300 deaf/blindness 0.02%
You can download the entire disability report by clicking here.
October 31, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
A proposal to reduce brain injuries in football
Today's congressional hearing on the prevalence of brain injuries in the NFL produced few surprises. The league unfortunately still refuses to concede the connection between chronic brain damage and repetitive concussions. This denial in the face of overwhelming medical evidence is further evidence that the league may be incapable of policing itself and may cause congressional action including the revoking of the league's antitrust exemption.
Congress needs to go further and also needs to address the protection afforded to the league in erroneous decisions in regard to granting players disability benefits for the chronic and long term consequences of traumatic brain injury. Injured players deserve access to the Federal court's to present their legitimate claims to a jury.
The following proposal to save the game of football and reduce the incident of concussions and other types of brain damage was presented at today's hearing by Chris Nowinski, president of the Sports Legacy Institute and co director of the Center of Traumatic Encephalopathy of the Boston University School of Medicine. Chris is also the author of Heads Up, a book which provides a detailed look at the issues of concussions in athletes.
Here is the proposal presented at today's hearing:
10 Point Plan to Save Football:
In the past few years, former football players have begun being diagnosed with Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), a progressive neurodegenerative disease caused by repetitive trauma to the brain
which eventually leads to dementia. Some were famous NFL Hall of Famers like Mike Webster and Lou
Creekmur. Others, like Mike Borich, only played through college. All died sooner than they should have,
and all suffered terribly in their final years.
Since the discovery of CTE in 1928, the disease has been seen almost exclusively in boxers, which is why
it is often referred to as “punch drunk” syndrome. However, it is now diagnosed regularly in ex‐football
players, and in the past year, the Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy at Boston University
School of Medicine (CSTE) has diagnosed CTE post‐mortem in 11 of 11 former college and professional
football players that died at ages ranging from 37‐82 years. This is significant, as the disease should not
naturally exist in a single human being. The early stages of the disease have even been seen in an eighteen year‐old former football player. In 2009, it is clear that football is in the midst of a brain trauma
crisis.
The game of football has not always been played as it is today. In fact, the most consistent aspect of the
game has been change. In 1905 the game was so dangerous, regularly killing participants, that President
Theodore Roosevelt summoned the coaches of Harvard, Yale, and Princeton to Washington D.C. for a
summit on how to make the game safer and threatened to take action in the absence of significant
reform.
From this meeting the American Intercollegiate Football Rules Committee was created, and that Committee, among other things, legalized the forward pass and made other changes to eliminate dangerous collisions. Over and over, football has had to be changed to be made safer. Now it faces a new challenge.
CTE is a deceptive, quiet killer. The disease begins during a player’s career and then hides, slowly
killing brain cells until the athlete begins showing symptoms years later. Football has evolved into a something it was never intended to be. Football collisions may now be more dangerous for the brain than ever. With the combination of bigger, stronger, and faster players and hard‐shelled helmets that are often used as a weapon to initiate contact, we’ve created a type of repetitive trauma to the brain that has never existed before.
The discovery of CTE inside the brains of so many ex‐football players has shown us that it is again time
for change, and a new Committee. Only this time, it is a Committee to Save Football. Among high school
students, football is the most popular sport in America, played by one in eight American boys. While
football was first played by colleges, today football is a children’s game, with 95% of participants under
the age of 18.
These children are not old enough to make informed choices. Therefore, in light of the new evidence of
CTE in 100% of players studied at Boston University, it seems appropriate that we again reevaluate how
“Solving the Sports Concussion Crisis” we play the game of football before the 2010 season and at all levels of play: youth, high school, college, and professional.
If we can agree that the game is broken and needs to be fixed, we have an incredible number of paths to
a safer game without fundamentally changing football. If we know that practice collisions account for
over 50% of brain trauma, the proposals below could easily eliminate over 75% of brain trauma and
concussions today – it is simply a question of leadership.
Below are 10 paths to a safer game that can and should be used to reduce brain trauma. This would
serve as the basis for evaluating the options available to the Committee to Save Football.
1. Reevaluate how the game is practiced
• Greater than 50% of hits to the head occur outside of games. NFL teams rarely hit in practice due to risk of injury. Youth teams could only be allowed to have full‐contact once a week. Dangerous drills could be banned or used less frequently.
2. Encourage mandatory brain trauma and concussion education for coaches, athletic trainers, parents, and athletes
• Coaches, athletic trainers, and athletes cannot diagnose concussions if they aren’t trained to look for them or know how to recognize them. Coaches, athletic trainers, and athletes will not voluntarily choose to rest concussions and reduce overall brain trauma if they don’t understand why it is good for the athlete’s short and long‐term health.
3. Reevaluate protective equipment
• Investigate changes to helmets, shoulder pads, and other types of protective equipment to reduce brain trauma.
4. Develop better methods of concussion detection and diagnosis
• The CDC provides clipboards with concussions diagnosis protocols on the back at no cost. Coaches could be required to carry them. We can invest more in research to find simple, objective ways to diagnose concussion that can be utilized in any program.
5. Develop better methods of concussion management
• Return‐to‐play too soon after concussion can result in more extensive brain damage, and can actually result in death. It is now law in Washington state that players are required to see a medical professional with brain trauma expertise before return‐to‐play. Minimum return‐to‐play standards should be enforced at all levels.
6. Consider minimum medical resources
• Football is a dangerous game. Minimum medical resource standards, like having an athletic trainer or doctor on the sideline, should be considered.
7. Reevaluate techniques of tackling and blocking
• We can teach and enforce different methods of tackling and blocking that minimize contact to the head.
8. Reevaluate the rules
• Recently the NFL banned the wedge on kickoffs to reduce trauma. Many other rules could be changed, at all levels of football, to reduce brain trauma.
9. Reevaluate rule enforcement and the role of referees
• The NCAA recently began suspending players for intentional helmet‐to‐helmet hits. Referees could eject players for illegal hits to the head. Referees could be trained to identify concussed players on the field.
10. Reconsider the culture of the game
• Television announcers could stop glorifying illegal hits. Children could stop being pressured to play through concussions.
The evidence now exists to support immediate and radical change to the game of football to dramatically reduce brain trauma. Let us not let this opportunity pass.
October 28, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
Concussions in the NFL--A problem that won't go away
On the heals of new medical evidence that chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is linked to repetitive concussive injuries in football players, the House Judiciary Committee has scheduled a hearing for tomorrow to examine the way that the NFL handles brain injuries both for present players and those who have unsuccessfully sought disability retirement benefits.
Last week, neurologists and pathologists associated with the Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy announced their findings that even college athletes who received multiple concussions were found to have this brain damage. Dr. Ann McKee, an associate professor of neurology and pathology at the Boston University School of Medicine and co-director of the Institute is quoted in the New York Times as saying, "I've looked at more that 1,000 brains and I've never seen this in any individual living a normal life--it's only through head trauma. "
The health care crisis goes for beyond professional football players. Evidence of this disease in younger athletes raises serious safety concerns and again raises the issue, is the NFL and their poor decisions setting the wrong example for younger athletes and leading to more brain injuries and permanent brain damage?
Here are some additional comments by Dr. McKee: "The fact that we are seeing this disease, it had a devastating effect on their lives, mow in a 42 year old who never played in the N.F.L. indicates that it's a more pervasive problem that we recognize. What are we doing with our kids? Are we doing enough to protect against their developing this awful condition?"
Tomorrow's hearing will focus on these issues. Among those invited to testify are Dr. McKee and neurosurgeons, Robert Cantu and Julian Bailes who have also down extensive research on concussions and the effects of cumulative concussions in athletes. Another witness, David Weir from the University of Michigan recently published research sponsored by the NFL that suggested that professional football players had rates of cognitive disease several time higher then the general population.
I also heard that Dr. Eleanor Perfetto, the wife of former lineman Ralph Wenzel who was institutionalized for dementia is also scheduled to testify. I had the privilege of meeting Dr. Perfetto last week at the Sports Legacy Institute awards dinner in Boston, Mass. She has fought a long and hard battle with the NFL over this injury had has been a great friend and advocate for other football families who face the uphill battle with the league's disability plan to obtain benefits that these players are entitled to.
Chairman Conyers and the House Judiciary Committee must press NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell as well as players executive director Maurice Smith on why the league continues to try to minimize this serious condition and why players who suffer from traumatic brain injury can't obtain benefits that they bargained for as part of their collective bargaining agreement.
October 27, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Brain Injury affects all sports
An interesting article appears in today's New York Times, after Injury, an F1 driver's mind must recover also, reporting on the testing and evaluation that takes place in formula one car racing before drivers a permitted to return to the track following any closed head brain injury.
In addition to cognitive evaluations there is a great recognition of the psychological component to mild head injury. Here is an interesting description of the evaluation that is performed:
“When we evaluate drivers, we evaluate whether a driver is a sponge or is waterproof,” Ceccarelli said. “Waterproof means it is raining but you don’t absorb it. A sponge means it is raining and you absorb it. If you are a sponge, all the details — everything that’s wrong and everything you believe is wrong and everything that you feel around you is negative — affect your mentality and your enthusiasm and your mood.”
The driver who absorbs will have a harder time recuperating from an accident, he said. But another key to how a driver will be affected is whether he was responsible for the accident.
When in doubt--Keep them out!
October 18, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Congress has scheduled hearings on Concussion Injuries in NFL
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith will testify at a Congressional hearing on head injuries among NFL players.
House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, Jr., D-Mich., said that the committee will hold its hearing Oct. 28.
The hearings will look at the lasting impact of head injuries, how to limit them and how to compensate players and their families.
The decision to hold the hearings follows a preliminary study which suggested retired pro football players may have a higher rate than normal of Alzheimer's disease or other memory problems. The study was done at the University of Michigan.
October 17, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
60 minutes looks at concussions and the long term damage that results
This evening's 60 minutes report on concussions and the long term dangers associated with this injury was an excellent over view of the hazards associated with multiple concussions.
Here is a brief excerpt from the show:
You can't separate violence from football - it's part of the thrill of the game. Players know what they're risking when they hit the field, including injuries such as torn ligaments and broken bones. But what about a blow to the brain? According to the Centers for Disease Control, concussions from sports are an epidemic in this country.
As many as three million sports related concussions happen every year.
And new research shows that their effects can be frighteningly long-lasting, even leading to permanent brain damage and the early onset of dementia. While concussions happen in many sports, most happen in football. They can happen to kids, to the pros, and as we saw recently, to one of today's top college players.
Watch the entire 60 minute concussion broadcast
October 11, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
