After singer Jimmy Buffett fell off a stage during a concert in Sydney, one pundit joked that “maybe he blew out a flipflop,” referring to Buffett’s hit “Margaritaville.” But the accident is no laughing matter. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/gossip/2011/01/jimmy-buffett-fall-out-of-hospital-doing-well.html Buffett, 64, appeared to just…
Bronx Teen Continues Recovery From Gunshot Wound In The Brain
It’s great to read a story about a traumatic brain injury victim who makes a comeback beyond all expectations. And that is certainly the case with Vada Vasquez. The New York Post Monday printed a photo of Vasquez as she lay on…
New York Mayor Bloomberg’s Daughter Suffers Concussion After Horse Jump
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s younger daughter was set to undergo additional tests Monday after sustaining a concussion during a fall while performing at an equestrian tournament. http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/08/bloomberg-says-daughter-is-recovering-after-fall/?scp=9&sq=mayor%20bloomberg&st=cse Georgina Bloomberg, 27, was briefly unconscious and fractured several vertebrae Friday when she…
Neurologists Say Athletes With Suspected Concussions Should Be Removed From Game Until Evaluation
The American Academy of Neurology (AAN) Monday called for any athlete who is suspected of having a concussion to be removed from play until he or she is evaluated by a doctor trained in evaluating and managing sports concussion. http://www.aan.com/press/index.cfm?fuseaction=release.view&release=875 That request is one…
Hypertonic Fluids Don’t Help Brain Injury Victims, Study Finds
Here’s another setback in the emergency treatment of brain injury. A study has found that hypertonic fluid, a concentrated saline solution that paramedics administer intravenously to head trauma patients, doesn’t help improve the patients’ chances of survival or their later brain…
Neurofeedback The Subject Of Major Study Being Released Oct. 26
Controversial neurofeedback, which purportedly helps people change their own brain waves, is seeing a surge in popularity, according to The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/05/health/05neurofeedback.html?_r=1&hpw Proponents of neurofeedback, which entails having electrodes attached to your scalp, say that it can help people…
College Football Player’s Suicide Raises New Issues On Link Between Concussions, Brain Disease
The suicides and evidence keep piling up. And the latest development should be terrifying for any football player and his parents, from Pee Wee Football to an NFL linebacker. In what has been stellar ongoing reporting on concussions and football, The New York…
Being A Fat Alcoholic Puts You At Extra Risk For Brain Injury
Being overweight may lead to some brain injury in alcoholics, acording to a study released Tuesday. The Los Angeles Times wrote that “the trifecta of alcohol abuse, cigarette smoking and a high body may be linked with alcohol-related brain injuries.” http://www.latimes.com/health/boostershots/la-heb-brain-20100907,0,7994320.story…
Another NFL Vet, Philadelphia Eagles Kevin Turner, Has Lou Gehrig’s Disease
Here’s another man’s life that’s about to be ruined as his reward for a career in pro-football: that of former Philadelphia Eagles fullback Kevin Turner. Turner, who retired from pro football when he was 31 in 2000, has been diagnosed as having ALS,…
Using Neuroscience To Explain A Linebacker’s Subtle Brain Injury
In a well-done story, Discover Magazine describes in clear, concise detail the consequences of our brains getting repeatedly banged around. The article is headlined “The Brain: What Happens To A Linebackers Neurons?” http://discovermagazine.com/2010/jul-aug/18-brain-what-happens-to-a-linebackers-neurons The piece opens by describing the new battery…