During their meeting in Orlando this week, and following much embarrassing publicity last year, National Football League officials made some key changes in their safety rules. http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/03/25/sports/AP-FBN-NFL-Meetings.html?_r=1 Some of the rules passed Wednesday are aimed at protecting “defenseless” players, as…
Idaho Concussion Bill Held Up Over Liability Concerns
Idaho is considering legislation to set tough guidelines on student athlete concussions, but the bill has been stalled because of fears of liability issues. http://www.idahoreporter.com/2010/plan-to-get-tough-on-concussions-stalls-in-committee-over-legal-concerns/ Idaho’s proposed law, like the one pioneered by Washington state, would require that athletes get…
Missouri May Pass Student Concussion Law
Missouri is the latest state to be weighing legislation that would keep young athletes off the field if they appear to have sustained a concussion. http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/lifestyle/stories.nsf/healthfitness/story/EB4F233FBE11B772862576E9006F382D?OpenDocument The proposed law mandates that athletes can only return to play after they are…
Science Making Progress in Altering Negative Memories
It may sound like science fiction, but researchers are exploring ways to change people’s memories, according to a story in The Wall Street Journal Tuesday. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703447104575118021991832154.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_MIDDLENexttoWhatsNewsThird Right now a common hypertension drug is being tested on rape victims, soldiers who…
California Seeks To Mandate Helmets For Young Skiers and Snowboarders
California is looking to crack down on youthful skiers and snowboarders, by requiring minors to wear helmets when they engage in both those sports. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5i3mSQTOwvBo-4TsKKXQ72RM0u7RQD9EEVGOG0 Democratic lawmakers from Northern California have introduced two bills mandating the helmets for minors. One…
Military To Make Head-Injury Evaluations Mandatory
The U.S. Defense Department is making a sweeping change it its policy on head injuries, with plans to mandate evaluations of all soldiers who have sustained possible concussions, military officials said last week. http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=58264 Currently, a soldier in combat or…
The Danger of Emergency Responders Being Distracted When They’re Responding
Here’s a terrible twist: Emergency vehicles today have so much sophisticated gear in them that it’s distracting the responders who drive them, leading to accidents. The New York Times Thursday had a Page One story on the problem that was…
Insightful Profile On Brain Collector Chris Nowinski
Business Week/Bloomberg has done a fascinating story on a man with a quest: Chris Nowinski, a researcher who is creating what he calls the first U.S. brain bank dedicated to the study of head trauma. http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-03-10/nfl-brain-collector-shows-violence-in-slices-of-gray-matter.html Nowinski, co-founder of the…
Report on New Jersey Hands Free Law – Two Years Post
New Jersey’s ban on motorists using hand-held cellphones is almost two years old, and so far there have been 3,610 crashed that involving cell phones, which led to 1,548 injuries and 13 deaths. http://www.newjerseynewsroom.com/state/nj-ignores-law-banning-cell-phone-use-while-driving During the same time span since…
Post-Concussion Sufferers May Get Relief From Moderate Exercise
A new study has found that moderate exercise may help those who suffer from post-concussion syndrome (PCS), according to the National Post. http://www.nationalpost.com/life/story.html?id=2628799 Those with PCS continue to suffer from the symptoms of traumatic brain injury (TBI), such as dizziness,…