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…
N.J. Introduces New Regulations To Protect All Student Athletes From Concussions
The New Jersey entity that regulates high school athletics in state Monday introduced a set of rules that mandate that athletes who sustain head injuries must undergo a series of tests before being able to return to the field to…
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,…
Pittsburgh Man Dies After Desperate 911 Calls Fail To Bring Help
Snow or no snow, there is no excuse for this tragic negligence. What if you dialed 911 repeatedly for help for your sick boyfriend, and nobody came? That’s what happened to Sharon Edge in Pittsburgh, and now her loved one…
New Jersey, Virginia Weigh Concussion-Related Laws
Two more states, New Jersey and Virginia, are weighing legislation relating to sports and concussions. In the Garden State, Sen. Richard Codey (D-Essex) Monday introduced a bill that mandates that licensed athletic trainers take 24 hours of continuing education in…
Brain-Injured Snowboarder Watches Olympics from Hospital Bed
With one eye, or better, one side of the brain, we watched in awe, amazement and wonder at snowboarder Shaun “The Red Tomato” White win Gold at the Olympics. His grace, joy and exhilaration – performing super human stunts, could…