Concussion

Author(s):  
Brian Hainline ◽  
Lindsey J. Gurin ◽  
Daniel M. Torres

Concussion is a type of mild traumatic brain injury, is common, and occurs both in sport and as a result of falls or accidents. Concussion has become an increasingly recognized public health concern, largely driven by prominent media coverage of athletes who have sustained concussion. Although much has been written about this condition, its natural history is still not well understood, and practitioners are only now beginning to recognize that concussion often manifests in different clinical domains. These may require targeted treatment in and of themselves; otherwise, persistent post-concussive symptoms may develop. Although most individuals who sustain a concussion recover, and although concussion is a treatable condition, it is important that concussion be managed early and comprehensively to avoid a more prolonged clinical trajectory. A relatively recent term often used in the setting of concussion is repetitive head impact exposure—a biomechanical force applied to the head that does not generate a clinical manifestation of concussion, but may result in structural brain changes. Although it is often assumed that repetitive head impact exposure leads to long-term neurological sequelae, the science to document this assumption is in its infancy. Repeated concussions may lead to depression or cognitive impairment later in life, and there is an emerging literature that repeated concussion and repetitive head impact exposure are associated with chronic traumatic encephalopathy or other neurodegenerative diseases. Currently there is no known causal connection between concussion, repetitive head impact exposure, and neurodegeneration, although this research is also still in its infancy.

2020 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marc Fakhoury ◽  
Zaynab Shakkour ◽  
Firas Kobeissy ◽  
Nada Lawand

Abstract Traumatic brain injury (TBI) represents a major health concern affecting the neuropsychological health; TBI is accompanied by drastic long-term adverse complications that can influence many aspects of the life of affected individuals. A substantial number of studies have shown that mood disorders, particularly depression, are the most frequent complications encountered in individuals with TBI. Post-traumatic depression (P-TD) is present in approximately 30% of individuals with TBI, with the majority of individuals experiencing symptoms of depression during the first year following head injury. To date, the mechanisms of P-TD are far from being fully understood, and effective treatments that completely halt this condition are still lacking. The aim of this review is to outline the current state of knowledge on the prevalence and risk factors of P-TD, to discuss the accompanying brain changes at the anatomical, molecular and functional levels, and to discuss current approaches used for the treatment of P-TD.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie S. Sloley ◽  
Bevan S. Main ◽  
Charisse N. Winston ◽  
Alex C. Harvey ◽  
Alice Kaganovich ◽  
...  

AbstractRepeated head impact exposure can cause memory and behavioral impairments. Here, we report that exposure to non-damaging, but high frequency, head impacts can alter brain function in mice through synaptic adaptation. High frequency head impact mice develop chronic cognitive impairments in the absence of traditional brain trauma pathology, and transcriptomic profiling of mouse and human chronic traumatic encephalopathy brain reveal that synapses are strongly affected by head impact. Electrophysiological analysis shows that high frequency head impacts cause chronic modification of the AMPA/NMDA ratio in neurons that underlie the changes to cognition. To demonstrate that synaptic adaptation is caused by head impact-induced glutamate release, we pretreated mice with memantine prior to head impact. Memantine prevents the development of the key transcriptomic and electrophysiological signatures of high frequency head impact, and averts cognitive dysfunction. These data reveal synapses as a target of high frequency head impact in human and mouse brain, and that this physiological adaptation in response to head impact is sufficient to induce chronic cognitive impairment in mice.


2012 ◽  
Vol 33 (6) ◽  
pp. E5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew L. Dashnaw ◽  
Anthony L. Petraglia ◽  
Julian E. Bailes

There has been a growing interest in the diagnosis and management of mild traumatic brain injury (TBI), or concussion. Repetitive concussion and subconcussion have been linked to a spectrum of neurological sequelae, including postconcussion syndrome, chronic traumatic encephalopathy, mild cognitive impairment, and dementia pugilistica. A more common risk than chronic traumatic encephalopathy is the season-ending or career-ending effects of concussion or its mismanagement. To effectively prevent and treat the sequelae of concussion, it will be important to understand the basic processes involved. Reviewed in this paper are the forces behind the primary phase of injury in mild TBI, as well as the immediate and delayed cellular events responsible for the secondary phase of injury leading to neuronal dysfunction and possible cell death. Advanced neuroimaging sequences have recently been developed that have the potential to increase the sensitivity of standard MRI to detect both structural and functional abnormalities associated with concussion, and have provided further insight into the potential underlying pathophysiology. Also discussed are the potential long-term effects of repetitive mild TBI, particularly chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Much of the data regarding this syndrome is limited to postmortem analyses, and at present there is no animal model of chronic traumatic encephalopathy described in the literature. As this arena of TBI research continues to evolve, it will be imperative to appropriately model concussive and even subconcussive injuries in an attempt to understand, prevent, and treat the associated chronic neurodegenerative sequelae.


Concussion ◽  
2019 ◽  
pp. 169-172
Author(s):  
Brian Hainline ◽  
Lindsey J. Gurin ◽  
Daniel M. Torres

Repetitive head impact exposure refers to a head impact that does not lead to the clinical manifestation of concussion. There is emerging information that repetitive head impact exposure may lead to structural changes in the brain, but it is not clear if these changes normalize, remain static, or worsen over time. Currently there is no known causal connection between repetitive head impact exposure and long-term neurologic diseases, although such a connection is often assumed by the public. A safety-first approach should always be taken in sport, and this includes steps to mitigate head impact exposure.


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 237802312110247
Author(s):  
Alexandrea J. Ravenelle ◽  
Abigail Newell ◽  
Ken Cai Kowalski

The authors explore media distrust among a sample of precarious and gig workers interviewed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although these left-leaning respondents initially increased their media consumption at the outset of the pandemic, they soon complained of media sensationalism and repurposed a readily available cultural tool: claims of “fake news.” As a result, these unsettled times have resulted in a “diffusion of distrust,” in which an elite conservative discourse of skepticism toward the media has also become a popular form of compensatory control among self-identified liberals. Perceiving “fake news” and media sensationalism as “not good” for their mental health, respondents also reported experiencing media burnout and withdrawing from media consumption. As the pandemic passes its one-year anniversary, this research has implications for long-term media coverage on COVID-19 and ongoing media trust and consumption.


2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (12) ◽  
pp. 788-791
Author(s):  
Bethany Rose

Female genital mutilation (FGM) is any process that injures or removes part or all of the external female genital organs for non-medical reasons. FGM is a growing public health concern in the UK because of an increase in migration from countries where it is widely practised. Education on FGM for nurses is key to supporting women who have undergone the practice, as well as safeguarding girls and women who are at risk. Nurses must understand the history and culture of FGM as well as the long-term health complications to be able to support affected women both professionally and sensitively.


Author(s):  
Subasish Das

Traffic crashes are a major public health concern. In 2016, traffic crashes resulted in over 1.35 million deaths worldwide. In Bangladesh alone, the number of reported traffic fatalities was 2,376 in 2016. However, the World Health Organization estimated that the true number of traffic fatalities in Bangladesh ranges between 20,730 and 29,177. Editorial traffic crash reports in Bangladesh, and the number of crashes that are reported, vary widely among different media outlets. This study employed a Google News Alert to collect fatal crash reports from online English daily newspapers. The current study compiled a database of 419 fatal crash-related reports over a six-month period (November 2018–April 2019). The reports contain a total of 81,019 words. The results of this study reveal that online news coverage of traffic fatalities tends to vary from news agency to news agency. Furthermore, these reports do not usually cover key contributing factors of crash occurrences; the geometric features of crash occurrence sites are rarely reported. The findings demonstrate the importance of deciphering media coverage to develop potential safety risk measures in Bangladesh. The current findings provide strong support for the need for guidelines to help media outlets adequately document fatal crash reports.


Author(s):  
Franziska Grundler ◽  
Dietmar Plonné ◽  
Robin Mesnage ◽  
Diethard Müller ◽  
Cesare R. Sirtori ◽  
...  

Abstract Purpose Dyslipidemia is a major health concern associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular mortality. Long-term fasting (LF) has been shown to improve plasma lipid profile. We performed an in-depth investigation of lipoprotein composition. Methods This observational study included 40 volunteers (50% men, aged 32–65 years), who underwent a medically supervised fast of 14 days (250 kcal/day). Changes in lipid and lipoprotein levels, as well as in lipoprotein subclasses and particles, were measured by ultracentrifugation and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) at baseline, and after 7 and 14 fasting days. Results The largest changes were found after 14 fasting days. There were significant reductions in triglycerides (TG, − 0.35 ± 0.1 mmol/L), very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL)-TG (− 0.46 ± 0.08 mmol/L), VLDL-cholesterol (VLDL-C, − 0.16 ± 0.03 mmol/L) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-C (− 0.72 ± 0.14 mmol/L). Analysis of LDL subclasses showed a significant decrease in LDL1-C (− 0.16 ± 0.05 mmol/L), LDL2-C (− 0.30 ± 0.06 mmol/L) and LDL3-C (− 0.27 ± 0.05 mmol/L). NMR spectroscopy showed a significant reduction in large VLDL particles (− 5.18 ± 1.26 nmol/L), as well as large (− 244.13 ± 39.45 nmol/L) and small LDL particles (− 38.45 ± 44.04 nmol/L). A significant decrease in high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-C (− 0.16 ± 0.04 mmol/L) was observed. By contrast, the concentration in large HDL particles was significantly raised. Apolipoprotein A1 decreased significantly whereas apolipoprotein B, lipoprotein(a), fibrinogen and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein were unchanged. Conclusion Our results suggest that LF improves lipoprotein levels and lipoprotein subclasses and ameliorates the lipoprotein-associated atherogenic risk profile, suggesting a reduction in the cardiovascular risk linked to dyslipidemia. Trial Registration Study registration number: DRKS-ID: DRKS00010111 Date of registration: 03/06/2016 “retrospectively registered”.


1996 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 504-506 ◽  
Author(s):  
Izhar U. Qamar ◽  
Melly Ohali ◽  
Daune L. MacGregor ◽  
Christine Wasson ◽  
Karla Krekewich ◽  
...  

1995 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 74
Author(s):  
Martin Knapp

Advice on enuresis has been provided by a range of individuals. Many myths and misunderstandings have been responsible for the confusing range of opinions given to those who seek help. Management should be based on an understanding of the physiology of the condition and the established facts about its treatment. There is still a lack of awareness about how effective are the management strategies now proposed by those who base their practise on the extensive research that is now documented. The best results are obtained with conditioning therapy, when this is supervised and supported. There is an important role for 'wetness' alarms in conditioning. There are now body-worn mini-alarms, established by over a decade of use, that are inexpensive and reliable. There is a decreasing role for tricyclic medication. The recently introduced pharmaceutical Minirin (desmopressin) is useful in short-term management to get dryness on social occasions and, in selected individuals, might have a role in long-term control of enuresis, when conditioning has not been effective. There is an important need to provide advice and treatment facilities for all those with enuresis - a treatable condition.


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