2011 October 20th
The post-game video review was especially difficult at John C. Birdlebough High School. Administrators and coaches examined every frame of what will forever be known as “THE game.” The game when 16-year-old Ridge Barden died. According to an article in The New York Times, the coroner ruled that Barden’s death was due to a brain [...]
2011 October 12th
According to an article in Bike World News, two major cycling organizations have jointly released recommendations for how to treat cyclists who have sustained head trauma. Medicine of Cycling, an independent group of physicians and psychologists working to improve processes that can have a meaningful impact on the way care is delivered to cycling athletes, recently formed [...]
2011 October 6th
In the medical world, Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) is a rising star, sure to become a household name. And the turning point in CTE’s infamy may have just been reported this week, with the report that former hockey great Rick Martin had CTE at the time of his death. First, some background: CTE is a [...]
2011 October 3rd
Can motherhood cause brain injury? Yes… indirectly. An article in the Deseret News recounts the experience of mom Erin Stewart, whose preschooler gave her a concussion: Motherhood is rough. I’m not talking about emotions here. I’m talking physically rough. I’m talking just-got-back-from-the-doctor-with-a-minor-concussion rough. Seriously. My preschooler gave me a concussion. In what will forever be [...]
2011 September 29th
At about 2:00 pm, second grade student Michael Rodriguez slipped on some water at school and hit his head. By 6:00 pm, his mom was rushing him to the hospital. The basic story is simple, but the lessons are in the details. According to a Texas-based news source, VictoriaAdvocate.com, by the time 7-year-old Michael got [...]
2011 September 7th
In Canada, kids pick up an ice hockey stick about the same time American kids pick up a Wiffle ball bat. They get their first pair of ice skates not long after they start walking. From Vancouver to Nova Scotia, Winnipeg to Yellowknife, hockey is the national sport of our northern neighbor. So you can [...]
2011 August 31st
Derek Sheely, a 22-year-old fullback playing for Frostburg State University in Maryland, died on Sunday, a week after passing out during a routine practice. He did not have a heart condition or any other chronic disorder. Although his father doesn’t know exactly what happened, he asserts that Derek died of severe head trauma. According to [...]
2011 August 2nd
On July 28, 2011, Northwestern Medicine in Chicago hosted a concussion symposium called “Playing It Safe: Changing the Mindset Around Concussion Safety.” And a few top-notch physicians were on hand to talk about the effects of concussion. Concussions are in the news every week these days. Former pro football players are suing the NFL, claiming [...]
2011 July 21st
If you have been following our blogs about football and concussion risks, then you know that this was bound to happen. According to an article on CNN.com: Seventy-five former professional football players are suing the National Football League, saying the league knew as early as the 1920s of the harmful effects of concussions on players’ [...]
2011 July 20th
In order to reduce the number of injuries–especially brain trauma–in college football players, Ivy League schools announced today that they will be changing the rules for practices. According to an article in The New York Times, the new rules are being implemented because research shows that college players sustain more total hits to the head [...]