It is presently the standard of care to keep children who have sustained concussion/traumatic brain injuries off the field and not to return to play until they are cleared by a competent professional. Assemblywoman, Pamela R. Lampitt (D Burlington and Camden) has introduced a bill in the New Jersey Assembly, which would require any student
Brain Injury Resources & Links
Stern Delivers Two TBI Presentations
This past week, I attended the American Association for Justice’s mid-winter convention in Palm Desert, California. Besides my duties and responsibilities as Parliamentarian of AAJ, I was pleased to be invited to give a presentation at the Specialized Track: Concussion Crisis-Litigating Sports Injuries and TBI CLE program where I spoke on the topic of “Proving…
A Year Later and Still Suffering
I read a wonderful story by Amy Zellmer, a professional photographer and TBI survivor who published a firsthand account of her struggles with a mild traumatic brain injury. According to her story, Amy fell on a patch of ice and sustained a “mild” traumatic brain injury. Despite people telling her “it’s just a concussion,” a…
Age of First Exposure to Football and Later-Life Cognitive Impairment in Former NFL Players
A new study conducted by researchers from Boston University found that children who sustained a concussion/mild traumatic brain injury prior to the age of 12 had a greater risk of later-life cognitive impairment. Robert A. Stern, Ph.D. and colleagues at Boston University conducted a study to “determine the relationship between exposure to repeated head impacts…
Mayo and Kind-Devick Tests Have Licensing Agreement for Sideline Concussion Test
It was recently reported that King-Devick Tests, Inc. has developed a quick and effective screening tool for the evaluation of concussion. The tests, to be called the King-Devick Test, according to the manufacturer, is a “quick‑accurate and objective concussion screening tool that can be administered on the sidelines by parents, coaches, athletic trainers, school nurses,…
New Study Calls into Question Need for Extended Rest Following Concussion
Following a concussion, patients are instructed to rest for twenty-four to forty-eight hours beginning any type of return to normal activities. Many doctors recommend an even longer period of rest so as to reduce the risk of re-injury during recovery from the concussion. Some clinicians even advocate “cocoon therapy” which “restricts patients to several days…
DTI Used to Demonstrate Brain Changes in High School Football Players Even in Absence of Concussion
At the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA), Christopher C. Whitlow, M.D., Ph.D., M.H.A., an associate professor of radiology at Wake Forest School of Medicine and radiologist at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center presented the findings from his research that some high school football players exhibit measurable brain changes after a…
Long Term Effects of MTBI and PTSD
There has been much research with regard to the long term effects of mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI) and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as independent conditions. However, there has been very little research studying the combined effect of MTBI and PTSD.
This month’s Journal of Neurotrauma contains an article by Walter High, M.D. and…
Ohio University Infographic of CTE in Sports
This summer the Radiological Society of North America published an article summarizing the findings from Research conducted at Stanford University on the effects of concussive and sub-concussive head injuries. There the Stanford researchers, headed by Michael Zeineh, MD, Ph.D. concluded that even for young football players who didn’t experience a concussion, football and other contact…
Psychological Assessment of Symptom and Performance Validity, Response Bias, and Malingering
The Association for Scientific Advancement in Psychological Injury in the Law has published an official position regarding psychological assessment of symptom and performance validity, response bias, and malingering. Psychol. Inj. And Law (214) 7:197-205. Bush, SS, Heilbronner and Ruff RM. According to the abstract, the “purpose of this position statement is to promote ethical psychological…