Did you know at least 2.8 million people sustain a traumatic brain injury each year, and at least 5.3 million Americans live with a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)-related disability? Every year when March comes around we observe Brain Injury Awareness Month. The Brain Injury Association of America’s (BIAA) theme for the 2021-2023 campaign is More Than My Brain Injury. TBI victims believe their injury defines them and their lives. This campaign allows for these individuals to live beyond their disability, while also giving them the chance to tell their stories. At Stark & Stark we encourage everyone to join this campaign to help spread awareness and educate others about what it is like to live with a traumatic brain injury.

Continue Reading Brain Injury Awareness Month is Here

I previously reported on studies establishing a connection between traumatic brain injury as a risk factor for dementia. A new study published in The Lancet entitled, “Dementia Prevention, Intervention and Care: 2020 Report of The Lancet Commission” further establishes that traumatic brain injury is a risk factor for dementia. Continue Reading Traumatic Brain Injury Is a Risk Factor for Dementia

Traumatic brain injuries are considered risk factors for other neurologic diseases such as dementia, Parkinson’s disease, and epilepsy. A recently published, British Journal of Psychiatry article discusses “Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder as a Risk Factor for Dementia.” The researchers from the University College of London, UK, Division of Psychiatry, conducted a meta-analysis searching nine electronic data bases up to October 25, 2019 for longitudinal studies assessing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and the risk of dementia. The researchers’ selection criteria was for adults 18 and older with a similar comparison group of adults without any post-traumatic stress disorder. According to the researchers, “we included studies were a diagnosis of PTSD was based upon: (a) clinical diagnostic criteria (i.e. ICD-9 or ICD-10, DSM-III, DSM-IV or DSM-V or comparable), or (b) a validated self-report scale.” Studies that did not diagnose dementia on the basis of clinical criteria (e.g. NINCDS-ADRA) were excluded.

Continue Reading Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) as a Risk Factor for Dementia

I recently took the deposition of a neuropsychologist who maintained that all patients having sustained a mild traumatic brain injury recover within six months. When presented with recent studies demonstrating the inaccuracy of that opinion, he acknowledged that he was unfamiliar with those studies. Rather, he relied on a 2004 paper by Carroll, et al. and two chapters authored by defense forensic neuropsychologists.

Continue Reading Long Term Post-Concussion Symptoms

I recently was sent an article entitled “Magnetoencephalography for Mild Traumatic Brain Injury and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder” published in the Journal of Neuroimaging Clinical North America. Magnetoencephalography (MEG) is a non-invasive technique for investigating human brain activity. It allows the measurement of ongoing brain activity on a millisecond-by-millisecond basis as it shows where in the brain activity is produced.

Continue Reading Magnetoencephalography (MEG) for mTBI and PTSD

A case study published in the Lancet, Public Health looked at the growing public health concern of homelessness and its relationship with traumatic brain injury.

The systematic review and meta-analysis examined original research studies that reported data on the prevalence or incidence of traumatic brain injury, or the association between traumatic brain injury or one or more health-related or function-related outcome measures.

Continue Reading Traumatic Brain Injury and Homelessness

In a new report issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the CDC reported that suicide is the top cause of deaths tied to traumatic brain injury. The CDC reported there were 61,000 traumatic brain injury linked deaths in 2017 and that nearly half of these deaths were caused by suicide.

Continue Reading CDC Reports Suicide is Top Cause of Death Tied to Traumatic Brain Injury

Experts hired in defense of mild traumatic brain injury claims often allege that mild traumatic brain injury recovery is uneventful in 6 to 12 months. Hearing a defendant’s courtroom doctor testify could lead one to believe that mild traumatic brain injuries are relatively benign and minor.

A new study published in Brain Injury sheds light on the high costs and health-care resources utilized in the first 12 months following a mTBI.

Continue Reading mTBI Recovery: The First Year will be Expensive