traumatic brain injury

Sports

Horse sports are a leading cause of traumatic brain injuries. Can they be made safer?

1:45pm June 05, 2024

by Olivia Hampton

NPR's A Martínez speaks with event rider Jonathan Holling about safety concerns and measures in equestrian sports, which are a leading cause of traumatic brain injuries for U.S. athletes.

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Maria E. Garay-Serratos holds a framed photograph of her mother, who died after suffering decades of domestic violence. Scientists are trying to understand how domestic violence damages the brain.

Domestic violence may leave telltale damage in the brain. Scientists want to find it

5:01am March 08, 2024

by Jon Hamilton

Traumatic brain injuries from intimate partner violence are common, and potentially more severe than those seen in sports.

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E-bike use is increasing quickly, but many people do not wear helmets. And head injuries from e-bike accidents are rising fast too, a study in JAMA Surgery shows.

Health & Safety

E-bike head trauma soars as helmet use falls, study finds

1:14pm February 21, 2024

by Ronnie Cohen

A new study shows that nearly 8,000 e-bike riders sought hospital care for head injuries in 2022. It's a huge increase and the majority of the injured riders were not wearing helmets.

An artistic rendering of deep brain stimulation. Scientists are studying this approach to see if it can treat cognitive impairment that can arise after a traumatic brain injury and other conditions.

A little electric stimulation in just the right spot may bolster a damaged brain

5:00am December 06, 2023

by Jon Hamilton

A small study found that electrically stimulating an area deep in the brain allowed people with severe traumatic brain injuries to complete a cognitive test more quickly.

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A precisely timed pulse to a brain area just behind the ear can help reduce memory deficits in patients suffering moderate to severe traumatic brain injuries.

When a brain injury impairs memory, a pulse of electricity may help

5:00am August 09, 2023

by Jon Hamilton

A severe traumatic brain injury can make it hard to remember recent events or conversations. But a form of brain stimulation appears to ease this memory deficit.

Following a traumatic brain injury, veteran Michael Schneider found that art and music therapy helped him manage his epilepsy and PTSD. Schneider explains that by playing music, he can prevent a seizure.

Art and music therapy seem to help with brain disorders. Scientists want to know why

6:00am February 19, 2022

by Jon Hamilton

Arts therapies appear to ease brain disorders from Parkinson's to PTSD. Now, artists and scientists have launched an effort to understand how these treatments change the brain.

"I use the word 'doom,' " T.J. Abraham said of his fear that he has CTE from past head injuries, "because I feel like there's no easy way out of this and there's no good outcome."

Everyday people fear they have CTE. A dubious market has sprung up to treat them

4:39pm December 23, 2021

by Sacha Pfeiffer

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) goes far beyond the NFL. Everyday men and women worry they have the fatal disease, and they've turned to questionable brain products for help.

It's often hard to tell which brain-injured patients will recover from a coma and which won't. New research uses EEG to test for hidden consciousness in patients' brains.

Health & Safety

A New Way To Test For Signs Of Consciousness In Unresponsive, Brain-Injured Patients

2:23pm June 27, 2019

by Luisa Torres

Scientists are investigating a better test of consciousness in brain-injured patients. If it becomes widely available, it could help with agonizing decisions about withdrawal of life support.

Research inspired by soccer headers has led to fresh insights into how the brain weathers hits to the head.

Bad Vibes: How Hits To The Head Are Transferred To The Brain

10:47am December 24, 2018

by Jon Hamilton

A question about heading soccer balls inspired a series of experiments to understand how the brain changes shape when someone's head takes a hit.

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The brains of female soccer players who head the ball frequently show white matter alterations.

Heading May Be Riskier For Female Soccer Players Than Males

2:35pm July 31, 2018

by Sara Kiley Watson

Females are more likely than males to suffer measurable impact on their brains as a result of heading the ball during soccer.