Children who sustained traumatic brain injuries may experience such psychological effects as anxiety, phobias and depression more than a decade later, researchers say. The anxiety may have many causes, including actual brain damage or the experience of living in an anxious family environment after the injury. “The study suggests that brain injury is in some way
At Stanford University, the football program has adopted a new technology that could help change the game in terms of diagnosing concussions. The technology is called Eye-Sync, from the company SyncThink and it is the brainchild of neurosurgeon Dr. Jamshid Ghajar, director of the Stanford Concussion and Brain Performance Center and a president of the Brain
U.S. veterans who have suffered traumatic brain injuries may struggle with severe headaches years later, a new study finds. The study included 172 vets who served in Afghanistan or Iraq between 2 and 11 years before the study began. Half suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI) during deployment; half did not. The researchers assessed the
Concerns that fish oil supplements may increase the risk of bleeding – a potential concern for people undergoing surgery – are unfounded, according to a systematic review the scientific literature published in the Danish Medical Journal. The aim of the review was to evaluate the effect of fish oil supplements on haemostasis and bleeding risk, and
There have been over 30 failed clinical trials searching for better treatments for TBI, resulting in no significant effect worthy of becoming a pharmaceutical therapy. None involved cannabis. It has been shown that activating the innate cannabinoid receptors (CB1 and CB2) reduces brain swelling and neurological impairment. Cannabinoid 2-AG is released in the brains of mice
By any measure, new helmet technology looks to be a step forward in the fight for better safety for football players of all ages [Note: the cost is prohibitive, in my opinion, to most people outside the NFL]. But, helmet technology isn’t a panacea for the problems that the game faces. It is at best, a tool
A total of 372,054 (15.1%) of all U.S. deaths in 2010 would have been averted if all rigorously studied, efficacious primary prevention interventions were implemented according to a new meta-analysis. Two in three averted deaths would have been from cardiovascular disease or malignancy. A substantial proportion of deaths in the U.S. in 2010 could have
Two new studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have found dietary intake of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids in the blood can promote the integrity of brain structures and cognitive abilities in aging. Both studies examined patterns of omegas in the blood of 100 cognitively intact older adults ages 65 to 75. Researchers analyzed the
The incidence of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is expected to triple in the coming decades and no cure has been found. Omega-3 fatty acids have shown anti-amyloid, anti-tau and anti-inflammatory actions in the brains of animals. In a new article published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, researchers have found that for patients with high omega-3
EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids both drive anti-inflammatory gene expression, while DHA is better at lowering triglycerides and decreasing inflammatory markers, according to recent studies that are said to be a “leap forward” in our understanding. Data published in Atherosclerosis indicated that high dose omega-3s produce gene expression in immune cells. The American Journal
British Journal of Sports Medicine published the “Consensus Statement on Concussion in Sport — the 5th International Conference on Concussion in Sport Held in Berlin, October 2016. The new research on how young athletes should be treated for concussions on and off the field is welcome news for both parents and coaches. Mimicking the three “Rs”
According to a new study in JAMA Neurology, U.S. military service members who endured a mild concussion after blast injury while deployed may continue to experience mental health symptoms as well as decreases in quality of life for at least five years after their injury. This prospective, longitudinal study enrolled active-duty US military after concussive
The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a network of blood vessels that allow the entry of essential nutrients into the brain while blocking other, more harmful, substances such as blood-borne bacteria and toxins. New research has discovered that a nutrient, known for its protection against heart disease, may also be critical in maintaining the BBB. Chenghua Gu,
The crucial role of omega-3 in helping to tackle pre and post-natal depression has been underlined by a new meta-analysis, which also found such cases of depression were associated with a higher omega-6/omega-3 ratio. Researchers from Taiwan and Singapore said omega-3s were promising antidepressant treatments for perinatal depression (PND) due to their safety, anti-inflammatory and
Research into cannabidiol (CBD), the non-psychoactive cannabinoid, continues to show the central role CBD plays in the medical benefits of cannabis. In the past few decades, we’ve seen a number of promising studies on CBD. What all of these studies share is an understanding of the safe and effective nature of CBD as a medicine. Whether
A test that measures fragments of genetic material in saliva was nearly 90 percent accurate in identifying children and adolescents whose symptoms persisted for at least a month. In contrast, a concussion survey commonly used by doctors was right less than 70 percent of the time. Researchers did an experiment that involved 50 concussion patients between the
Body size and weight plays an important role in the benefits that can be gained from omega-3 supplements, according to a new RCT that suggests age-related guidelines for children may cause issues due to big differences in body shape. Guidelines for suggested intake of ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are limited in youth and rely
Omega-3 supplementation boosts immunity and helps reduce inflammation among gastrointestinal cancer patients after surgery, new meta-analysis reports. Surgery is the primary treatment for patients with GI cancer often facing complications due to malnutrition, tumor-induced immune suppression, surgical stress, and inflammation. The research, comprising of 623 patients, showed that patients on omega-3s had lower levels of inflammation markers. The
Promising results from a large-scale, controlled, Phase 3 clinical study of epilepsy patients being treated with cannabidiol (CBD) found that almost 40 percent of people with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS) had at least a 50 percent reduction in drop seizures, compared to 15 percent taking a placebo. LGS is a severe form of epilepsy that often results
Supplements of the omega 3 DHA were shown to stop the progression of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, or NASH, into more serious and life-threatening health problems such as cirrhosis or liver cancer. This took place even with the continued consumption in lab animals of what scientists call a “western” diet – one that’s high in fat, sugar
