Soldiers who suffer mild brain injuries from blasts have long-term changes in their brains, a small new study suggests. Diagnosing mild brain injuries caused by explosions can be challenging using standard CT or MRI scans, the researchers said. For their study, they turned to a special type of MRI called diffusion tensor imaging. The technology
At four months following mild traumatic brain injury, symptoms are significantly reduced but gray matter abnormalities persist, according to research published online Nov. 20 in Neurology. Read full article. Read abstract.
One of the most common complications associated with traumatic brain injuries is the risk of dangerous blood clots that can form in the circulatory system elsewhere in the body. For patients with traumatic injuries, the body forms blood clots which can break loose and travel to the lungs or other areas, causing dangerous complications. New
A randomized placebo-controlled pilot trial scheduled to appear in the Jan 2014 issue of Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease suggests that taking omega-3 fatty acids and alpha lipoic acid as dietary supplements may help Alzheimer’s patients. Read full article.
If you’ve ever felt drained after doing a crossword puzzle, working a math problem or taking a test, there’s a reason, says Dr. Paul Foster, professor of clinical psychology at Middle Tennessee State University and a practicing psychologist. “There is an idea out there that you have a process of cognitive fatigue that is similar
New research may help connect the dots between traumatic brain injury and the risk for memory and other brain-related problems later in life. Brain imaging technology known as positron emission tomography (PET) shows that people who have had a traumatic brain injury develop so-called “plaques” in their brain like those seen in the brains of
A pair of Canadian scientists are challenging the fact that manufacturers of some cooking oils are entitled to make health claims about the products. They argue that new evidence suggests oils that are high in omega-6 fatty acids but contain little or no omega-3 fatty acids should not be labelled as beneficial to heart health.
Listen today, Monday, November 11th, 2013, when Dr. Lewis is a guest on Let’s Talk Nutrition (2-4pm EST) , hosted by Dr. Michael Garko. Listen live at http://letstalknutrition.com/
Athletes who experience concussions aren’t allowed to compete again right away so the brain can recuperate. A concussion expert atWashington University School of Medicine in St. Louis cautions that children with concussions may not be ready to go back to the classroom right away, either. Read full article.
A high level of long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in blood may lower the risk of small infarcts and other brain abnormalities that are linked to cognitive decline in the elderly, according to new research. The study of 3,660 people aged 65 and older, published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, investigated
Despite the daily suicides, the shootings, all the facts and figures that are now tragically cliché, our government institutions remain in a state of surreal paralysis. Soldiers do not have lobbyists. Expensive pieces of military hardware, pharmaceutical drugs — they have lobbyists. While less than half of soldiers and veterans are being helped by medications,
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) during childhood can have long-term effects on cognitive and psychosocial functioning, including poor academic achievement. Pediatric TBI can cause significant deficits in working memory, as demonstrated in a study published in Journal of Neurotrauma. Read full article. CLICK for link to Journal of Neurotrauma study.
Football happens … along with soccer, basketball, baseball and softball. Millions of children and young adults are playing these and other sports to the delight of their parents, other family members and friends cheering from the stands and along the sidelines. Sports are deeply ingrained into our culture, and for kids can offer valuable life
Higher blood levels of long-chain omega-3s, and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) in particular, were associated with better reading and working memory performance, according to a new observational study conducted at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. Lead researchers indicated that an increased dietary intake of omega-3s may be beneficial for healthy children aged 7
It is always a pleasure when I read the words of an author who eloquently articulates ideas I believe to be important. Even better when it is a patient’s family that leads me there. A couple of days ago, I was led to a brainline.org article published last year, “Fighting the “TBI Wars”: New Alternatives
July 29, 2013 — Diets lacking omega-3 fatty acids — found in foods like wild fish, some eggs, and grass-fed livestock — can have worsened effects over consecutive generations, especially affecting teens, according to a University of Pittsburgh study. Published in Biological Psychiatry, the Pitt team found that in a rodent model second-generation deficiencies of
Pulitzer Prize winning writer Eric Newhouse has been looking into this. “I’ve been deeply troubled about the lack of TBI diagnoses. Five years ago, the Rand Corporation interviewed several thousand soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan and predicted that 18 percent of them would return with PTSD.” Newhouse is on a lecture circuit speaking about
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These days, parents, student athletes and coaches are much more aware of the long-term medical problems that concussions can cause. Fortunately, many efforts are being made to protect kids from head injuries. Sports equipment companies have jumped on the bandwagon and have improved the protection their helmets and pads offer. However, some of these newer
Because of a diet low in fish and seafood, children and adults in North America and other parts of the world, have a “nutrition gap” of omega-3 fatty acids, particularly docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). Read full article here.
