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Archive for May, 2011

Gabrielle Giffords’ Remarkable Recovery

Tuesday, May 31st, 2011

Gabrielle Giffords continues to amaze us with her astounding recovery. Just six months after a skull-shattering bullet to the head, she has undergone surgery to replace removed portions of her skull. Giffords spends six hours each day in rehab relearning the skills many of us take for granted.

Giffords’ Cranioplasty

On May 18, 2011, surgeons performed a cranioplasty on Giffords, placing an artificial implant in her skull to cover the portions of bone that were lost after the shooting. The bullet shattered Giffords’ cranial bone, so doctors could not reuse the original portions removed just after the shooting. Computers calculated the shape of the plastic implant to match the missing part of Giffords’ skull.[1]

Protective Helmet Impedes Recovery

Without this two-hour operation, Giffords would continue wearing a special helmet that protected the exposed portion of her brain. (more…)

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CT Scans for Brain Injured Kids May Present Dangers

Friday, May 27th, 2011

Approximately 500,000 children under the age of 14 will visit an emergency room for traumatic brain injury each year.[1] Emergency room doctors often perform CT scans on children with brain injuries to determine the extent of the damage. New research suggests that CT scans may be unnecessary for many children with head injuries. In fact, the CT scan may cause harm by increasing the chances these children may develop cancer later in life.

Study Details

The study, penned by the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network, studied the records of 40,000 children suffering from minor blunt head trauma. Looking at data at 25 emergency rooms, the study reveals that 14% of the 5,400 pediatric patients received observation before doctors considered CT scans.

Approximately one third of children receiving observation later went on to have CT scans. Dr. Lise Nigrovic, a leader of the study explained how doctors decide if a CT is needed. “There are actually three groups of patients that come into an emergency room with pediatric head trauma. The first is the child that really has no symptoms and it is obvious to the doctors that the child is fine. The second is the child that has all the major symptoms, vomiting, headaches, unconsciousness, perhaps bleeding. That child is obviously a candidate for a CT scan. It’s the children in the middle risk groups – those who don’t appear totally normal, but whose injury isn’t obviously severe – for whom observation can really help.”[2]

Scans a Potential Cause of Cancer

Studies suggest that a child exposed to the radiation in a CT scan may face a higher risk of developing cancer in the future. (more…)

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NHL Star’s Brain Donated to Brain Injury Study

Thursday, May 26th, 2011

Derek Boogaard, a National Hockey League player for the New York Rangers, died recently of unknown causes. His family made the decision to send his brain to the Sports Legacy Institute at Boston University Medical Center for study. Results showed that Boogaard died of a tragic overdose of oxycodone and alcohol months after a traumatic brain injury led to a concussion.

Boogaard's helmet is off as he fights an opposing player.

In what would be his final hockey game, Boogaard received a blow to the head hard enough cause a concussion that took him out of play for the remainder of the season. He never had a chance to play hockey again, because he died a few months later. His family hopes that Boston University Medical Center can learn more about traumatic brain injuries by studying the player’s brain.

The Sports Legacy Institute

The researchers who accepted the brain donation hope to learn more about how concussions can damage an athlete’s brain. They have studied the brains of many athletes from different contact sports, like hockey and football. The Institute exists to learn how they might protect athletes from such injuries. Researchers may suggest new protective gear including helmets, new rules and different playing surfaces to help reduce the number and severity of head and other sports injuries.

Right now, doctors do not always know what to expect from a brain injury. (more…)

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Legislators Introduce Bill to Help Brain Injured Soldiers

Tuesday, May 24th, 2011

Congressional Representatives Gus Bilirakis of Florida and Tim Walz of Minnesota, along with Senators John Boozman of Arkansas and Mark Begich of Alaska,[1] are introducing legislation aimed at improving brain injury rehabilitation for veterans. These lawmakers believe that current laws are too ambiguous, leaving many veterans without vital rehabilitation services.

The Veterans’ Traumatic Brain Injury Rehabilitative Services’ Improvements Act of 2011

The Veterans’ Traumatic Brain Injury Rehabilitative Services’ Improvements Act of 2011 seeks to ensure veterans receive care that properly addresses their physical and mental health and quality of life needs. The model used by the Veteran’s Administration today allows only medical treatment, failing to assess the emotional and cognitive needs of soldiers. In the private sector, treatment for traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) includes life-skills coaching, employment support and therapy for community reintegration. America’s soldiers deserve the same vital services that the public receives.

Soldiers with Severe Traumatic Brain Injuries

Medical advances for combat injuries have increased survival rates. However, these soldiers still face the challenges of rehabilitation from their injuries. In the past ten years, more than 1,500 service members suffered severe TBIs. (more…)

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Five Strategies for Coping with Memory Loss Following TBI

Sunday, May 15th, 2011

Traumatic brain injuries can leave victims with many types of cognitive impairment. One of the most common and frustrating of these is short-term memory loss, because the middle sections of the brain process incoming information. The tissue in this area is particularly vulnerable to compression and tearing. Swelling can compress the central tissues, crushing and damaging brain cells. Whiplash injuries can cause tears from the intense force of front and back movements. When this central processing area suffers damage, patients have trouble remembering information and storing it.

How to Cope with Memory Loss

Every head injury program includes memory specialists to help those suffering from memory loss. A speech therapist plays this role most often, teaching a patient several coping strategies. The patient will choose a few that work best based on his or her individual needs. Although every patient will have a different impairment, and therefore different preferred strategies, these five work well for most.

Write It Down

A single notebook is the best tool for storing information, keeping it always the same place. Patients should always record information while it is fresh on their minds. One common mistake for those learning this strategy is to make incomplete notes. (more…)

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