Is There a Link Between Brain Injury and Stress Disorders?
A link has been discovered
between traumatic brain injury (TBI) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and anxiety disorders.
Scientists at the University of California, Los Angeles discovered the link while doing research on rats after observing the association between TBI and PTSD in military veterans.
For the study, the rats were trained with fear conditioning two days after they experienced a brain trauma, ensuring that the brain injury and fear occurred on separate days.
Scientists say they found that the rats with the earlier TBI acquired more fear than control rats (without TBI). The brain injury almost rendered them more susceptible to acquiring an inappropriately strong fear. Like the injury primed the brain for learning to be afraid.
To study these findings further, researchers then analyzed the rats’ amygdala, which is the brain’s important center for fear learning.
There they found that there are significantly more receptors for excitatory neurotransmitters that promote learning. Allowing the study to suggest that brain injury leaves the amygdala in a more excitable state that readies it for acquiring potent fear.
If someone you love has sustained a TBI in a car crash, workplace accident or while visiting a public facility or store in Kansas or Missouri, you may be eligible to file a personal injury case. You may be able to recover damages for medical costs, therapy, on-going care, pain and suffering, loss of earning potential and loss of quality of life. Contact the Kansas City personal injury attorneys at the Kansas City Accident Injury Attorneys to schedule a free consultation and to talk to a lawyer about your individual case.
Do Multiple Concussions Cause Death?
Perhaps.
One surviving family of a former NFL player thinks so.
Wally Hilgenberg played for the National Football League for 16 years. During that time, he suffered multiple concussions. He died in 2008, and doctors reportedly found that the cause of death was Chronic Traumatic Encephalomyopathy (CTE). CTE is a deadly form of dementia and is caused by repetitive concussions to the brain. Symptoms include memory loss and impulse control problems.
His surviving family is suing the NFL because of these findings. They believe the League knew of the serious dangers of concussions, but ignored the research and failed to protect the health and future well-being of the players.
Helmets are no
t the solution either. Football and hockey helmets do not protect the athletes from concussions and the lasting impact that repeated injury to the brain can have on a person’s health. Many ex-players are responding to that sad reality with personal injury lawsuits against their league.
Have you or someone you love suffered a serious head injury in an accident in Kansas or Missouri? Contact experienced Kansas City Personal Injury Attorney James Roswold. With over 15 years of experience in Traumatic Brain Injury cases, we can help you. Call today and set up your free consultation at (888) 348-2616.
Will a Helmet Protect Me While Skiing?
Of course. In most cases
, a helmet saves lives. It helps protect your head from a traumatic brain injury while driving a motorcycle, riding a bike, or while snowboarding or skiing.
However, despite wearing a helmet, Olympic Skier Sarah Burke, 29, died January 19 after a crash while training for the 2012 Winter Olympics.
Her helmet did not protect her from the freak landing of this halfpipe accident. The fall caused “irreversible damage to her brain due to lack of oxygen and blood after cardiac arrest,” putting her in a coma for nine days before she died.
The sport’s leaders say the sport is safe. Skiers wear mandatory helmets and air bags are used on the sides of pipes during practice. Everything was done that day to make Burke’s practice safe of injuries.
Burke’s death was a rare occurrence. It certainly draws attention to what every person needs to know when participating in winter sports. Whether for work or play, wear a helmet and do not perform risky moves. A bump to the head can result in a traumatic brain injury (TBI), which may not be easy to detect immediately. The pain is not immediate and is not recognizable as many injuries; TBIs can take days, even weeks to detect. If you are a sports enthusiasts heading to the slopes, remember to always include a helmet as part of your ski wear.
Do you or a loved one suffer a serious injury in an accident in Kansas or Missouri? Contact experienced Kansas City Personal Injury Attorneys James Roswold and Heather Lottman. With over 15 years of experience in Kansas and Missouri Injury Accidents, Kansas City Accident Injury Attorneys may be able to help you determine the best way to proceed with your personal injury claim. Call our firm today to schedule an appointment to discuss the details of your case.
Former NFL Player Blames Concussions for Memory Loss
Former NFL player Benjamin Utecht, 30, career ended too soon after suffering multiple concussions.
He suffered at least five concussions during his football career: two during college at the University of Minnesota, two with the Indianapolis Colts and one with the Cincinnati Bengals. The last one, during training camp in 2009, ended his NFL career.
Those concussions 
have caused him to now suffer from frightening gaps in his memory.
He attends meetings and never recalls receiving (and responding to) the cancellation notice eight hours before. He also doesn’t remember standing up in a close friend’s wedding even after looking at the photos.
He’s also worried about how the concussions will affect him as he gets older. Will he experience early-onset dementia? Or will he suffer more issues with amnesia, headaches or behavioral changes?
Research shows that after you’ve had three concussions, your chances of more concussions goes up exponentially. He thinks that he may have retired sooner if he knew that then.
“A concussion doesn’t heal like a shoulder or knee injury. This is your personality. It’s your character. It’s your soul,” Utecht said. It changes you forever.
If your or a loved one has suffered a concussion in Kansas or Missouri, your family may be entitled to compensation for your losses. Contact the experienced Kansas and Missouri Personal Injury Lawyers at Kansas City Accident Injury Attorneys. Call our office today to set up your free consultation or download our free resource guide 10 Essential Steps You Must Take to Protect Your Injury Claim.
How Can I Prevent a Head Injury While Skiing?
If you are traveling to Colorado from Kansas City or Missouri to go skiing in the Rocky Mountains over winter or spring break, you might want to consider buying a helmet.
Everyone in your family should wear one.
It may not be the “cool” thing to do, but it could be the key to preventing a head injury on the slopes.
Nearly 20% of common injuries are head related injuries. And the leading cause of death on the slopes is traumatic brain injury, according to an Idaho Ski Patrol.
To help prevent injuries or death, wear a helmet.
The helmet needs to be specific to your sport. If you’re skiing, get a ski helmet. If you’re snowboarding, you need a helmet made for snowboarding. And they make snowmobiling helmets too.
Prevent a brain trauma from happening while you're skiing - wear a helmet.
You can’t wear a skiing helmet while you snowmobile or a snowboarding helmet for skiing.
Most importantly, the helmet should fit properly. It should be nice and snug. Buying a helmet for your child in hopes that it will last two years will not work. And lead by example. Parents should also be wearing a helmet to protect their heads too.
If you or a loved one has suffered a sports related head trauma or eye injury, the attorneys at Kansas City Personal Injury Attorneys may be able to help. If you need more information you can go to the
practice area, call 816-471-5111, or the “Just Ask” section of the website.
Research Shows Probiotics Help Traumatic Brain Injury Patients
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) occurs when sudden trauma causes damage to the brain. The symptoms of TBI can be mild, moderate or severe depending on the extent of the damage. But, even symptoms of mild TBI can interfere with daily life and a victim’s ability to earn a living.
Researchers in China have determined that adding probiotics to a patient’s feeding tube may improve outcomes of their traumatic brain injury.
The leader of the study, Professor Jing-Ci Zhu, is from the Third Military Medical University School of Nursing. He and colleagues at the North Sichuan Medical College and Hospital in China said traumatic brain injury is associated with a profound suppression of a patient’s ability to fight infection.
The small scale trial had 52 patients who had suffered traumatic brain injury. They were being treated in the intensive care unit and those that received probiotics as part of their treatment had a reduced number of infections and spent less time in intensive care than those who did not receive the probiotics.
Probiotics are live microorganisms thought to be beneficial to the host organism and are found in yogurt and supplements.
The symptoms of traumatic brain injury may be mild, moderate or severe. They include the following:
- Headache
- Confusion
- Dizziness
- Lethargy
- Ringing in the Ears
- Blurred Vision
- Lightheadedness
- Fatigue
- Mood Changes
- Memory Loss
- Trouble with Concentration
- Behavioral Changes
- Vomiting
- Nausea
- Seizures
- Weakness
- Numbness
- Dilated Pupils
- Loss of Coordination
If someone you love has sustained a TBI in an accident, or from someone else’s negligence, in Kansas or Missouri, you may be eligible to file a personal injury case. You may be able to recover damages for medical costs, therapy, on-going care, pain and suffering, loss of earning potential and loss of quality of life. Contact the Kansas City personal injury attorneys at the Kansas City Accident Injury Attorneys to schedule a free consultation and to talk to a lawyer about your individual case.
New Treatments for Aphasia Could be Breakthrough for TBI Victims in Kansas City
There have been many breakthroughs in the world of neuroscience. However, the development of a new speech therapy plan could be a monumental development in the war against traumatic brain injuries and neurological diseases like aphasia.
People who suffer from Aphasia could be able to look forward to new treatments that help recover cognitve functions.
Aphasia is a disease that affects the cognitive functions of the brain including speech and mental processing of information. It is most commonly caused by traumatic brain injuries, brain disease and strokes and is the result of a lack or complete stoppage of oxygen flow to the brain. There are two common types of aphasia. One is receptive aphasia which makes it difficult for the victim to understand incoming information. The other is expressive aphasia which makes it difficult for a victims to communicate either verbally or through writing.
Recent studies being conducted by Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Services and the Dept. of Veteran Affairs Medical Center in Birmingham, Alabama could change everything for brain injury victims who suffer from aphasia. The treatment is called Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy and requires patients to exercise for eight hours a day for two weeks. These treatment also require a great deal of forced verbal communication.
Studies are showing that the brain can literally rewire itself and in effect bypass damaged brain cells. This is an amazing breakthrough for neuroscience and will impact the way victims of traumatic brain injuries and aphasia are treated.
As experienced Kansas City Brain Injury Attorneys, we know that no head injury should ever be taken lightly. Even the slightest head bump can lead to long term brain damage that can weaken the brain and make it vulnerable to serious brain illness and disease. It’s always better to have your head checked out and find there is nothing wrong than to put off the doctor and find later, your brain has developed an irreversible disease.
If you or someone you love has suffered a traumatic brain injury and suffer from aphasia as the result of an accident that happened in Kansas or Missouri, you may be entitled to compensation for your losses. Don’t delay, call Kansas and Missouri Personal Injury Lawyers James Roswold and Heather Lottman. With over 15 years of experience in Brain and Spinal Cord Injury Accidents, including Traumatic Brain Injuries and cases of Aphasia, we may be able to assist you and your family through this difficult time.
Contact Kansas City Accident Injury Attorneys today to set up a free consultation to discuss your personal injury claim. You can get started today by downloading our free book, “10 Essential Steps to Protecting Your Personal Injury Claim“. We want you to know your rights.
Kansas and Missouri Football Players Can Take Advantage of New Protective Helmet from Riddell
A proposed helmet from Riddell is equipped with sensors that can transmit real time data about the affect of a head collision.
Now that the NFL has wrapped up its season, it is only a matter of months before spring drills start in order to get players of all ages ready for next season. One subject that is sure to be a debate until then is how to protect players from Pee Wee leagues to the NFL from football related head injuries.
The concern right now isn’t only from head on direct collisions but the little hits. The routine contact from play to play that can over a long period of time cause significant damage to the brain and lead to serious brain illnesses. One way to protect may be by constantly developing new helmets to provide protection. Athletic supplier Riddell has created a “smart helmet” that could help protect a players during these types of contact hits.
These new helmets use a technology similar to car crash test dummies and is known as the Head Impact Telemetry System (HITS). It uses sensors that can monitor and determine what part of the brain is affected and length of impact and transmit the data real-time to the side lines. The helmet is similar to another system known as the MindScope System is being developed by the University of Villanova.
As experienced Brain and Spinal Injury Lawyers, we work tirelessly to protect victims of traumatic brain injuries after accidents. Child athletes are especially vulnerable to long term brain damage after severe head injuries and concussions because their brains are still developing. Make sure your child is properly equipped with proper fitting helmets and pads before they take the field.
Teach your child athlete the importance of communication in the event of an injury and to report dizziness and headaches immediately as they are early signs of concussion and early treatment is important.
If you or someone you love has suffered a serious head or brain injury in an accident in Kansas or Missouri, you may be entitled to compensation for your losses. Don’t take on the insurance companies alone, call experienced Kansas City Personal Injury Attorney James Roswold first. With over 15 years of experience in Brain and Spinal Injuries including sports related head injury cases, we may be able to help your family through this difficult time.
Contact Kansas City Accident Injury Attorneys to set up a free consultation to discuss your personal injury claim.