Brain Injury Law Blog

Tablet Based TBI Testing

Tim Titolo — Tue, 21 May 2013 07:00:00 -0800

Testing for Traumatic Brain Injury in sporting events and wars can be difficult. Typically testing requires big equipment like MRI machines. These machines cannot practically be available on the sport or battle field where the injury occurs.

Now researchers are attempting to bridge testing ability and have developed a tablet based testing system that can be used on the field. The Notre Dame team has developed a tablet-based testing system that captures the voice of an individual and analyzes the speech for signs of a potential concussion anytime, anywhere, in real time.

The system sounds simple enough: An individual speaks into a tablet equipped with the Notre Dame program before and after an event. The two samples are then compared for TBI indicators, which include distorted vowels, hyper nasality and imprecise consonants. Notre Dame's system offers a variety of advantages over traditional testing, such as portability, high accuracy, low cost and a low probability of manipulation (the results cannot be faked); it has also proven very successful.

2012 and 2013 boxing bouts have utilized the new tests and have provided important information regarding traumatic brain injury. Hopefully these new tests will counter those injuries that often go unrecognized and later result in permanent disability.

Traumatic Brain Injury Act Reauthorization 2013

Tim Titolo — Fri, 10 May 2013 11:23:34 -0800

The impact of legislation regarding Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is of interest to my readers. Therefore I present the following by the Brain Injury Association of America.

TBI Act Reauthorization 2013

On Wednesday, March 13, 2013, the TBI Act, H.R. 1098, was introduced by Reps. Pascrell and Rooney, co-chairs of the Congressional Brain Injury Task Force. This bill will reauthorize the current programs relating to TBI and also will move the state grant and protection and advocacy grant programs from the Maternal and Child Health Bureau to another agency with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The move acknowledges the impact of TBI across the age span, including older adults and returning service members/veterans. The Congressional Brain Injury Task Force recommends relocating the program to better coordinate with federal agencies regarding long-term services and supports available to individuals with other disabilities, particularly the long-term services and supports provision of the Affordable Care Act. BIAA thanks Reps. Pascrell and Rooney for introducing this important legislation. Please call your Member of Congress and ask them to co-sponsor H.R. 1098 today!

FY 2014 Appropriations

This week, BIAA submitted FY2014 written testimony to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor Health and Human Services and Related Agencies. In March, BIAA submitted FY2014 written testimony to the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor Health and Human Services and Related Agencies. Both letters proposed funding increases for TBI Act programs and the TBI Model Systems of Care Program. To read BIAA's testimony please clickhere.

Hypertension and Dementia

Tim Titolo — Tue, 07 May 2013 07:00:00 -0800

A new study reveals that hypertension combined with at least one risk factor for developing Alzheimer's increases the chances of dementia.

"The identification of hypertension as an additional risk factor for amyloid plaque deposition is encouraging as we may be able to prevent, or at least slow, pathological aging in some individuals through lifestyle modification or pharmacological intervention," the study concludes.

The study was conducted by Karen Rodrigue, PhD of the University of Texas at Dallas.

Gulf War Illness

Tim Titolo — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 07:00:00 -0800

Gulf War Illness and Traumatic Brain Injury.

New research confirms a link between physical changes and brain fibers that process pain. This new study concludes that veterans, compared to unaffected subjects, have significant axonal damage.

Medical symptoms have been reported by more than one-fourth of the 697,000 veterans deployed to the 1990-1991 Persian Gulf War. These symptoms, termed Gulf War Illness, range from mild to severe or debilitating and can include widespread pain, fatigue, and headache, as well as cognitive and gastrointestinal dysfunctions.

Gulf War Illness was most prevalent in veterans who served in forward areas of Iraq and Kuwait, where it was most strongly associated with use of a medication given to 1991 Gulf War troops. Taking medications were designed to protect troops from effects of nerve agents. The study found that Gulf War Illness prevalence was nearly six times higher in veterans who served in Iraq or Kuwait, where all ground battles took place during the 1991 conflict, compared to veterans who remained on board ship during the war.

A potential biomarker for Gulf War Illness may be on the horizon as well as a possible target for therapy aimed at regenerating these neurons.

North American Brain Injury Society Conference

Tim Titolo — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 07:00:00 -0800

The North American Brain Injury Society (NABIS) is having their 11th Annual Conference on Brain Injury at the Intercontinental Hotel in New Orleans, Louisiana. The conference will be held on September 18-21, 2013. NABIS is requesting Abstracts for the Conference. To learn more click NABIS.

Brain Compensates After Injury

Tim Titolo — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 07:00:00 -0800

Injured Areas of the Brain Draw on Other Areas for Function

A recent study supports the Brain's compensating for itself after injury. I remember learning long ago that a blind person has a greater hearing ability than a person who is not blind. Well now I have come across a study that seems to support that.

Scientists at Carnegie Mellon University's Center for Cognitive Brain Imaging (CCBI), using a combination of neural imaging methods, investigated how the human brain adapts to injury. The research is published in Cerebral Cortex, (R. A. Mason, C. S. Prat, M. A. Just. Neurocognitive Brain Response to Transient Impairment of Wernicke's Area. Cerebral Cortex, 2013; DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhs423) The findings show that when one brain area loses functionality, a "back-up" team of secondary brain areas immediately activates, replacing the unavailable area.

This has far reaching implications. For instance, a situation I deal with frequently in my practice is a client who sustained a traumatic brain injury but was walking and talking afterward. Such behavior raises significant questions from insurance companies and their lawyers as to whether a brain injury occurred. But these new findings provide an answer. Walking and Talking after an injury does NOT rule out traumatic brain injury.

Marcel Just, one of the scientists involved in the study, states:

"The human brain has a remarkable ability to adapt to various types of trauma, such as traumatic brain injury and stroke, making it possible for people to continue functioning after key brain areas have been damaged....It is now clear how the brain can naturally rebound from injuries and gives us indications of how individuals can train their brains to be prepared for easier recovery. The secret is to develop alternative thinking styles, the way a switch-hitter develops alternative batting styles. Then, if a muscle in one arm is injured, they can use the batting style that relies more on the uninjured arm."

Men Versus Women with Sleep Apnea and Brain Damage

Tim Titolo — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 05:00:00 -0800

Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is a common disorder in which you have one or more pauses in breathing or shallow breaths while you sleep. This usually presents when someone is snoring.

Breathing pauses can last from a few seconds to minutes. They may occur 30 times or more an hour. Typically, normal breathing then starts again, sometimes with a loud snort or choking sound. The condition goes largely unnoticed by the person suffering from it since they normally fall back to sleep and are unaware of the interruption. A sleeping partner usually notices.

Sleep apnea usually is a chronic (ongoing) condition that disrupts your sleep. When your breathing pauses or becomes shallow, you’ll often move out of deep sleep and into light sleep.

As a result, the quality of your sleep is poor, which makes you tired during the day. Sleep apnea is a leading cause of excessive daytime sleepiness.

Sleep Apnea Causes Damage

Untreated sleep apnea can:

Increase the risk of high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, obesity, and diabetes
Increase the risk of, or worsen, heart failure
Make arrhythmias, or irregular heartbeats, more likely
Increase the chance of having work-related or driving accidents

Women With Sleep Apnea Are More Susceptible To Brain Damage Than Are Men

Approximately 10 years ago, this UCLA research team was the first to show that men with obstructive sleep apnea have damage to their brain cells. Sleep Apnea causes the oxygen level in the blood to drop, eventually resulting in damage to many cells in the body.

The latest, multi-year study, "Sex Differences in White Matter Alterations Accompanying Obstructive Sleep Apnea," the researchers looked at patients who were diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea at the UCLA Sleep Laboratory.

"This study revealed that, in fact, women are more affected by sleep apnea than are men and that women with obstructive sleep apnea have more severe brain damage than men suffering from a similar condition," says Paul Macey, assistant professor and associate dean of information technology and innovations at the UCLA School of Nursing.

To find out more go to the Journal Sleep VOLUME 35, ISSUE 12.

Breaking Down the Brain Series: 5 - Frontal Lobe

Tim Titolo — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 05:00:00 -0800

Frontal Lobe

I am finishing this series of Breaking Down the Brain with an exploration of the Frontal Lobes. The frontal lobes are considered our emotional control center and home to our personality. There is no other part of the brain where lesions can cause such a wide variety of symptoms (Kolb & Wishaw, 1990).

The frontal lobes regulate motor function, problem solving, spontaneity, memory, language, initiation, judgement, impulse control, and social and sexual behavior. The frontal lobes are extremely vulnerable to injury due to their location at the front of the cranium. MRI studies show that the frontal area is the most common region of injury following mild to moderate traumatic brain injury (Levin et al., 1987).

Flat affect, loss of facial expression, is associated with frontal lobe damage.

Another area often associated with frontal damage is that of behavioral spontaneity. This was the case with the famous case of Phineas Gage. In 1848,a twenty-five-year-old railroad construction foreman Phineas Gage was packing powder and sand into a hole in rock, and the powder detonated. A 13-pound iron rod was driven through Gage's cheek, out of the top of his head to land 30-some yards behind him. One of the more amazing anecdotes of this event was that Gage was brought to town–conscious–and he sat on his porch relating the details of the accident to his landlord while a doctor was summoned from the next town. Although he suffered an infection soon after, and his family prepared a coffin for him, he soon recovered, even though the rod damaged one or both of his brain’s frontal lobes.

The frontal lobes are involved in several functions of the body including:

Motor Functions
Higher Order Functions
Planning
Reasoning
Judgement
Impulse Control
Memory

This is the most often damaged part of the brain when concussed in a motor vehicle crash, fall or assault. The frontal lobes sit right on top of the cranium's bony structure near the eye sockets. Therefore, when concussed, the brain slides along those bony structures and gets damaged.

You can read more about Phineas Gage and the frontal lobes in my previous posts:

Phineas Gage and Yasser Lopez Offer Modern Brain Injury Research More Data

Phineas Gage

Functions Associated with Lobes of the Brain

Breaking Down the Brain Series: 4 - Temporal Lobe

Tim Titolo — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 05:00:00 -0800

Temporal Lobe

We continue Breaking Down the Brain by looking at the Temporal Lobe. The temporal lobes are one of the four main lobes or regions of the cerebral cortex. Structures of the limbic system, including the olfactory cortex, amygdala, and the hippocampus are located within the temporal lobes.

The temporal lobes play an important role in organizing sensory input, auditory perception, language and speech production, as well as memory association and formation.

The limbic system supports a variety of functions including emotion, behavior, motivation, long-term memory, and olfaction.
The Olfactory Cortex is the sensory system used for the sense of smell.
The Amygdala performs a primary role in the processing of memory and emotional reactions.
The Hippocampus plays an important role in the consolidation of information from short-term memory to long-term memory and spatial navigation.*

The Functions of the Temporal Lobe include:

Auditory Perception
Memory
Speech
Emotional Respones
Visual Perception

Kolb & Wishaw (1990) have identified eight principle symptoms of temporal lobe damage:

1) disturbance of auditory sensation and perception,

2) disturbance of selective attention of auditory and visual input,

3) disorders of visual perception,

4) impaired organization and categorization of verbal material,

5) disturbance of language comprehension,

6) impaired long-term memory,

7) altered personality and affective behavior,

8) altered sexual behavior.

Again, damage to the temporal lobe from car crash, fall, assault or other event may not result in impairments of all these areas. Often there is selective impairments to a few areas making it difficult for others to understand. This can make relationships and socialization with others difficult. Neuropsychological testing helps medical providers identify impairments and propose treatment.

Seizures of the temporal lobe can have dramatic effects on an individual's personality. Temporal lobe epilepsy can cause perseverative speech, paranoia and aggressive rages (Blumer and Benson, 1975). Severe damage to the temporal lobes can also alter sexual behavior (e.g. increase in activity) (Blumer and Walker, 1975).

You can read more about the temporal lobes in my previous blog posts:

Changes Observed after Brain Injury

Functions Associated with Lobes of the Brain

Psychiatric Issues in Traumatic Brain Injury

Imaging and Diagnosis of Alzheimer's

* Definitions from Wikipedia

March is Brain Injury Awareness Month

Tim Titolo — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 11:40:07 -0800

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announce that March is Brain Injury Awareness Month. The CDC states the following: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a serious public health problem in the United States. Each year, traumatic brain injuries contribute to a substantial number of deaths and cases of permanent disability. Every year, at least 1.7 million TBIs occur either as an isolated injury or along with other injuries.1 A TBI is caused by a bump, blow or jolt to the head or a penetrating head injury that disrupts the normal function of the brain. Not all blows or jolts to the head result in a TBI. The severity of a TBI may range from "mild," i.e., a brief change in mental status or consciousness to "severe," i.e., an extended period of unconsciousness or amnesia after the injury. The majority of TBIs that occur each year are concussions or other forms of mild TBI.

Breaking Down the Brain Series: 3 - Parietal Lobe

Tim Titolo — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 05:00:00 -0800

The Parietal Lobe

The Parietal Lobe is the upper middle lobe of each cerebral hemisphere, located above the temporal lobe. Complex sensory information from the body is processed in the parietal lobe, which also controls the ability to understand language. The parietal lobe is a part of the brain positioned above (superior to) the occipital lobe and behind (posterior to) the frontal lobe.

The functions of the Parietal Lobe include:

Cognition
Information Processing
Pain and Touch Sensation
Spatial Orientation
Speech
Visual Perception

Damage to the left parietal lobe

can result in right-left confusion, difficulty with writing (agraphia) and difficulty with mathematics (acalculia). It can also produce disorders of language (aphasia) and the inability to perceive objects normally (agnosia).

Agraphia is inability to write resulting from brain damage.
Acalculia is a difficulty performing simple mathematical tasks, such as adding, subtracting, multiplying and even simply stating which of two numbers is larger.
Aphasia is an impairment of language ability.
Agnosia is a loss of ability to recognize objects, persons, sounds, shapes, or smells. It is usually associated with brain injury.*

Damage to the right parietal lobe

can result in neglecting part of the body or space which can impair many self-care skills such as dressing and washing. Right side damage can also cause difficulty in making things (constructional apraxia), denial of deficits and drawing ability.

Constructional apraxia is characterized by an inability or difficulty to build, assemble, or draw objects.*

Damage to both the right and left parietal lobes

can cause a visual attention and motor syndrome. This is the inability to voluntarily control the gaze, inability to integrate components of a visual scene (simultanagnosia), and the inability to accurately reach for an object with visual guidance (optic ataxia).

Simultanagnosia is characterized by the inability of an individual to perceive more than a single object at a time.
Optic Ataxia is a lack of voluntary coordination of muscle movements.*

Right parietal-temporal lesions can produce significant changes in personality. Damage to the areas between the parietal lobes and the temporal lobes can also result in changes in personality and memory.

It is very important to understand that a traumatic brain injury from a fall, assault, car crash, or other event, which causes damage to the Parietal Lobe does NOT mean that all the impairments discussed above will definitely manifest. So you can have some of the impairments and not others. This where neuropsychological testing becomes vital for doctors in accessing injury and treatment protocol.

Too many times the people who live, work, socialize or interact with a person, who has sustained parietal lobe damage, do not understand how the person is able to do many things appropriately but cannot do certain other things. This problem can lead to overlay or manifestation of other problems like depression.

For additional information you can read my prior blog posts:

* Definitions from Wikipedia.

Breaking Down the Brain Series: 2 - Occipital Lobe

Tim Titolo — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 05:00:00 -0800

This second installment of the series I am posting about the Anatomy of the Brain deals with the Occipital Lobe. The occipital lobe is the visual processing center of the mammalian brain.

The primary visual cortex is Brodmann area 17, located in the interior portion of the occipital lobe. Although located at the back of the brain, the Occipital Lobe is responsible for vision which enters the brain through the eyes at the front of the brain.

The Occipital Lobes are positioned at the back region of the cerebral cortex and are the main centers for visual processing. In addition to the occipital lobes, posterior portions of the parietal lobes and temporal lobes are also involved in visual perception. Located within the occipital lobes is the primary visual cortex. This region of the brain receives visual input from the retina. These visual signals are interpreted in the occipital lobes.

The occipital lobes are involved in several functions of the body including:

Visual Perception
Color Recognition

They are not particularly vulnerable to injury because of their location at the back of the brain, although any significant trauma to the brain could produce subtle changes to our visual-perceptual system. Disorders of the occipital lobe can cause visual hallucinations and illusions. Visual hallucinations (visual images with no external stimuli) can be caused by lesions to the occipital region or temporal lobe seizures. Visual illusions (distorted perceptions) can take the form of objects appearing larger or smaller than they actually are, objects lacking color or objects having abnormal coloring. Lesions in the parietal-temporal-occipital association area can cause word blindness with writing impairments (alexia and agraphia). (Kandel, E., Schwartz, J., & Jessell, T. Principles of Neural Science. 3rd edition. New York: NY. Elsevier, 1991.)

Breaking Down the Brain Series: 1 - Thalamus

Tim Titolo — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 05:00:00 -0800

Breaking Down the Brain Series: 1-Thalamus

The next few posts will deal with the Anatomy of the Brain. This is a general overview of the brain structure and function. This is the first in a series I am posting about the Anatomy of the Brain. This week we will look at the Thalamus.

The thalamus is a mid-line paired symmetrical structure within the brains of vertebrates, including humans. It is situated between the cerebral cortex and mid-brain, both in terms of location and neurological connections.

Anatomically, the thalamus is perched on top of the brain stem, near the center of the brain, in a position to send nerve fibers out to the cerebral cortex in all directions.

The Thalamus is involved in sensory perception and regulation of motor functions. It is involved in several functions of the body including:

Motor Control
Receiving Auditory, Somatosensory and Visual Sensory Signals
Relaying Sensory Signals to the Cerebral Cortex
Controling Sleep and Awake States

Both parts of this structure of the brain in the human are each about the size and shape of a walnut. These are about three centimeters in length, at the widest part 2.5 centimeters across and about 2 centimeters in height.

The thalamus also plays an important role in regulating states of sleep and wakefulness.

To learn more see the Free Medical Dictionary.

Next week we will examine the Occiptal Lobe.

Sports Concussions Do NOT Differ as to Gender

Tim Titolo — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 07:00:00 -0800

Sports Concussions do NOT Differ as to Gender.

In the first study to control for type of sport played when looking a gender differences, the only significant gender-related difference researchers could identify was that female soccer players reported a greater number of post-concussion symptoms. There were no significant differences in post-concussion neurocognitive scores.

As female participation in sports has grown rapidly, there is a popular notion that there are gender-related differences in athletes' responses to sports-related concussion, and prior research has supported these gender discrepancies. One personal observation as to the reason why we have findings like that is boys/men engage in more concussion orientated sports like football and boxing. But that too has changed in the last decade.

A Vanderbilt University Medical Center study, conducted to review symptoms and neurocognitive findings in male and female high school soccer players, shows no gender-related differences.

The researchers selected 40 male and 40 female concussed patients who were matched, as closely as possible, for age, medical/psychiatric history, years of education, lack of special education assistance, history of psychiatric treatment, number of prior concussions, timing of pre- and post-concussion testing, and sport (all engaged in soccer).

I was also pleased when discovering that high schools with athletic trainers have lower overall injury rates, according to a new study, "A Comparative Analysis of Injury Rates and Patterns Among Girls' Soccer and Basketball Players," presented Oct. 22 at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) National Conference and Exhibition in New Orleans. In addition, athletes at schools with athletic trainers are more likely to be diagnosed with a concussion.

MRI Shows Promise in Treating Post Concussion Syndrome

Tim Titolo — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 00:00:00 -0800

MRI Shows Promise in Treating Post Concussion Syndrome

New findings suggest MRI shows changes in the brains of people with post-concussion syndrome (PCS). These findings are from a new study published online in the journal Radiology. Researchers hope the results point the way to improved detection and treatment for the disorder.

Concussion Defined

A concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury that alters the way your brain functions. Effects are usually temporary, but can include problems with headache, concentration, memory, judgment, balance and coordination, light sensitivity and more.

Many concussions are usually caused by a blow to the head. But they can also occur when the head and upper body are violently shaken in a very short period of time - milliseconds. These injuries can cause a loss of consciousness, but most concussions do not. Because of this, some people have concussions and don't realize it.

Concussions are common, particularly if you play a contact sport, such as football. But every concussion injures your brain to some extent. This injury needs time and rest to heal properly. Luckily, most concussive traumatic brain injuries are mild, and people usually recover fully. However in making that statement one must acknowledge that there are a percentage - 15-25% - of concussions that do not fully recover.

Post Concussion Syndrome affects approximately 20 percent to 30 percent of people who suffer mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI) -- defined by the World Health Organization as a traumatic event causing brief loss of consciousness and/or transient memory dysfunction or disorientation.

Conventional neuroimaging cannot distinguish which Mild Traumatic Brain Injury patients will develop Post Concussion Syndrome. "Conventional imaging with CT or MRI is pretty much normal in Mild Traumatic Brain Injury patients, even though some go on to develop symptoms, including severe cognitive problems," said Yulin Ge, M.D., associate professor, Department of Radiology at the NYU School of Medicine in New York City.

In my years of practice, I have witnessed clear mild Traumatic Brain Injury in clients who have been in an accident. Sometimes the person is markedly forgetful, lacks the ability to concentrate and communicate, stays isolated socially, or any other of a myriad of symptoms. However the MRI of the brain is "normal." People trying to disprove the Brain Injury love to cling to this finding. It is objective and can get quite a bit of mileage for those defending a traumatic brain injury case. They'll say the person is faking or lying about the injury.

The Study

For the new study, Dr. Ge and colleagues used resting-state functional MRI to compare 23 MTBI patients who had post-traumatic symptoms within two months of the injury and 18 age-matched healthy controls. Resting state MRI detects distinct changes in baseline oxygen level fluctuations associated with brain functional networks between patients with MTBI and control patients.

The MRI results showed that communication and information integration in the brain were disrupted among key DMN structures after mild head injury, and that the brain tapped into different neural resources to compensate for the impaired function.

Findings like these will make it easier to detect, identify and treat people who fall into the mild traumatic brain injury category. And it will make proving the injury and its affects easier.

Traumatic Brain Injury and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Cause Vision Problems for Veterans

Tim Titolo — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 07:00:00 -0800

Traumatic Brain Injury and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Cause Vision Problems for Veterans

As the wars in Afghanistan and elsewhere rage on, scientists and medical providers have plenty of test subjects for Brain Injury and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder study.

Many veterans of the United States armed forces with traumatic brain injury or/or post-traumatic stress disorder are also likely to have undiagnosed, chronic vision problems. These findings were presented in two studies.

The first at the 116th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, jointly conducted this year with the Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology.

Vision Affected by Traumatic Brain Injury

Researchers found that vision problems in veterans with mild traumatic brain injury are much more common and persistent than previously recognized. 67 percent of the 31 patients studied reported chronic vision disorders. Though none of the affected veterans suffered direct eye wounds, their vision continued to be impaired more than a year after they endured the injuries that caused their traumatic brain injury.

Blast-related traumatic brain injury is the most frequent injury of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. From 2000–2012, the Department of Defense reported 194,561 cases of mild traumatic brain injury, or about 76% of all traumatic brain injuries.

Vision Affected by Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

A second study of war veterans, conducted at the Miami Veterans Affairs Medical Center and the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute at the University of Miami, found that veterans who have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or depression are much more likely to develop dry eye syndrome than veterans who do not have these psychological diagnoses. Dry eye syndrome is when the eye is unable to maintain a healthy layer of tears to coat it.

Generally, in U.S. population, the risk of dry eye syndrome increases with age, affecting about 3.2 million women age 50 and older and 1.68 million men age 50 and older. The average age of the veterans with dry eye syndrome in this Veterans Affairs Medical Center study is younger than is typical for dry eye patients in the civilian population.

It is still unclear whether the dry eye syndrome is directly caused by the Post traumatic stress disorder, depression associated with it, or the medication used to treat it.

11th Annual Pacific Northwest Brain Injury Conference

Tim Titolo — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 07:00:00 -0800

The Brain Injury Alliance of Oregon and the Brain Injury Association of Washington are sponsoring the March 2013 Brain Injury Conference. Here is the information I received today.

30^th Annual Brain Injury Conference

Living With Brain Injury: Focusing on the Future

11th Annual Pacific Northwest Brain Injury Conference

Join Us March 7-9!

Come join us for the 11th Annual Northwest Brain Injury Conference and the 30th Annual BIAOR Conference

The highlight of this year's conference is our 30th Anniversary Dinner, March 8. The featured Keynote at the Dinner will be Gary Busey, a film and stage actor, and artist. He has appeared in a variety of films, including Lethal Weapon, Point Break, and Under Siege. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor in 1978 for his role in The Buddy Holly Story. On December 4, 1988, Gary Busey was severely injured in a motorcycle accident in which he was not wearing a helmet. His skull was fractured, and doctors feared he suffered permanent brain damage. Gary will talk about how his brain injury has impacted his life.

Master of Ceremony will be local news anchor, Ken Boddie. BIAOR is honored to present awards for exceptional work on behalf of people living with brain injuries over that last thirty years. These will include an Lifetime Achievement Award to Dr. Muriel D. Lezak for the numerous books she has written on brain injury; Outstanding Advocacy Awards to Commissioner Tootie Smith, David Kracke,JD, James Chesnutt, MD, Senator Bill Morrisette, Representative Vic Gilliam, Max and Ralph Conradt without their hard work we would not have passed our sports concussion legislation which has been picked up as the model for the National Legislation; Only Medical Doctor Specializing Exclusively Treating Individuals with Brain Injury: Danielle Erb, MD, who is the only medical doctor exclusively treating individuals with brain injury; Nationally Recognized Leader in Academic & Clinical Research: McKay MooreSohlberg, PhD, is a nationally recognized leader in the field of TBI and has worked as a clinician, researcher, and administrator in the development of programs to assist those with brain injury; 1st Neuro-Optometrist: Dr. Bruce Wojciechowski, OD, is a neuro-optometrists working to help people with brain injury for over 20 years; Karen Campbell, who established the first foster home in the state of Oregon for people with disabilities, 32 years ago;1st Community Rehabilitation: Jan Johnson, who established the first community rehabilitation program for people with brain injury nineteen years ago; Media Awareness: Elizabeth Hovde, a brain injury survivor, for building the awareness of brain injury in her columns in the Oregonian; amd Exceptional Partner: Brain Injury Association of Washington, Deborah Crowley.

The Pre-Conference, March 7, will focus on the matter in which music, art and physical therapists take an individualized approach when working with clients who are living with a brain injury. The creative arts therapies can be used to improve associated symptoms through interactive art-making experiences designed and adapted to emphasize each client's strengths. Sensory stimulation through the arts promotes increased attention, while the creation of a story or a song can be used to memorize and recall personal information. Neurologic Music Therapy techniques are utilized to promote rehabilitation of speech and motor abilities through active instrument play, singing and movement to music such as in the case of Congresswoman Giffords. Therapists will demonstrate and discuss, in group sessions throughout the day, how providing music, drama, martial arts and art therapy can improve positive outcomes. Therapists will take a collaborative approach and conduct sessions with speech therapists, occupational therapists and physical therapists in a co-treatment model.

Friday and Saturday will focus on the latest technology and treatment available for brain injury. These presentations will include:

Keynote Speakers Friday, March 8:

Look where we have come in 30 years--what is in the future? - Dr. Muriel D. Lezak

Breakthrough practical applications of brain plasticity principles in the recovery from Traumatic Brain Injury - Anat Baniel, clinical psychologist, dancer and leader in the field of NeuroMovement

Keynote Speakers Saturday, March 9:

Music and the Brain - Larry Sherman, PhD. Senior Scientist, ONPRC, OHSU Brain Institute, Professor, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Portland, Oregon

The Returning Veterans - What they need, what are they going through: Cultural, social, organizational sources of hindrance and support for returning veterans - Eddie Black, Oregon National Guard Resiliency Program Manager

Break-out Presentations will include:

Brain Injury and the Returning Military 101- Bronwyn G. Pughe, MA, MFA, TBI Program Education Specialist, Administrator Traumatic Brain Injury Program, Madigan Healthcare System

When War Comes Home: The Emotional Trauma of Caregiving - Marilyn Lash, M.S.W.

The Psychology Behind TBI and the Behaviors That May Be Present- Nancy Irey Holmes, PhD

Conducting Mental Status Examinations with a Traumatic Brain Injury Patient - John DenBoer, PhD, Clinical Neuropsychologist/Psychologist, Casa Colina Centers for Rehabilitation

Advances in Stroke Recovery - Dr. Paul Cordo

Technology - Tomorrow & Today - Jonathan Gray

Stroke - What is it--Will I recover - John DenBoer, PhD, Clinical Neuropsychologist/Psychologist, Casa Colina Centers for Rehabilitation

Training Assistive Technology in the Environment -Laurie Ehlhardt Powell, PhD

Assistive technology - low to high assistive devices to live life to the fullest with brain injury -Susan Powell, MS/P, OTR/L, ATP Madigan

Legal pitfalls of presenting a TBI Case - Arthur Lertiz, JD

Defuse Tensor Imaging and Other Medical Advances to Identify Brain Injury and Win Your Case - Dr. Aaron DeShaw, JD

Hope and Recovery Principles in the Treatment of ABI - Jacek A. Haciak, PsyD

Cognitive Curbcuts: Visual Scheduling, Video Modeling, and Personal Wellness supports for Self-Management - Dr. Tom Keating

Acupuncture and Complementary Medicine in the Management of Traumatic Brain Injury - Douglas Wingate, MAcOM, Lac

What I Wish I Had Known ... The Positive Brain Injury Support group of Portland

Brain Injury and Hidden Vision Problems - Dr. Bruce Wojciechowski, OD

Brain Tumors-Why We Should Care -- Edward Allen Neuwelt, M.D., Professor of Neurology, Oregon Health

The Role of Music Therapy in Rehabilitation - Lillieth Grand, MS, MT-BC

Using Improv/Theatre Activities with BI Survivors - Ruth Jenkins, MS, CCC-SLP

The Future of Prosthetic Cognition - Kathy Moeller

Using Martial Arts for Physical Therapy - Ben Luskin and Tony Ellis

Brain Injury: Voices of a Silent Epidemic - Cindy Daniel, BRAVE Publications, Andy Palumbo, Outside the Lab, Harvey E. Jacobs, Ph.D.

Two Stories of Survival - Dr. James Meade and Gordon Viggiano

The biggest benefit of attending a conference is connecting with kindred spirits, folks whose work you admire and which inspires you. Conferences have a way of renewing the passion that brings like-minded people together, and being part of collaboration is a privilege that you can truly value. Attending a conference provides an opportunity to learn from experts, share ideas with others, and identify new knowledge and techniques in your field. Given the knowledge explosion in the current information-rich era, attending this conference is a great way to keep abreast of emerging themes and technology and, perhaps most importantly, network.

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Sheraton Hotel Accomodations

Hotel Rooms

Hotel rooms are available at discounted rates. Use the code BIAOR2013 and reserve your room today by calling 503-281-2500. Discounted rooms are limited.

Sponsored By:

Brain Injury Alliance of Oregon

Brain Injury Association of Washington

3 day VIP Pass Including Dinner with 21.25 CEUs

~$500~

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When

Thursday March 7 -
Saturday March 9, 2013

Where

Sheraton Portland Airport Hotel

8235 NE Airport Way

Portland OR 97220

503.281.2500

What

An awesome event that you won't want to miss out on! View More Info

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Thursday

An entire day with experts devoted to demonstrating the benefits of music, art and physical therapy to maximize independence and positive outcomes. Music, art and physical therapy sessions incorporated throughout conference. Interactive activities and survivors demonstrating their accomplishments.

Pregnant Woman Low in Vitamin C may Hurt Fetus

Tim Titolo — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 07:00:00 -0800

Pregnant Women may unknowingly be hurting their fetus if they are low on vitamin C.

Eating healthier and taking vitamin supplements are things we hear about all the time. Population studies show that between 10-20 per cent of all adults in the developed world suffer from vitamin C deficiency. Therefore, pregnant women should think twice about omitting the daily vitamin pill.

Maternal vitamin C deficiency during pregnancy can have serious consequences for the fetal brain. The fetal brain requires nutrition supplied by the mother before birth. And once brain damage has occurred, it cannot be reversed by vitamin C supplements after birth. This is shown through new research at the University of Copenhagen just published in the scientific journal PLoS ONE. Maternal Vitamin C Deficiency during Pregnancy Persistently Impairs Hippocampal Neurogenesis in Offspring of Guinea Pigs. PLoS ONE, 2012; 7 (10): e48488 DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0048488

While having the highest vitamin C concentrations in the body, specific functions of Vitamin C in the brain have only recently been acknowledged. We have shown that postnatal Vitamin C deficiency in guinea pigs causes impairment of hippocampal memory function and leads to 30% less neurons.

We conclude that a prenatal Vitamin C deficiency in guinea pigs leads to persistent impairment of postnatal hippocampal development which is not alleviated by postnatal repletion. Our findings place attention on a yet unrecognized consequence of marginal Vitamin C deficiency during pregnancy.

So, Moms, please take your vitamin C: you and Junior need it!

Exposure to Night Light Can Cause Depression

Tim Titolo — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 07:00:00 -0800

Researchers have found Computer usage at night can Cause Depression

If you stay awake at night and use your computer, iPad, or other electronic device, you could be causing your own depression. The journal Nature explains how our ability to use light throughout the night may actually cause us a great deal of harm. This is especially true in the day of the latest technology where nearly everyone uses electronic devices. Aberrant light directly impairs mood and learning through melanopsin-expressing neurons.

People who stay up late at night, whether they are working, playing, or even just posting pictures on Facebook, have a higher chance of developing depression and learning problems, and it is not due to just a lack of sleep, but also because of the exposure to bright light at night from lamps, laptops, and even the newly popular iPads.

The daily solar cycle allows organisms to synchronize their circadian rhythms and sleep–wake cycles to the correct temporal niche. Changes in day-length, shift-work, and transmeridian travel lead to mood alterations and cognitive function deficits. Sleep deprivation and circadian disruption underlie mood and cognitive disorders associated with irregular light schedules. Whether irregular light schedules directly affect mood and cognitive functions in the context of normal sleep and circadian rhythms remains unclear.People who stay up late at night, whether they are working, playing, or even just posting pictures on Facebook, have a higher chance of developing depression and learning problems, and it is not due to just a lack of sleep, but also because of the exposure to bright light at night from lamps, laptops, and even the newly popular iPads.

It may be time to put down the gadget or at least give it a curfew.

Pregnant Woman Low in Omega-3 Suffer Postpartum Depression

Tim Titolo — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 07:00:00 -0800

Pregnant Women are most likely to suffer postpartum depression. New evidence reveals pregnant women are typically deficient in Omega-3. Eating fish while pregnant may lower the deficiency.

The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry reports:

Low levels of omega-3 may be behind postpartum depression, according to a review lead by Gabriel Shapiro of the University of Montreal and the Research Centre at the Sainte-Justine Mother and Child Hospital. Women are at the highest risk of depression during their childbearing years, and the birth of a child may trigger a depressive episode in vulnerable women. Postpartum depression is associated with diminished maternal health as well as developmental and health problems for her child.

The findings support eating more fish and/or getting more supplements to address the deficiency.

The findings also reveal:

Because omega-3 is transferred from the mother to her fetus and later to her breastfeeding infant, maternal omega-3 levels decrease during pregnancy, and remain lowered for at least six-weeks following the birth. Furthermore, in addition to the specific biological circumstances of pregnant women, it has been found in the US that most people do not consume sufficient amounts of omega-3.

Postpartum Depression May Be Reduced By Eating More Fish." Medical News Today. MediLexicon, Intl., 19 Nov. 2012. Web.
25 Nov. 2012. <http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/252885.php>