Concussion Awareness Western University

09/26/2024

Please join us in observing Rowan’s Law Day.

04/19/2024

Happy Wednesday CAS Community! Today’s topic discusses s*x differences in concussion reporting.

Men are more than twice as likely than women to sustain a traumatic brain injury but this difference decreases with age. Many studies investigating s*x differences following concussions have shown mixed results and several of these are complicated by the inclusion of wide age ranges. Therefore, a recent study was conducted to examine s*x differences in self-reported concussion symptoms in adults.
This prospective study included 132 participants aged 19 to 78 years who sustained a concussion within 30 days of visiting a North Texas Concussion Registry site. The primary outcome measure was the severity of self-reported post-concussion symptoms using the Sport Concussion Assessment Tool-5 Post-Concussion Symptom Scale. Data on covariates including age, ethnicity, anxiety and depression ratings, time to clinic, and history of ADHD and headache/migraine were collected to account for confounding variables.
The study found that females were more likely to report a greater number and increased severity of concussion symptoms. In total, there was a significant effect of s*x on 15 of the 22 post-concussion symptoms measured.
Limitations of this study include the use of self-report measures and basing subject responses on a single question. The findings highlight the importance of anticipating and addressing symptoms that may present a greater challenge for females. Future studies can include more detailed headache measures to determine the relationship between concussion symptoms and headache/migraine symptoms.

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04/09/2024

Hello CAS! Happy start of exam season! The end is in sight. I believe in you!!!

This beautiful Monday, we are going to talk about some simple things you or someone you know can do to help with their cognitive function.

First, we will talk about attention exercises for active recovery!
1) Attention shifting and altering attention: this consists of combining a physical and cognitive task at the same time. An example would be to fold laundry while having engaging conversation with someone.
- this challenges the brain to shift between tasks promoting flexibility and multi-tasking skills.
2) Sustained attention: Sustained attention exercises focus on extending your concentration span over time. This could consist of an activity that requires your complete attention. This could be reading a book or working on a puzzle. You want to start with an amount of time you can handle, then slowly increase This type of exercise aids in improving your ability to stay focused on a single task for an extended period.
3) Selective attention: preform a task while you purposefully have background distractions. You could work on a paper while listening to music or a podcast. You don’t want the distraction to be too overpowering though. This will help you filter out stimuli while maintaining the concentration on your assigned task.

Next are encoding strategies! Improving memory retrieval can be done by some of these strategies:
1) Write it down: transcribing thoughts can help you to remember. This could be a study hack!
2) Create narratives: make up a story that interconnects memories.
3) Categorization: group like things together!
4) Mnemonic tools: create a pattern, song, rhyme that will help you to remember!
5) Teach other: get a friend, teacher, family member and teach them all the things you know!
6) Visualization: create a mental picture of objects, place, a feeling that is associated to that memory.
Lastly, we have compensatory memory strategies: you want to include these types of things into your daily life.
1) Daily planner
2) Weekly planning
3) Checklists for cleaning, groceries, tasks
4) Morning and evening routines
5) Exit checklist
6) Designated exit box
That’s all I have for this week! Thank you for a great year! Talk soon!

These simple solutions for memory loss can be deployed at home, at work, and anywhere else you want to work on your cognitive function.

04/01/2024

Happy April CAS! Today’s neuroblogger post will feature the latest technology in concussion-reducing sports equipment.

In Canada, concerns over concussions and the long-term effects they can have are growing, especially as studies show that up to half of those who suffer concussions may experience symptoms up to six months later. This awareness has resulted in research into better protective gear.

Traditional protective equipment like helmets, made from expanded polystyrene (EPS), have multiple limitations; they can only absorb the impact once and are not easy to recycle. This is what inspired Hamid Akbarzadeh and his team at McGill's Advanced Multifunctional and Multiphysics Metamaterials Lab (AM3L), to develop a potential solution: perforated shellular metamaterials. This innovative material not only absorbs the shock but can also trap energy elastically. It can also be restored to its original form to be reused, unlike EPS. This breakthrough promises to increase both safety and sustainability, as the material can be reused, compacted for shipping, and requires less energy for production.

Akbarzadeh and his team received funding from the McGill Innovation Fund (MIF) to further explore its applications. Their goal is to revolutionize sports protection equipment, offering not just better safety but also a more sustainable solution to concussion prevention. As they continue to improve their technology, they hope their new helmet designs will redefine how we prevent head injuries in sports.

(Editor's note: this team is part of the 2nd cohort, which was awarded funds in 2023. 3rd cohort teams will be featured in future articles.) Taylor Swift might tell us to “shake it off” but when it comes to concussions, this is most definitely something we should not do. Concussions – also kno...

04/01/2024

LAST DAY TO APPLY! Reminder application for executive positions are due this week!!! April 1st at 6pm!!

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03/25/2024

Reminder application for executive positions are due this week!!! March 28th at 6pm!!

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03/24/2024

Hello CAS, I hope everyone is having a terrific day! In light of the passing of former NHLer Chris Simon earlier this week, I would like to use my neuroblog to shed some light one Chronic Traumatic Encephaly, also known as CTE.

CTE is a neurodegenerative condition commonly associated with repetitive head traumas, particularly seen in athletes who have participated in high-speed/contact sports or who have experienced repeated injuries. It progresses through the buildup of irregularities in the brain such as protein deposits, leading to continuous deterioration of brain structures and functions. Symptoms usually appear many years after the first set of injuries and may include but are not limited to memory loss, confusion, mood swings, aggression and lack of awareness.

​So why is CTE so important to talk about? Although player safety has taken a big step forward in recent years, the standards were not always so high. Despite pushback from large markets, Dr. Bennet Omalu was one of the first to ignite findings surrounding CTE, and his discoveries have allowed for more knowledge surrounding the issue. His struggles to highlight these concerns were documented in the 2015 film ‘Concussion’. However, before this point, the health and safety of athletes, particularly in the conversations of brain injuries, were severely lacking awareness. In today’s sports world, speculation of CTE has been associated with many controversial professional athletes such as Antonio Brown who believes that CTE is not real.

Due to the lack of awareness behind CTE, recent discussions have sparked many concerns in the sports community and beyond. Furthermore, more awareness of the risks associated with repetitive head trauma has led to improved efforts towards promoting concussion education, access to proper equipment, and earlier identification of symptoms. By improving our understanding of CTE and encouraging preventative measures, we can work towards mitigating its impact and protecting the long-term brain health of athletes exposed to head concussions.

If you are looking to learn more about CTE, please visit the resources below. Thank you for reading my neuroblog, and I hope everyone has a great weekend 🙂

-Mikail

https://medicine.iu.edu/expertise/traumatic-brain-injury/what-is-chronic-traumatic-encephalopathy #:~:text=Chronic%20Traumatic%20Encephalopathy%2C%20or%20CTE,concussions%20and%20repetitive%20head%20impacts.

https://www.bu.edu/cte/about/frequently-asked-questions/

Frequently Asked Questions What is CTE? Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a progressive degenerative disease of the brain found in people with a history of repetitive head impacts (RHI) often incurred during contact sport play, military service, employment as a first responder, and other a.....

03/20/2024

Happy Wednesday CAS Community! Today’s topic discusses the association between sports-related concussions (SRCs) and speech error rates.

Characterized by deviations in articulatory precision, fluency, and timing, speech errors are a possible diagnostic marker for concussions. Patients with brain injury, stroke, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis may experience speech errors due to neurotrauma. A recent study was conducted to identify changes in speech that occurred following an SRC.
This study used a within-subjects pre/post-concussion design. A total of 359 Division I athletes completed pre-season baseline speech testing while 27 of them also participated in speech testing in the days after sustaining a concussion. Sound files were transcribed and error analysis was performed by coders. Speech errors were classified as 1 of 14 types and collapsed into 6 major categories.
The study found that there were significant increases in the speech error categories of time fillers and pauses post-concussion compared to baseline. In addition, there was a different pattern of disfluencies and errors that occurred after SRCs.
The main limitation of this study was the inclusion of very mild cases. The research team included all possible concussion cases that might have occurred in order to provide the best care for the student-athletes. The findings suggest that speech errors can be used to indicate the presence of a concussion. Future studies can set a minimum symptom score as part of the inclusion criteria and examine factors that may influence changes in disfluency such as the severity of the injury.

Link:

03/19/2024

Hey Everyone!

Just a friendly reminder that CAS elections are coming up, and we are looking for passionate individuals to run for elected positions for 2025-2025!

The application form closes on Monday, April 1st at 6pm. Late submissions will not be accepted.

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03/18/2024

Hello CAS, hope you all had a great St Patrick’s day weekend for those who celebrate. This Monday we are going to dive into the treatment for long term effects of childhood head injuries.

Many children experience head traumas whether it be due to playing a sport, hanging out with friends, or riding a bike for example. Typically, parents and the child brush it off as they were okay after a fall, or simply didn’t know it happened, but many children will experience symptoms of PCS and not even know it because it is difficult for young children to identify how they are feeling.

There are many steps to treatment:

First is to have patients engage in short sessions of aerobic exercise to take advantage of a part of the brain called the post-exercise cognitive boost (PECB). Which triggers a release of neurochemicals that promote healthier blood flow in the brain, to help the brain preform cognitive challenges for longer periods of time. These forms of exercise or treatment can be changed or tailored to the child’s ability level and what they find interesting.

The second step involves multidisciplinary therapies to activate and challenge the child’s memory, motor skills, executive thinking and more. This could include things like aerobic exercise, cognitive therapy, vision therapy, occupational therapy and more.

Finally, the addition of set time throughout the day are set in place to allow patients the time they need to relax and recover. This could include neurovascular massages, breathing exercises, mindful exercises, soft music etc. A brain scan will then be done to examine any changes in the patient’s brain.

After these treatment variations, patients’ symptoms usually improve by 60% in just one week.

There are also ways parents are able to help their children at home!
This can include:
- Be patient with them, offer support, encouragement!
- Learn to recognize their triggers, or what makes things better or worse
- Monitor hat they are doing screen time, schoolwork, recreational use.
- Make sure to pace themselves


That’s all I have for today CAS! Enjoy the rest of your Monday!

Learn how a childhood head injury can cause long-term effects and what those effects can look like in adulthood.

03/17/2024

https://www.cureus.com/articles/196405-the-influence-of-the-covid-19-pandemic-on-baseline-concussion-symptom-assessments-among-adolescents #!/

Hey CAS members, hopefully midterms are all wrapped up!
The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted lives in ways we never imagined. Among the many impacts, the cancellation of high school sports left many adolescent athletes wondering about their future. As we navigated these uncertain times, researchers delved into how these disruptions affected the health and well-being of young athletes. A recent study sought to understand the influence of the pandemic on baseline concussion symptom assessments among adolescent athletes. What they found was unexpected.
Researchers conducted a retrospective cohort study, analyzing data from Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT) assessments across academic years before, during, and after the pandemic. They focused on symptom inventories to gauge how sports cancellations during the pandemic impacted baseline concussion symptoms in adolescent athletes.
Contrary to expectations, the study revealed lower total symptom severity and cluster scores on the Post-Concussion Symptom Scale (PCSS) during the pandemic year (2020-2021) compared to years before and after. This unexpected finding challenges the assumption that sports cancellations during the pandemic would lead to increased emotional distress and decreased quality of life among adolescent athletes.
While these findings may seem surprising, several factors could contribute to the unexpected results. Differences in assessment tools used in this study compared to others may play a role. Additionally, the timing and location of data collection could have influenced the outcomes. For example, the resumption of sports in some areas during the pandemic may have positively impacted athletes' symptom scores.
Like any study, this one has its limitations. It was retrospective and focused on a specific population, limiting its generalizability. Factors such as pre-existing mental health conditions and varying pandemic-related timelines across regions could have influenced the results. Furthermore, self-reported symptom data from ImPACT assessments may not fully capture the complex effects of the pandemic on adolescent health.
The unexpected findings of this study shed light on the complex relationship between sports cancellations and concussion symptoms in adolescent athletes during the COVID-19 pandemic. While further research is needed to fully understand these dynamics, the study underscores the importance of considering multiple factors when assessing the impacts of such unprecedented events on youth athletes' health and well-being.
You’re almost there CAS members, only a month to go!

Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the cancellation of high school sports in spring 2020, a modified resumption of sports in the 2020-2021 academic year, and a return to pre-pandemic sports in 2021-2022. This cancellation had a major impact on the quality of life of adolescent athletes,....

03/15/2024

Hey CAS Community! For my fourth neuroblogger post, I would like to talk about a Dalhouse study regarding football players and the effects of concussions on the brain!

A preliminary finding found from this study was how it isn’t the intensity of a single hit that can lead to concussions or trauma-like symptoms, but rather the accumulation of small hits suffered during practice or games. In addition, their research supports the idea that head impacts can disrupt the blood-brain barrier, which helps shield the brain from salts, proteins and toxins in the blood. If impacted, leakages can occur, leading to changes in brain function and structure, which may cause cognitive, emotional, or movement issues.
Casey Jones, a former Dalhousie Tiger football player and coach, and current resident physician, is aiming to use his expertise to try and find ways to make the game safer. Dalhousie is now introducing Riddel SpeedFlex helmets for their players. These brand new, high-tech helmets that are equipped with sensors to measure head impacts and detect concussions. The technology allows coaches to analyze the hits a single player has taken over the course of a game or season and compare those statistics with other players on the team and national averages. Thus, Dalhousie can now circumvent head-injuries before they get increasingly serious. Coaches can leverage this data to analyze players’ positions on the field and can identify times during practice when head impacts have spiked. Circling back to Casey Jones’ ultimate goal, these innovative helmets can help coaching staff adjust their practice drills – contributing to making football more safe.