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Brain Injury Association of Montana
News and Events
Events
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TIDES BETWEEN US – FEATURING SCOTT COSSU - The Brain Injury Association of Montana – Billings Chapter presents an extraordinary piano concert benefit tour featuring noted pianist/composer Scott Cossu on Friday evening, October 12th at the WYO Theater in
SWEET TRIO MINI-SERIES – Great Performances Come In Threes! - The Sweet Trio Mini-series offers three outstanding performing arts benefit events for an affordable $ 33.00: TIDES BETWEEN US CONCERT FEATURING SCOTT COSSU (Saturday, October 13th at Cisel Recital Hall on the MSU-Billings Campus), SCRAMBLED McMANUS Comedy (Saturday, November 3rd at Petro Theater on the MSU-Billings Campus) and MEN OF WORTH Celtic Concert (Saturday, January 19th at Cisel Recital Hall on the MSU-Billings Campus). All performances begin at 8 PM, and all net proceeds benefit the Brain Injury Association of MT – Billings Chapter. A limited number of mini-series tickets are available. For advance reservations, ticket purchase and mini-series information call Ian Elliot at 406-656-2744.
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- News
- Olmstead Decision: Five Years Later
- Five years after the Supreme Court’s landmark Olmstead decision applying the Americans with Disabilities Act to the right of individuals with disabilities to receive health care in a community-based setting, the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured releases two new reports and a video examining what progress has been made and the impact on the Medicaid program.
http://www.kff.org/medicaid/kcmu062104pkg.cfm
Further Action Needed for Soldiers Sustaining Brain Injuries in Iraq
- A survey of 250 soldiers wounded in Iraq conducted at the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC, found that 60 percent have suffered a traumatic brain injury. The brain injuries range from mild concussions to more serious, permanent damage. These findings will have far-reaching impact for the troops. For example, issues such as how to improve diagnosis of brain injury, whether helmets are adequately protecting the brain, the need for education of troops on brain injury, and when troops should return to duty after a brain injury, will be visited by the Army.
Soldiers in Iraq are more likely to be injured by rocket-propelled grenades, land mines, and homemade bombs than they are by a bullet. Troops who are not struck directly, also sustain brain injuries by over- pressurization or shock waves that emanate from explosions that are greater than the speed of sound. Discussions are under-way about whether or not the Army helmets can be improved for head injury protection.
Since closed head injuries are invisible and many of the symptoms to determine concussion are not clear, soldiers are being trained to recognize the major symptoms of head injuries. Doctors acknowledge the importance of recognition because concussions grow worse with repetition.
The Army is also working to determine when a soldier should return to duty after a brain injury. The Army is considering modifying civilian guidelines developed by the American Academy of Neurology to bring military relevance to these guidelines.
The Department of Defense awarded a $2.2 million grant to the diers are still on the battlefield. This test could eventually be used in everyday settings to aid paramedics and coaches diagnosis brain injuries.When the brain is injured, brain cells release proteins, some of which make their way into the bloodstream. Scientists are working to identify those proteins, allowing a finger prick to determine whether someone has a brain injury and the severity.
- Ammendments Needed in Sports' "Concussion Vocabulary"
- The topic of brain injuries and athletics was highlighted at this year’s National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA) meeting held in June. Reports presented at the meeting indicate that many concussions go undetected due to lack of knowledge and that “the concussion vocabulary” needs to be altered to stress the serious of head injuries.
A report published by Indiana State University (ISU), discussing the detection of concussions found that most serious head injuries in college football are never reported to team trainers or coaches due to lack of knowledge - players do not think their symptoms are severe enough to indicate concussion. Researchers point out that this lack of knowledge is putting athletes at risk for more severe injury, or even death. The ISU study gave players a list of symptoms and asked players how many symptoms they had experienced, and how often they had reported them, after a hit to the head. The study found that 72 percent of the symptoms were not reported primarily because the athlete did not think the injury was serious.
Kevin Guskiewicz director of the Sports Medicine Research Laboratory at the University of North Carolina stresses that concussions are serious whether mild or severe. Because of this the NATA wants to have such terms as “having your bell rung” or “getting dinged” removed from the concussion vocabulary. NATA wants athletes and coaches to be more informed and knowledgeable about concussions so they can decrease the risk of more serious injury in the future.
In the soccer world – an Australian neuropsychologist, Rod Markham, would like FIFA (the International Federation of Soccer) to ban heading. Markham reviewed published studies and concluded that brain and neck trauma ranging from minor aggravation to major damage can be caused by repeatedly heading a soccer ball. In one US study, male soccer players at the high school, amateur, and professional levels were found to have poorer attention, concentration, cognitive flexibility, and general intellectual functioning than those who did not play soccer.
If FIFA will not ban heading, Markham suggested that players wear protective headgear to minimize damage to the head.
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