Author: Matt Dolman

As Ryne Dougherty stepped onto the practice field with his football teammates at Montclair High School in New Jersey on September 18, 2008, he was determined to prove to his coaches that he was ready to be a varsity player. Fifteen minutes into practice the junior linebacker, standing 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighing 180 pounds, joined in on…

Dr. Jamshid Ghajar, president of the Brain Trauma Foundation said, "Traumatic brain injury is the leading cause of death and disability in young people. Developing evidence-based guidelines and putting them into practice to improve outcomes are key priorities for the Brain Trauma Foundation.” Recently, a study showed remarkable reduction in deaths attributed to TBI in New York State. Researchers documented…

Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) can be caused by a wide range of incidents, such as; car accidents, falls, assaults, and being struck by an object to the skull. The brain is remarkably complex, and what could seem like a simple accident could have long-lasting effects. Generally, the brain can be damaged in one of two ways; by external injury, which…

In a promising sign for victims of traumatic brain injury, President Obama has announced a new brain mapping project that will fund research into the areas of Alzheimer’s, autism, stroke, and closed head injury. The project will allot $100 million dollars toward brain research and job creation. In support of this project, President Obama says, “As humans we can identify…

We have previously discussed the varying symptoms of traumatic brain injury- ranging from changes in the brain injury victim’s ability to understand and absorb new information or remember previously learned information, to less obvious emotional symptoms like mood swings and depression. Recently, the media has focused on the emotional impact of TBI in discussing the suicides of former NFL player…

Recently there has been a lot of focus in the media on dangers associated with playing professional sports- particularly regarding the risks and dangers of traumatic brain injury. There are risks associated with participating in high contact sports like football and hockey. Recently, developments in the area of TBI research have caused professional boxing to come under some scrutiny as…

Mild Traumatic Brain Injuries affect your life in many ways, but TBI has also been linked to the death of brain tissue after the initial impact. Dr. Sergei Kirov is a neuroscientist at the Medical College of Georgia Regents University, and his latest work has related to researching the damage that a head injury can cause to the brain in…

It is very common to hear about concussions when discussing football or a recent auto accident, but many forget that snowboarders and skiers are just as susceptible to head injuries. Concussions are the most common injury that snowboarders face when riding but for them, they would prefer a concussion over a broken bone. These young adults see head injuries as…

There are several myths surrounding the ever-expanding field of Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI). One of the most common myths associated with TBI is that they are only caused by a sudden or severe blow to the skull. We see this type of TBI all the time with professional sports athletes, especially in the NFL. Hollywood has also chosen to focus…

In the United States, suicide is among the leading causes of death with around 40,000 deaths each year. Most people are likely to associate suicide with addictions or mental illness, but not many have considered the odds of a suicide resulting from a traumatic brain injury. On February 17, 2013, Country singer Mindy McCready was found dead on her front…