Concussion Legacy Basis
Creator: Samantha Bureau, PhD
In September, we come collectively to boost consciousness about concussions in order that extra people and households know what to do within the occasion they or their beloved one sustains one.
A concussion is a kind of traumatic mind damage, or TBI, attributable to a bump, blow, or jolt to the top or by a success to the physique that causes the top and mind to maneuver quickly forwards and backwards. Whereas concussions are often not life-threatening, we nonetheless must deal with them significantly as the consequences of a concussion can change a life.
This Concussion Consciousness Month, we particularly wish to increase consciousness that concussions don’t solely occur in sport.
Whereas we frequently see and listen to tales about former contact and collision sport athletes fighting the impacts of single and repeated mind accidents, we all know that mind damage impacts a far broader demographic, together with youngsters on the playground, accident survivors, and people with greater threat occupations, equivalent to our service members and first responders. Some methods mind damage could happen inside this group embody airborne coaching, breaching, publicity to blast, fight coaching, firing artillery, sports activities participation, falls and accidents, and motorcar collisions.
In accordance with the DOD Traumatic Mind Damage Heart of Excellence, greater than 485,000 service-members sustained a traumatic mind damage since 2000.[1]
We additionally know that mind accidents are largely under-reported, so there are seemingly many extra service-members who’ve sustained a mind damage in service, and lots of extra who sustained a mind damage exterior of service of their everyday lives. We additionally know that our first responders are susceptible to mind damage. A current examine on first responders confirmed an alarming 74% of cops studied reported a historical past of at the very least one mind damage, with 30% reporting at the very least one damage sustained on the job.[2]
This examine additionally famous that many of those accidents went unreported and untreated.
With out the assistance of a medical supplier and correct remedy following a mind damage, the probability of extended signs and difficulties will increase. This is the reason recognizing and reporting mind accidents is of the utmost significance.
Within the occasion you or your beloved sustains a concussion, listed below are some indicators and signs to pay attention to:
Concussion Indicators Embrace:
- Issues with stability
- Glazed look within the eyes
- Amnesia
- Delayed response to questions
- Forgetting an instruction, confusion about an project or place, or confusion of the sport, rating, or opponent
- Inappropriate crying
- Inappropriate laughter
- Vomiting
- Lack of consciousness
Frequent Concussion Signs:
-
Somatic (Bodily) Signs
- Headache
- Mild-headedness
- Dizziness
- Nausea
- Sensitivity to gentle
- Sensitivity to noise
-
Cognitive Signs
- Difficulties with consideration
- Reminiscence issues
- Lack of focus
- Issue multitasking
- Issue finishing psychological duties
-
Sleep Signs
- Sleeping greater than typical
- Sleeping lower than typical
- Having hassle falling asleep
-
Emotional Signs
- Nervousness
- Despair
- Panic assaults
As we proceed to be taught extra about how concussion impacts this group, one space of analysis that has gained consideration extra lately is on the connection between mind accidents and psychological well being outcomes.
A 2019 systematic assessment and meta-analysis from researchers at Harvard College researchers has proven {that a} single traumatic mind damage can double your threat of suicide.[3]
And this isn’t the one examine that has linked unfavorable psychological well being outcomes to mind damage. A 2022 examine from the Kids’s Hospital of Japanese Ontario (CHEO) demonstrated that kids recognized with a concussion had been 40% extra more likely to develop a brand new psychological well being dysfunction following their damage than kids recognized with an orthopedic damage.[4]
However does this additionally apply to our service members and first responders?
The reply is sure.
A 2023 examine reviewed the data of greater than 860,000 US army service members and demonstrated that troopers with army associated traumatic mind damage had considerably greater charges of new-onset psychological well being situations than these with no TBI. These people had been additionally at elevated threat for suicide.[5] Moreover, the examine that confirmed 74% of cops reporting a historical past of mind damage additionally discovered the officers with a historical past of mind damage had elevated charges of PTSD and depressive signs than those that didn’t report a historical past of mind damage.2
If you’re studying this and are fighting the impacts of mind damage, we’re right here for you.
Whether or not your damage was current or years in the past, in case you are nonetheless experiencing signs and don’t know the place to show, the Concussion Legacy Basis will help.
Our CLF HelpLine and Peer Assist applications supply alternatives so that you can get the enable you want from a trusted staff.
Whether or not you need assistance discovering medical suppliers in your space, or you’re simply in search of somebody to speak to who understands your scenario, we encourage you to succeed in out to us at CLFHelpLine.org.
About Samantha Bureau, PhD
Dr. Samantha Bureau is a Canadian neuroscientist specializing in neurodegenerative ailments, identified predominantly for her work investigating mind accidents and persistent traumatic encephalopathy. Throughout her doctoral coaching, she specialised within the mobile and molecular drugs of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, investigating therapeutic targets to change illness development. Dr. Bureau has had the privilege of training army personnel at NATO workouts, and interesting the highest-ranking officers of the Canadian Armed Forces, the Mind Damage in Sport Working Group within the UK, and the Federal-Provincial-Territorial Working Group on Sport in Canada. Notably, her work has impressed change world wide, influencing the NIH, NHS, PFA, AFL, and the Australian Senate Committee, amongst others, to replace their views on CTE causation.
Previous to becoming a member of the Concussion Legacy Basis, Dr. Bureau labored at top-tier educational analysis establishments together with the Boston College CTE Heart and the College of Ottawa Mind and Thoughts Analysis Institute. She at the moment serves because the Director of Worldwide Packages at CLF the place she oversees the muse’s affected person providers applications, worldwide operations, and ongoing world analysis initiatives and collaborations.
Dr. Bureau is a former dual-sport NCAA athlete in ice hockey and out of doors observe and discipline. She obtained her PhD in Neuroscience from Carleton College and her MBAs from Cornell College and Queen’s College.
References:
[1] DOD Traumatic Mind Damage Heart of Excellence. https://www.well being.mil/Navy-Well being-Matters/Facilities-of-Excellence/Traumatic-Mind-Damage-Heart-of-Excellence/DOD-TBI-Worldwide-Numbers
[2] Caccese JB, Smith CR, Edwards NA, et al. Silent Struggles: Traumatic Mind Accidents and Psychological Well being in Regulation Enforcement. J Head Trauma Rehabil. Revealed on-line August 5, 2024. doi:10.1097/HTR.0000000000000986
[3] Fralick M, Sy E, Hassan A, Burke MJ, Mostofsky E, Karsies T. Affiliation of Concussion With the Threat of Suicide: A Systematic Assessment and Meta-analysis. JAMA Neurol. 2019;76(2):144-151. doi:10.1001/jamaneurol.2018.3487
[4] Ledoux AA, Webster RJ, Clarke AE, et al. Threat of Psychological Well being Issues in Kids and Youths Following Concussion. JAMA Netw Open. 2022;5(3):e221235. Revealed 2022 Mar 1. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.1235
[5] Brenner LA, Forster JE, Gradus JL, et al. Associations of Navy-Associated Traumatic Mind Damage With New-Onset Psychological Well being Circumstances and Suicide Threat. JAMA Netw Open. 2023;6(7):e2326296. Revealed 2023 Jul 3. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.26296
