Understanding the nicks and knacks of different proteins and hormones and cytokine or prostanglandin mechanisms and pathways... there's so much to know. There's so much that is unexplored!
Here are a few articles discussing the Tau protein found to accumulate and be part of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE). CTE has been found in post-mortem brains which were subject to multiple concussions throughout a lifetime. In particular, from football players.
This is an EXCELLENT article written Mark Kram for the Philadelphia Daily News:
Deadly Aftershocks
Here's a pretty awesome picture showing the differences in a 61-yr old brain that hasn't experienced concussion in comparison to two 45-yr old brains (from the men in the story above) who experienced multiple concussions. This is to show you the damage caused by the tau protein they're talking about. (I haven't figured out how to get it to show as a picture instead of just a link... sorry!)
Click here for picture!
In addition, the daily news reports NFL concussion management standards, outlined recently - May 2007:
Special report: Deadly aftershocks: NFL concussion management
They're interested in protecting players from being Tough Boys...
The NFL will establish a "whistle blower" system so that anyone may anonymously report any incident in which a doctor is pressured to return a player to play from a concussion or that a player with a concussion is pressured to play.
Keith Primeau, who played for the Philadelphia Flyers Hockey talks about his experience with post concussion symptoms on the USAToday site:
Former NHL star Primeau warns of concussion risks, by Janice Lloyd
He's among the athletes who have agreed to help the Sports Legacy Institute and pledged their brains after they die to the Center for Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy at Boston University.
To move North a little. Dr. Michael Cusimano, a neurosurgeon in Toronto, did a little digging among hockey staffing and young players. United Press International (UPI) had a quick summary of it here: Many in hockey don't understand concussion
The study, published in the Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences, found:
-- Up to two-thirds of players had the mistaken impression a player must lose consciousness to have suffered a concussion.
-- One-quarter of adults and up to half of children could not identify any symptoms of a concussion or could name only one symptom of a concussion.
-- About one-half of players and one-fifth of adults mistakenly believed concussions are treated with medication or physical therapy.
-- About one-quarter of all players did not know if an athlete experiencing symptoms of a concussion should continue playing (they shouldn't).
Just a little reading I thought I'd share.
Beautiful day out today! Wish I could enjoy it all day! (but I got a few good spurts of enjoyment out of it!)
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1 comment:
Thanks for posting these! I haven't had the energy to do much researching lately. Then when I do get some energy I have been getting outside.
Hope classes are going well.
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