Every March, the Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA) and their chartered state organizations work together with various businesses, schools, traumatic brain injury victims, and families to help raise awareness and promote a broader understanding of people with brain injuries in the US and the unique difficulties associated with life after such a profound and often debilitating injury.

The US Air Force reported on events being held all month by the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center. Many of the events are centered around promoting the BIAA’s campaign, which states, “A concussion is a brain injury. Get the facts,” according to an article on the Air Force Web site. The Department of Defense guidelines define traumatic brain injury as “a blow or jolt to the head or a penetrating head injury that disrupts the function of the brain,” the article noted.

In other news, University of Toledo professor and brain injury survivor Mark Sherry PhD has taken it upon himself to educate recue workers about how to better communicate with brain-injured accident victims. Brain injuries occur in a number of situations, including drunk driving accidents, speeding, and fighting. A WTOL 11 article noted that people with a brain injury are 3-4 times more likely to incur another one due to impaired brain activity. Sherry told WTOL, “People would be disinhibited. They might engage in risky behaviors. They might not have the preventative strategies that might come naturally to somebody else.”

The Mayor of Canton, Illinois recently signed a proclamation declaring March as Brain Injury Awareness month in the city of Canton. An article in the Canton Daily Ledger reported that the mayor made the declaration to “encourage the community to learn more about brain injuries and their prevention to help prevent brain injuries among their family and friends.” The article added that over 1.5 million Americans suffer brain injuries every year. 50,000 of those injury victims die and 80,000 more “experience the onset of long-term disability following traumatic brain injury,” the article continued.

A PR Newswire article quoted Deborah Crawley, Executive Director of the Brain Injury Association of Washington, who said, “Coaches, parents and youth athletes need to know that a concussion is a brain injury. Medical evaluation by a licensed health care provider before returning to play following a concussion or even suspicion of a concussion is essential to the athlete’s short-term and long-term health.  Being aware of the signs, symptoms and local resources when responding to concussions is the best way to protect young athletes.” Many youth, collegiate, and professional sports authorities have made much-needed adjustments to their rules regarding athletes returning to play after a head injury.

St. Augustine, Florida residents Harold Lawrence and his brain-injured son, Joshua Brantner, will participate in a 460-mile walk from St. Augustine, FL to Charlotte, NC. They pair left for their journey last week. They hope to cover 20 miles each day with Lawrence walking behind Brantner, who rides on a custom-designed bicycle to accommodate the physical challenges of his brain injury. Brantner suffered a brain injury after a fall in September 2001.  Doctors told his father that Brantner might never emerge from a coma, and if he did, that he would likely remain in a vegetative state. Now, 8 years later, Brantner spreads his message of awareness and prevention to youth all over America, according to an article on the St. Augustine website.

Finally, a group of high school students from Osawatomie High School in Kansas visited with the Heads Up brain injury support group on March 3, 2010 to share the knowledge they have been learning about the brain. The high schoolers spoke with their science club as a part of Brain Injury Awareness Month.

We congratulate and support the multitude of efforts taking place all month across the country to raise awareness and inspire action on many fronts to assist brain injury survivors and their families. Their efforts will go a long way toward preventing brain injuries and improving the lives of those injured in the past.

References:

Breaux, Ken. (March 2, 2010) “Brain Injury Awareness Month highlights facts about head trauma.” Retrieved on March 3, 2010 from the U.S. Air Force Web site: http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123192846

Canton Daily Ledger Staff. (March 1, 2010) “Brain Injury Awareness Month proclaimed.” Retrieved on March 5, 2010 from the Canton Daily Ledger web site: http://www.cantondailyledger.com/news/x285348413/Brain-Injury-Awareness-Month-proclaimed

Justice For All Staff. (February 27, 2009) “March is Brain Injury Awareness Month.” Retrieved on March 5, 2010 from the Justice For All Web site: http://jfactivist.typepad.com/jfactivist/2009/02/march-is-brain-injury-awareness-month.html

PR Newswire Staff. (March 1, 2010) “Brain Injury Association of Washington Provides National Leadership in Concussion and Safety Awareness.” Retrieved on March 5, 2010 from the PR Newswire Web site: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/brain-injury-association-of-washington-provides-national-leadership-in-concussion-safety–awareness-85837267.html

Trimble, Jesse. (March 3, 2010) “OHS Science Club Brings Brain Facts.” Retrieved on March 5, 2010 from the Osawatomie Graphic Web site: http://www.graphic-online.com/201003037769/news/osawatomie/ohs-science-club-brings-brain-facts.html

St. Augustine.com Staff. (February 25, 2010) “Residents participate in brain injury awareness walk.” Retrieved on March 5, 2010 from the St. Augustine Web site: http://staugustine.com/living/health/2010-02-25/residents-participate-brain-injury-awareness-walk

Voetsch, Melissa. (March 5, 2010) “Brain injury survivor offers tips to rescue crews.” Retreived on March 5, 2010 from the WTOL 11 Web site: http://www.wtol.com/Global/story.asp?S=12092494

West Virginia’s State Senate Bill SB 657 was set to boost fees for accident reports and add an additional $50 fee for drunk drivers involved in car accidents. The money collected from the fees was destined to assist West Virginians with traumatic brain injuries with necessary services. A week ago, Senate Financial Committee Chairman Walt Helmick requested that the additional charges for DUI offenders be removed from the proposed legislation.

The Charleston Gazette reported that Helmick said, “in a bad economy, he doesn’t want to raise fees on anyone, including drunk drivers.” Opponents of his removal of the additional DUI fees assert that the fees would have raised about $190,000 per year for brain injury victims. Mike Davis, president of the Brain Injury Association of West Virginia, noted that automobile accidents are “a leading cause of brain injuries,” the Gazette reported. Half of those brain injuries occur in alcohol-related car wrecks, the article added.

“This fee can help a lot of people who are injured because of other people’s negligence,” Davis told the Gazette. Since traumatic brain injuries can lead to lifelong symptoms and difficulties, the costs associated with care for brain-injured individuals can be tremendous. However, Davis added that the DUI fees were not “an appropriate thing to do. I don’t want to raise taxes or fees,” the Pocahontas County Democrat told reporters.

A Mountain State Justice lawyer, Jennifer Wagner, expressed support for the bill, but was disappointed that the DUI fines were being removed from it. She asserted that the fees would not only generate income for brain-injury patients, but it would also deter drunk driving and force drunk drivers to “pay for the consequences of their actions,” the article said. Since drivers make conscious choices to drive while drunk, Wagner believes they should be held responsible, and that the new fees would be an effective way of doing so.

The West Virginia Department of Heath and Human Services is being pushed in court to seek federal Medicaid waivers for traumatic brain injury sufferers. The waiver would allow the patients to receive medical services in their homes instead of being forced into institutional care. Half of the money raised by the brain injury bill would be dedicated to the waiver program and the other half would go to those unqualified to receive the waiver.

References:

Knezevich, Alison. (March 2, 2010) “Senate panel removes DUI penalties from brain-injury bill.” Retrieved on March 3, 2010 from the Charleston Gazette Web site: http://sundaygazettemail.com/News/201003020777

Owners of the Trecco Bay caravan park in Porthcawl, UK were recently denied an appeal request over charges levied against them for negligence in a 2005 incident in which a boy suffered a catastrophic traumatic brain injury while using a pool at the park. In October of 2005, Chad Mole “was found lifeless with blue lips in the “bubble lounger” area of Splashland on the Trecco Bay caravan park,” according to a BBC News article. The boy was reportedly severely disabled by the injury he incurred at the park.

Police filed no charges after the incident, but the Brigen County Borough Council filed charges in 2008 against Upper Bay Limited, the owners of the park, under the Health and Safety Act. BBC News reported that “The prosecution claims that Upper Bay Limited failed to ensure Chad was not exposed to health and safety risks, but the company denies the charge.”  The prosecution claimed that the park was not sufficiently staffed and did not have proper safeguards in place to prevent injuries from occurring.

An onlooker, Joesph Coffey, found the boy floating underwater in the Jacuzzi-styled lounger at the deep end of the pool. At first, he thought the boy was playing a game, but he soon realized the seriousness of the situation. “He scooped him out of the water and shouted for help. Chad was limp and his lips were blue,” the BBC article noted. No lifeguards had spotted the boy, and a high chair near the deep end of the pool was empty. Mole’s parents were reportedly occupied with watching their younger child. The prosecution alleged that “There was a total lack of care in ensuring that this young boy didn’t have a risk of drowning,” the article said.

Now, five years after the incident, the park owners lost their case in court and have been fined £150,000. In the first trial against Upper Bay Limited, a jury was unable to reach a verdict. They lost their second trial, and most recently, the Lord Chief Justice, Mr. Roderick Evans and Justice Mr. Griffith Williams denied an appeal by the company to overturn the fines levied against them. We wish the Mole family the best possible outcome for their son.

References:

BBC News Staff. (March 2, 2010) “Appeal lost on Halesown boy’s Porthcawl pool injury.” Retrieved on March 3, 2010 from the BBC News Web site: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/8545974.stm

BBC News Staff. (November 10, 2008) “Boy had ‘catastrophic’ injury.” Retrieved on March 3, 2010 from the BBC News Web site: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/south_east/7720997.stm

The Canadian Paraplegic Association (CPA) of Ontario, Canada organized their third annual wheelchair relay challenge in Peterborough to raise money and awareness for spinal cord injury sufferers of Canada. The event brought in $11,000 last year and $7,500 this year, according to a Peterborough Examiner article. The relay, in addition to providing fun and challenge to wheelchair-bound athletes, also exhibits the profound abilities of the athletes for able-bodied people to see. Amy Gagne of CPA Ontario told the Peterborough Examiner that the relay gives “people who are able bodied a learning tool of how people in a wheelchair function from day to day.”

One of the relay team members, Krijn de Rijke of Peterborough, plays sledge hockey and wheelchair basketball, and he does not suffer from a spinal cord injury. He takes part in the events to experience life from a wheelchair. He said, “You get to see life from a different perspective. I think it’s very hard to understand what people are going through until you go through it yourself,” in the article.

The Peterborough wheelchair relay was just one of 15 similar events held across Ontario in February 2010.  The CPA Ontario has further events planned for March of this year. The Windsor Wheelchair Relay Challenge will take place on Sunday, March 28, 2010 in Windsor, Ontario. The CPA Ontario website said, “Push yourself to the limit with the 3rd Annual Wheelchair Relay Challenge. RACE with your team around a course with other hardcore wheelers, or cruise the course at your own pace. Whether an individual or part of a team, register today and join us as we raise money to support individuals with a spinal cord injury achieve self-reliance.”

A Lindsay Post article reported the purpose of the wheelchair relay events is to, “help people better understand the experience of using a wheelchair and to raise funds for those with physical disabilities.” We congratulate CPA Ontario and all participants for their inspiring persistence and determination in organizing and participating in these important events.

References:

Isaacson, Fiona. (March 2, 2010) “Wheelchair relay raises funds and awareness.” Retrieved on March 3, 2010 from the Peterborough Examiner Web site: http://www.thepeterboroughexaminer.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2471133

The Lindsay Post Staff. (February 12, 2010) “Wheelchair proving no obstacle.” Retrieved on March 5, 2010 from the Lindsay Post Web site: http://www.thepost.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2446662

CPA Ontario. (March 3, 2010) “Windsor Wheelchair Relay Challenge.” Retrieved on March 5, 2010 from the CPA Ontario Web site: http://www.cpaont.org/events

Researchers from the bioengineering and kinesiology departments at the University of Maryland have pioneered a novel method of using electroencephalography to monitor and decode brainwaves. The brainwaves in question hold the potential to communicate with and control computers and prosthetic devices. It was previously assumed that that electrodes would have to be implanted into the brain to achieve these results, but the new development makes use of noninvasive electrodes on the scalp, according to an article in Scientific American.

Neuroscientist and electrical engineer Jose Contreras-Vidal heads up the team of researchers who reported in the March issue of The Journal of Neuroscience that they have discovered a method of decoding brainwaves mathematically into clear communication that will translate into movement. He told Scientific American, “This means we can use a noninvasive method to develop the next generation of brain–computer interface machines. It can expand considerably the range of clinical and rehabilitative applications.” The noninvasive method involves an “electrode covered head cap.” The only downside is a bit of messy conductive gel rubbed onto the scalp; a small trade-off for spinal cord injury sufferers who regain the ability to walk and move.

The development of the new technology by Contreras-Vidal and his team hold far reaching implications for those suffering with traumatic brain injuries spinal cord injuries, and degenerative brain and spinal cord disorders. Healthy volunteers have already demonstrated the ability to move cursors on a screen and to move an artificial arm using nothing more than their brain waves, the article said. The electrode cap gives scientists the ability to decode information from the entire brain, so even when a patient has suffered damage to one part of the brain, another part may compensate and still provide enough information to evoke movement by way of computer interfaces.

The first patients to test the devices will be stroke victims and below-elbow amputees. In addition to visual feedback, Contreras-Vidal said his team plans to integrate other forms of sensory feedback into their devices to provide more control over the devices.

References:

Moisse, Katie. (March 2, 2010) “No Impants Needed: Movement-Generating Brain Waves Detected and Decoded Outside the Head.” Retrieved on March 3, 2010 from the Scientific American Web site: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=brain-controlled-movement


Pentagon officials announced on March 2, 2010 that troops exposed to blast waves from roadside bombs in Iraq and Afghanistan will be removed from combat for 24 hours before they can be cleared to return to the front lines, according to a CNN article. Up to 300,000 troops from both Middle Eastern fronts might be suffering from traumatic brain injuries incurred mainly from ominous roadside blasts, the article noted. Even when there is no sign of physical damage, the brain suffers from the pressure exerted from the blasts.

All troops within 55 yards of a blast or whose vehicles have been hit by an explosion will be subject to evaluation by field medics for a minimum of 24 hours before they are allowed to return to duty. “In that daylong period, the individuals would be checked for headaches, memory or concentration loss, ringing ears and blurred vision,” the article added. Soldiers who show any of these signs of suffering a concussion will be withheld from duty until their condition shows signs of improvement.

The Secretary of Defense will issue the new Pentagon policy, but most of it was composed and inspired by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen. Adm. Mullen has been drawing attention to the high numbers of traumatic brain injuries suffered by troops in the past few years. “The sooner you are able to treat somebody and get it right, the higher the probability you’ll reduce the long-term impacts. So speed is really important here,” Mullen told CNN.

According to both CNN and USA Today, the Pentagon will issue the official policy in the next few weeks. Soldiers are already being trained to understand and enact the new policy. The crafters of the policy hope that it will reduce the number of successive concussions, as well as lessening the severity of the damage and long-term symptoms associated with traumatic brain injuries.

References:

Mount, Mike. (March 2, 2010) “Pentagon will pull troops in bomb attacks from battle for 24 hours.” Retrieved on March 3, 2010 from the CNN Web site: http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/03/02/pentagon.brain.injury/

Ozarks First Staff. (March 2, 2010) “Pentagon To Begin Pulling Soldiers From Combat After Roadside Bomb Blasts.” Retrieved on March 3, 2010 from the Ozarks First Web site: http://ozarksfirst.com/content/fulltext/?cid=240601

Zoroya, Gregg. (March 2, 2010) “Pentagon focuses on brain trauma.” Retrieved on March 3, 2010 from the USA Today Web site: http://www.usatoday.com/news/military/2010-03-01-traumatic-brain-injury_N.htm

On July 19, 2009, a minivan crashed into the bicycle of Canadian Robert Wein while he was riding in a bike lane in Kanata, Canada. The hit-and-run accident left Wein with a traumatic brain injury and four of his friends were injured. Wein was left with no memory of the terrible incident. An article in the Ottawa Citizen reported that he could not relate his confused state of mind to the brain injury he had suffered. Finally, toward the end of 2009, Wein realized fully that he had suffered a serious blow in the accident.

Now, Wein struggles to relearn how to relate to his body, how to walk properly, balance, and remember the names of his friends and associates. The fateful crash took place only a week after Wein, who was in prime physical condition, had completed a triathlon. In addition to the brain injury, Wein also sustained an injury to his abdomen, a collapsed lung, severe road rash, and a broken rib, according to the Ottawa Citizen article.

Wein was wearing a bicycle helmet when he was hit by the minivan, but it shattered when he hit the ground. He was unconscious in the hospital after the crash and doctors told his family he might never regain consciousness. The Glasgow Coma scale score the doctors gave him suggested only a 50 percent chance of living through the injury.

After three weeks in an induced coma to reduce the swelling on his brain, doctors allowed Wein to awaken and began teaching him how to eat food and swallow again. Eventually, he was moved from the Elisabeth Bruyere Hospital to the Ottawa Rehabilitation Centre. When he first landed at the center, he required a wheelchair and needed assistance to turn over in bed. He could barely move the wheelchair with his arms. The brain injury had left his short term memory and motor control in less than perfect states.

Wein wears an eyepatch to correct his double vision. He told the Citizen, “That way at least it looks like I’m injured,” he says, grinning again. “I want to fit in here.” After months of rehabilitation, Wein is on the way to teaching his brain how to repair itself and to allow him to use his body the ways he used to. He walks with the use of a walker, and his memory improves slightly, day by day.

After another month in the rehabilitation centre, Wein plans to move to the Robin Easey Centre to get assistance with his daily living skills. We wish Robert Wein a full recovery.

References:

Duffy, Andrew. (February 19, 2010) “After the crash.” Retrieved on February 22, 2010 from the Ottawa Citizen Web site: http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/After+crash/2587362/story.html

A massive clinical trial began this month to determine the effectiveness of the female sex hormone progesterone as a treatment for brain injury patients. An earlier study of 100 patients revealed that receiving progesterone shortly after incurring a brain injury reduced the death rate by half and led to an improvement in patients’ ability to recover compared to a control group who received a placebo, according to a Guardian article.

The clinical trial will include 1,140 randomly assigned brain injury patients who arrive in emergency rooms at hospitals in 15 states within 11 hours of their injuries. “The trial is the final step before application for a license to use the hormone as a standard treatment for brain injury. Progesterone is cheap and already approved for other medical uses,” the article reported. Patients will receive either a three-day course of progesterone treatments or a placebo.

If progesterone proves as effective at treating brain injuries as it did in the initial 100-patient trial, it stands to become the “first new treatment for three decades to boost patients’ chances of surviving and recovering from a major brain injury,” the Guardian article noted. Inspiration for the initial progesterone trials arose when doctors discovered that women had better outcomes and responses to therapy after brain injuries than men did. A professor involved in the study, Donald Stein, told the Guardian that medical teams found that progesterone had protective effects on brain cells and tissues.

Two years ago, doctors at Zhejian University in China conducted a progesterone trial on 159 brain injury patients. Progesterone was given to 82 of the patients, and a placebo was given to the rest. While not as conclusive as the 100-patient study, the Chinese doctors found that, “Out of the 40 patients who died of their injuries, 32 percent had received a placebo infusion, while only 18% had been given progesterone,” the article said. Further, “Six months after treatment, the patients who received progesterone had recovered better than those who received placebo, suggesting their brains had not been as severely damaged.”

The combined results of the studies point at progesterone as a highly effective treatment for severe brain injuries. It is likely only a matter of time before the hormone receives approval for use in brain injury patients.

References:

Sample, Ian. (February 19, 2010) “Sex hormone progesterone may save lives after brain injury.” Retrieved on February 21, 2010 from the Guardian Web site: http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2010/feb/19/sex-hormone-progesterone-brain-injury

Quickly approaching its first anniversary since opening, the Center for Comprehensive Services Orlando at Avalon Park has featured great success since beginning operation on April 22 last year. In partnership with MENTOR ABI, CCS Orlando has been one of the newest facilities in the MENTOR network, offering a variety of rehabilitative and supportive services for people suffering from brain and spinal cord injuries.

CCS Orlando at Avalon Park is one of five CCS facilities throughout Florida. Other locations include Tampa, Lutz, Sarasota, and St. Augustine. The facilities provide neuropsychological assessment, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech language pathology, dietary consultation, specialized nursing care, physician coverage and individual and family counseling for victims of brain and spinal cord injuries, as well as their loved ones.

The Avalon Park facility is licensed for brain and spinal cord rehabilitation, and is part of a fully-inclusive medical community in southeast Orange County. Housed in the Keith A. Ewing Medical Building, the rehabilitation facility is part of a 1,860-acre neighborhood that offers myriad events and entertainment options for patients. When not utilizing MENTOR’s therapy services, patients and residents can enjoy retail shopping, a wide variety of restaurants, parks, movie theaters, and some of Florida’s top schools.

Avalon’s convenient location makes the facility easily accessible to and from downtown Orlando, the University of Central Florida, and Orlando International Airport.

For additional information about CCS Orlando at Avalon Park, visit the MENTOR Web site at www.thementornetwork.com or for specific information on the services offered at CCS, email Deb Kilgore at deb.kilgore@thementornetwork.com. Information is also available by phone at (321) 354-0023.

Faculty and staff from Blythedale Children’s Hospital, Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital, and the New York Regional Chapter of the Society of Pediatric Nurses (NYRC/SPN) came together on Tuesday, February 23 in Valhalla, New York to hold a comprehensive brain injury symposium.

The conference included a review of case studies as well as a “review of the incidence of brain injury, pathophysiology of injury to the brain, acute treatment and interventions, and the critical aspects of team rehabilitation,” according to a PR Log press release prior to the event. The symposium attendees also gained important insights into the nuances of caring for children with brain injuries.

Prior to the event, the Director of Education at Blythedale Children’s Hospital said, “More than 1.5 million brain injuries occur annually in the United States. Our goal for this conference is to provide education about the broad spectrum of brain injuries, as well as information about equipment that can be used in the rehabilitation process,” according to the press release. The conference was open to the public.

The symposium included guests from the general public, SPN members, hospital employees, and nursing students. Highlights of the symposium included: a talk on “Brain Plasticity and Healing” by Joelle Mast PhD, panel discussions on various case studies, a talk on brain injury specific “Intensive Nursing Care,” and a tour of the Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital. The keynote speaker, Carey Goltzman, M.D., presented a speech on “The Pathophysiology of Brain Injury.”

An information pamphlet on the purpose of the symposium said, “Brain Injury can present as a localized lesion such as an arterio-venous malformation, brain tumor, trauma and/or a diffuse insult such as meningitis or encephalitis. Recovery from different types of insults to the brain may proceed differently. The timing of rehabilitation is extremely important.” Further, the conference pamphlet promised to deliver, “critical information necessary to provide care for a child with brain injury.”

References:

Blythedale Children’s Hospital. (February 21, 2010) “Significant Brain Insult Symposium.” Retrieved on February 22, 2010 from the Blythedale Children’s Hospital Web site: http://www.blythedale.org/pdf/brain-symposium.pdf

PR Log staff. (February 19, 2010) “Blythedale Children’s Hospital to Sponsor Brain Injury Symposium on Feb. 23rd.” Retrieved on February 21, 2010 from the PR Log Web site: http://www.prlog.org/10540222-blythedale-childrens-hospital-to-sponsor-brain-injury-symposium-on-feb-23rd.html