Brain Injury

Help Prevent Brain Injuries during National Winter Sports TBI Awareness Month

By Lependorf & Silverstein on January 13, 2015

Winter in New Jersey offers fun sports opportunities for all ages.  Families head out every weekend to enjoy sledding, skiing, snowboarding, ice skating, and hockey.  Like all sports, these offer a great chance to have fun and get exercise, but they also increase the risk of head injuries when certain safety precautions aren’t taken.

Because winter sports hit their peak in January, the first month of the year is recognized as National Winter Sports TBI Awareness Month.  A TBI, or traumatic brain injury, occurs when the head hits, or is hit by, an object. Concussions are a well-known type of TBI that can cause lingering problems with mood, memory, concentration, motor coordination, and speech.  Severe TBIs can cause permanent disability or death. Read the rest »

Harvard Study on Injuries Funded by NFL Players’ Union

By Lependorf & Silverstein on March 29, 2013

Harvard University has been awarded a $100 million grant by the National Football League players’ union.  The grant will fund a comprehensive study of a wide range of health problems and conditions affecting professional football players, such as heart problems and brain injuries.

As reported by Reuters, the study will take place over the next ten years and will focus on hundreds of former NFL players—members of the NFL Players’ Association.  The sad truth is that NFL players frequently suffer long-term damage from years of delivering and taking hits.  The goal of the study, according to Harvard University officials, is to limit that long-term damage. Read the rest »