The toxic drug crisis is not only about fatalities. A much larger number of people survive overdoses, and are left with brain injuries. A national strategy to support and treat them is crucial.
Concussions can teach researchers a great deal about how the brain recovers after injury and offer insights into how people can promote brain health throughout their lives.
The genetic evidence behind why some people suffer longer term concussion effects is growing. But what are the ethical considerations that flow from that knowledge when it comes to sport?
Some First Nations women who sustain head injuries from family violence don’t access health care and support. We studied why and found one reason is a fear their children will be taken away.
The Super Bowl is more than a game — it’s an ecosystem of parties, the halftime show, the ads and 100 million people watching despite the sport’s ugly and dangerous side.
David Howell, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
While high-profile concussions in the NFL have brought renewed attention to the gravity of head injuries, they can also occur on the playground or during junior varsity practices – with lasting effects.
Reliance on the support of others after an accident showed philosopher David Newheiser the power of solidarity. We need a similar sense of communal connection in our approach to COVID, he writes.
Some animals use microRNA to protect the brain from various stressors. Understanding how they do this and applying it to humans has potential for revolutionary treatments.
Jeanne Paz, University of California, San Francisco
The molecule C1q has both protective and detrimental effects after traumatic brain injury. Blocking it after injury in mice restored normal brain rhythms during sleep and prevented epileptic spikes.
Gemma Ware, The Conversation and Daniel Merino, The Conversation
Plus, how a team of musicologists and computer scientists completed Beethoven’s unfinished 10th Symphony using AI. Listen to The Conversation Weekly podcast.