Children in Escondido can suffer concussions and other types of traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) just as adults can. There are many common causes of TBIs in both kids and adults, including, for example, car crashes and sports-related accidents. According to a recent report in U.S. News & World Report, some sports and recreational activities are much more hazardous than others when it comes to brain injury risks for kids. More specifically, a majority of children who sustain traumatic brain injuries in sports- or recreation-related activities sustain those injuries while playing football or soccer.

CDC Study Discusses Dangers of Contact Sports for Kids

This information about the serious risks of both football and soccer for kids was published in a new study conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). That study emphasized that contact sports are the most dangerous in terms of TBI risks, resulting in approximately 45% of all brain injuries that send kids to emergency departments every year. In general, football was the cause of the highest number of TBIs in male children, while soccer was the leading cause of brain injuries in female children. According to the report, “contact sports resulted in nearly twice as many TBI [emergency department] visits as did non-contact sports and four times those associated with recreation-related activities.”

In order to prevent a high number of TBIs in kids, the report recommended “limiting player-to-player contact” in addition to promoting “rule changes that reduce risk for collisions.” Yet other recreational activities can also pose serious risks of head trauma. For example, in addition to football and soccer, children also frequently suffer brain injuries from playground activities and bicycling.

Learning More About Recreation-Related Concussions in Children

The study analyzed data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System’s All Injury Program, which included information on hundreds of thousands of children. That data showed that, on average, “283,000 children under the age of 18 sought care in emergency departments each year for sports- and recreation-related traumatic brain injuries.” The highest number of reported injuries affected male children between the ages of 10 and 17.

The majority of all TBI reports among children were for concussions. In some cases, however, the head injuries were severe, resulting in cognitive damage and long-term effects. To reduce the risk of a head injury, in addition to paying attention to preventative measures for contact sports, parents should take steps to avoid fall-related injuries. Playgrounds in particular can result in falls from heights, which frequently lead to head trauma and internal injuries.

When a child does suffer a fall or sustain a blow to the head, parents should be aware of the following signs of a child concussion reported by KidsHealth:

• Dizziness;
• Memory loss, or any trouble remembering recent events;
• Nausea;
• Vomiting;
• Headache;
• Blurry vision;
• Light sensitivity;
• Balance problems;
• Concentration or thinking problems;
• Anxiety; and
• Irritability.

Contact an Escondido Brain Injury Attorney

Brain injuries can affect children and adults alike when another party is negligent. If you or someone you love suffered a TBI, you should discuss your options with an Escondido brain injury attorney. A personal injury lawyer at our firm can speak with you today. Contact the Walton Law Firm for more information.

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Sports-related concussions and other types of traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) caused by contact sports have received significant attention in the last decade after numerous athletes showed signs of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). In response to the high rate of brain trauma among youth athletes and professional athletes in contact sports in particular, researchers began engaging in in-depth studies surrounding football and head injuries. According to a recent study conducted at the University of Michigan, high school football players may have concussion biomarkers after taking a hit to the head without showing obvious symptoms.

This new research could help to prevent additional injuries among high school athletes, and it could ensure that youth football players receive the medical treatment and rest they need after suffering a mild TBI, even if they are not showing symptoms of a concussion.

Symptoms of Concussions May Not be Enough to Assess Likelihood of a TBI

According to Dr. Jacob Joseph, a neurosurgery resident at Michigan Medicine who was the lead author of the new study, “in high school football players, there is biochemical evidence of brain injury after a single high-impact hit to the head, even when the athlete is asymptomatic.” In other words, a youth football player might take a hit to the head, show absolutely no obvious signs of a concussion to the coach or athletic trainer, and the athlete might go back onto the field with a serious head injury. The results of the study were published in the Journal of Neurosurgery.

The University of Michigan Health Lab noted that, although coaches and athletic trainers now “talk with the athlete and determine if the player will sit out the rest of the game” after the player sustains a hit or bump to the head, “this might not be enough.” To be sure, “the subtle symptoms of head trauma can elude coaches and players alike.” This study is the first of its kind to suggest that there are biomarkers for brain injury even when symptoms do not appear to allow for a concussion diagnosis.

Continuing to Play Football After a Head Injury can Have Disastrous Results

It is extremely important for football players of all ages, but especially youth athletes, to stop playing after sustaining a head injury. Coaches and athletic trainers already have some difficulty keeping players off the field after a hit to the head because players lie about their symptoms or simply fail to report them. Going back onto the football field after a concussion—even if the player does not have symptoms and does not realize that he or she has been concussed—can have devastating results. The injury can alter the player’s ability to concentrate and focus in the long run, and the head injury could have lifelong consequences.

This new research could change the way that coaches and athletic trainers handle hits to the head among players. While there is still a substantial amount of research to be done on the topic, the research ultimately could allow players to know if they have brain injury biomarkers after taking a hit to the head with a simple blood test on the sidelines. In the meantime, the authors of the study urge coaches and athletic trainers to take a player out of the game when there is a hit to the head, regardless of whether the player shows signs of a concussion.

Contact an Escondido Brain Injury Attorney

If your child sustained a TBI while playing youth sports, you may be able to file a claim. An Escondido brain injury attorney can help. Contact the Walton Law Firm to discuss your case in more detail.

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If your teenager plays contact sports or engages in other activities in San Clemente that increases his or her risk of a concussion, is it better to avoid these sports altogether? Do the benefits of team sports and individual recreational activities outweigh the potential harms associated with a mild traumatic brain injury (TBI)? According to a recent report from NPR, teens may be sustaining concussions at a higher rate than most parents would like to believe. The report cites a research letter that was recently published in the peer-reviewed journal JAMA, which indicates that “approximately 20 percent of teens . . . have been diagnosed with at least one concussion.”

What is causing teen concussions at such a high rate? What steps can parents take to reduce the risk of a TBI altogether, and to ensure that their child heals properly after sustaining a head trauma?

High School Students Surveyed About History of Head Injuries

The recent research letter in JAMA examined questionnaire responses from Monitoring the Future (MTF), an annual study run by the University of Michigan Survey Research Center. It surveys high school students from states across the country “about their behaviors and attitudes.” In total, the authors of the letter in JAMA looked at approximately 13,000 questionnaire responses in crafting their letter.

One of those authors, Philip Veliz, asked that the survey pose a new question to students completing the survey for the 2016 year: Have you ever had a concussion? As Veliz explains, simply knowing the rate of concussion among teenagers can help us to understand “prevalence rates and factors that correlate with the injury.” The MTF survey gathered information from teens in a relatively broad age range, from grades eight through twelve (in other words, kid aged 13 through 18). About 50% of the students were female, 47% were white, 19% were Hispanic, and 13% were Black.

Teens Who Play Contact Sports Have High Rates of Concussion

When teens sustain head injuries while playing contact sports, relatively few seek treatment in an emergency department. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that only about 4-5% of teens who suffer head injuries go to an emergency room. Some visit their family doctors instead, and some simply do not seek treatment at all. Previous surveys have reported that around 25% of all adults have sustained at least one concussion in their lifetimes. Based on the results of the current survey, it looks as though a large number of those concussions occur during the young adults years.

In most cases of teen concussions, the head injuries occurred during contact sports. The authors of the research letter noted higher rates of concussions among older white male teens, but more generally, they tended to see concussion rates spike for those who played the following sports:

• Football;
• Ice hockey; and
• Wrestling.

After a teen sustains a concussion, it is extremely important to seek medical attention and to follow a physician’s instructions for proper healing. Can parents also prevent concussions? The results of the survey suggest that contact sports simply may not be safe for teens, especially when so many concussions occur. At the same time, the survey does rely on students’ responses (as opposed to official medical documents). As such, the actual rate of concussion could be lower or even higher, depending upon students who misidentified injuries as well as students who sustained concussions but did not seek medical treatment.

Contact a San Clemente Brain Injury Lawyer

If your teen sustained a serious head trauma, an experienced San Clemente brain injury attorney can assist you. Contact the Walton Law Firm today.

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Is high school football in San Marcos really as dangerous as scientists and physicians have been suggesting? Does playing high school football increase young athletes’ risk for sports-related concussions and more serious traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), in addition to placing them in danger of developing the degenerative brain condition known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE)? Most physicians would say, in general, yes. However, according to a new study published in JAMA Neurology, not all high school football players appear to have sustained long-term damage from playing the sport in their youth. High school football players in the 1950s did not, on the whole, show signs of cognitive impairment.

This study appears to call into question some of the recent research on TBIs and high school football. What are the key takeaways from this study, and should this research change the way we manage the risk of brain injuries in contact sports?

Study Explores Link Between Youth Sports-Related Concussions and Long-Term Cognitive Health

One of the primary reasons for the study, according to its authors, is that we simply do not have enough information about how sports-related concussions sustained by youth athletes affects their long-term cognitive and mental health. The authors emphasize that most of the reports we have seen on CTE in retired professional football players come from posthumous examinations of those players’ donated brains, and such investigations may be “affected by referral bias.” It is particularly difficult, then, to make assessments concerning the long-term brain health of high school football players, especially when they do not continue playing the sport in college or at the professional level.

The researchers in this study emphasize that “there has been limited work examining the association of playing high school football with cognitive impairment and depression later in life.” Some studies have taken place, but there have been no randomized clinical trials, and research in general has had some conflicting outcomes.

In order to provide a more complete assessment of the TBI risks of high school football, the researchers proposed a “matched observational study.” In the study, they took a random sampling of thousands of Wisconsin high school graduates from 1957, and then looked specifically at graduates who had played football. They controlled for issues such as “adolescent IQ, family background, and educational level.” The ultimate goal was to “estimate the association of playing high school football with cognitive impairment and depression at 65 years of age.”

No Statistically Significant Link Between High School Football and Cognitive Impairment

The results of the study are surprising given recent work on football and head trauma. In assessing the cases of 3,904 individual men who played high school football, the researchers determined that “there was no statistically significant harmful association of playing football with a reduced composite cognition score.” The study also reported that, after adjusting for control factors, “playing football did not have a significant adverse association with . . . the likelihood of heavy alcohol use at 65 years of age” or with other outcomes such as depression, anger, anxiety, or hostility.

What can we take away from the study? Generally speaking, more research needs to be done on brain injury risks and high school football. In the meantime, if your child suffered a concussion or a serious TBI while playing high school sports, a San Marcos brain injury lawyer can discuss your options with you. Contact the Walton Law Firm today to learn more about filing a brain injury claim.

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(Photo by João Victor Xavier)

For youth athletes or college football players in San Diego County, it is important to understand the potentially hazardous effects of enduring a hit to the head during practice or play. A sports-related concussion can lead to long-term consequences, and may impact the likelihood of the player developing chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) later in life. While we know that mild traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) like concussions can have serious effects, we still do not know precisely how a hit to the head impacts a player’s brain at the time of the hit. However, according to a recent article in The New York Times, a newly developed mouth guard with motion sensors may help to clarify the process of sustaining a concussion.

What Happens to a Brain After a Hit to the Head?

As the article clarifies, the information researchers have used primarily in determining what happens to a brain during a hit to the head has been acquired through helmets that have sensors in them. However, this technique has proven to be somewhat problematic because “the helmet can move independently of the skull.” According to Dr. Robert Cantu, a clinical professor of neurosurgery at Boston University’s School of Medicine, “the forces you’re measuring with those are not really exactly what the brain is seeing.” As such there was an urgent need to develop a new kind of technology that could more accurately record the effects of a hit to the head on a player’s skull.

To address this need, David Camarillo, a bioengineer at Stanford University, developed a mouth guard with motion sensors along with his research team at the Cam Lab. Camarillo and other researchers “have speculated that the most damaging blows are those that cause the head to snap quickly from ear to ear . . . or those that cause a violent rotation or twisting of the head through a glancing blow.” Since the wiring of the brain runs, in effect, from left to ride instead of front to back, the direction in which a player is struck in the head can have dramatically different consequences. According to Camarillo, “in football, the presence of the face mask can make that sort of twisting even more extreme.”

Current Helmets Do Not Adequately Protect Football Players

The data from the mouth guard sensors was used to demonstrate what happens to a football player’s brain when taking a hit to the head from the side—the more damaging of the types of hits a player can sustain. The researchers found that a “wave-like stretching throughout the brain’s tissue” occurred, and that “the tissue continued to stretch throughout the brain even in the moments after impact.” And even less-invasive hits that do not concuss the player can, over time, contribute to serious damage to the brain.

What does this research mean in the short term? In short, the way in which football helmets currently are constructed is insufficient to protect the brain from concussions and CTE. As Camarillo explains, he and his research team hope that, with additional research, helmet design will change to better protect players.

Contact a San Diego Personal Injury Attorney

At the Walton Law Firm, we are committed to helping San Diego County residents who have sustained brain injuries. An experienced brain injury lawyer in San Diego can speak with you about your case today. Contact us for more information about our services.

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(image courtesy of Ed Yourdon)

If you have a child who plays contact sports, chances are you already have some concerns about the risks of traumatic brain injury (TBI) or concussions. But what happens when the safety gear that is supposed to be protecting our kids—such as youth football helmets—is not actually safe for use? In other words, do we also need to be worried about defective products that are intended to prevent our children from sustaining serious injuries while they are playing sports? According to a recent report from ABC News, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issued a recall for a series of youth football helmets that may crack. What happens when a football helmet cracks? In short, young athletes may sustain severe yet preventable head traumas.

Details of the Recent Youth Football Helmet Recall

As the report explains, the CPSC has issued a large recall for potentially dangerous products that could cause serious child injuries. The federal agency has not recalled just a small number of these potentially dangerous helmets. Rather, the CPSC issued a recall for 6,000 helmets due to the risk of serious head injury. And multiple helmets are impacted by the recall, including:

• Xenith Epic Varsity;
• X2 Varsity;
• X2E Varsity; and
• Other youth football helmets that have “a gloss or metallic-painted polycarbonate shell.”

The helmets that have been targeted by the recall were either sold or were factory-reconditioned (meaning parents could have purchased one of the helmets in “refurbished” or “reconditioned” condition) between the dates of May 2, 105 and March 18, 2016. As you can see, the helmets were sold for more than a year.

What should you do if your child currently is using one of the helmets listed? The CPSC recall emphasizes that all football players should “immediately stop using the recalled helmets.” In addition to targeting parents, the recall also points out the players and coaches should be on the lookout for any of these helmets. In the event that your child is currently using one of the recalled Xenith products, you should contact the company immediately for a free replacement. According to the report, the dangerous products were sold at a number of different sporting goods stores, both in-person and online, and the costs ranged from $140 to $400. Helmets in multiple sizes and colors have been impacted by the recall.

Preventing Concussions on the Football Field

Thus far, the company Xenith has learned that 29 of the youth football helmets have cracked on the field, but no athletes have reported injuries. In addition to paying careful attention to the helmet your child uses, a fact sheet from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also recommends the following tips for keeping your teen football players safe during practice and games:

• Work closely with coaches and other players to develop a “culture of safety” on the team;
• Encourage your child to report any signs of concussions experienced by other players;
• Emphasize the importance of taking enough time to recover in the event that your child does sustain a concussion;
• Require your child to follow all safety rules established by the coach and the league; and
• Encourage your child to “practice good sportsmanship at all times.”

The CDC emphasizes that, although there are currently no football helmets that are “concussion-proof,” helmets, when worn properly, can help to prevent the risk of a serious brain injury or head trauma.

If your child got hurt because of a defective helmet, you may be able to file a claim. An experienced San Diego product liability lawyer can help. Contact the Walton Law Firm today.

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(image courtesy of Talento Tec)

Given the enormous attention to sports-related concussions and the long-term implications of traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) for professional athletes, it should not come as a surprise that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) developed a brain injury study. What has come as a surprise, however, are allegations that the NFL “improperly attempted to influence the grant review process” for that study, according to a recent report from NFL.com. The allegations came through a report issued by New Jersey Rep. Frank Pallone following concerns about bias.

Do the recent allegations suggest that certain studies may not be providing accurate information about the dangers of NFL concussions and rates of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) among ex-football players? To better understand the implications of Pallone’s report, we should take a closer look at the specific allegations levied against the NFL.

Details of the Congressional Report What are all of the allegations contained within the congressional report? According to a recent article from ESPN.com, the report is 91 pages in length, and it “describes how the NFL pressured the National Institutes of Health to strip the $16 million project [a brain injury study] from a prominent Boston University researcher and tried to redirect the money to members of the league’s committee on brain injuries.” In 2012, the NFL provided an “unrestricted gift” of $30 million for this study, but the congressional report suggests that the NFL has interfered unfairly with its use.

Specifically, the report alleges that the “NFL’s actions violated policies that prohibit private donors from interfering in the NIH peer-review process,” and that the NFL’s recent behavior was in line with “a long-standing pattern of attempts by the league to shape concussion research for its own purposes,” according to ESPN.com. The report is the product of an investigation that began back in December 2015 following a report from Outside the Lines about the NFL’s backpedaling from the NIH study. The primary goal of the study was to find a way to detect CTE in living patients, providing hope for treatment.

According to Pallone’s language in the report, “our investigation has shown that, while the NFL had been publicly proclaiming its role as funder and accelerator of important research, it was privately attempting to influence that research.” Without the NFL’s financial involvement in the study, taxpayers may have to bear the burden of funding the important research.

Taxpayer Burdens and Brain Injury Research Funding As the NFL.com report explains, the NFL has not attempted to redirect or pull all of the $30 million initially allocated for brain injury research. Since the gift in 2012, about $12 million has already been earmarked for pathology studies on CTE. Given that the disease can only currently be diagnosed postmortem, much research has focused on studying the brains of former, deceased NFL players who exhibited symptoms of CTE during their lifetimes.

However, the congressional report focuses on $16 million of that NFL gift that the league allegedly has attempted to redirect. It is extremely important, Pallone articulates, to uphold the integrity of scientific research conducted through the NIH. According to ESPN.com, Pallone hopes that the congressional report will urge the NFL to change the way it approaches brain injury studies and to commit to an ethics of research funding.

In the meantime, if you or someone you love sustained sports-related concussions and have symptoms of CTE, you may be able to file a claim for compensation. An experienced brain injury lawyer in San Diego can assist with your case. Contact the Walton Law Firm today for more information.

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Just how pervasive are concussions and other forms of traumatic brain injury (TBI) among professional athletes? According to a recent article in MedPage Today, a recent study determined that more than 40% of all former NFL players show signs of having experienced TBI. In other words, many—if not all—of those former players could be at risk of developing chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative disease of the brain that results from a “history of repetitive brain trauma,” according to an information sheet from the Boston University CTE Center.

Will these new findings impact the ways in which players approach the game? Or do we need even more evidence of the severity of football injuries in order to change the way the sport is played?

MRI Scans Showed Signs of Brain Injury How did the recent study look for signs of TBI among former NFL players? According to Francis Conidi, one of the researchers who is also the head of the Florida Center for Headache and Sports Neurology in Port St. Lucie, as well as a Florida State University faculty member, the study looked at 40 ex-players. They had those former players undergo diffusion tensor MRI scans, which showed traumatic brain injury markers in 43% of the former players (17 people).

How does this MRI technology work? In short, it looks for levels of water movement, and it can detect signs of traumatic brain injury when levels of water movement are below the same level for healthy people who are in the same age group. As Conidi explained at the American Academy of Neurology’s annual meeting, the former players determined to have TBI showed water movement on their MRI scans that were “2.5 standards deviations below those of healthy people of the same age.” Those scans, the article clarifies, “measured the amount of damage to the brain’s white matter, which connects different brain regions, based on the movement of water molecules in the brain tissue.”

Need for More Studies Involving Retired NFL Players When Conidi gave his presentation to members of the American Academy of Neurology, he articulated that the recent study was one of the largest to investigate signs of concussions in retired NFL players. The results of the study suggest that we need to see more research involving ex-players in order to better determine the dangers of playing professional football.

According to A. Gordon Smith, the University of Utah School of Medicine’s vice chair of research and chief of neuromuscular medicine, the implications of this study could be far-reaching. Not only should current NFL players and their families consider the findings as relevant to their personal health, but those involved in youth sports as well as “the larger landscape of brain injury” should think carefully about the MRI results and the implications of work as a professional athlete. As Conidi explained, “we found that longer careers placed the athletes at a higher risk of traumatic brain injury.” In addition, Conidi clearly connected the study’s findings to CTE, noting that “this research in living players sheds light on the possible pathological changes consistent with chronic traumatic encephalopathy that may be taking place.”

If you or someone you love got hurt while playing sports and sustained a brain injury, you may be able to file a claim for compensation. An experienced San Diego brain injury attorney can discuss your options with you. Contact the Walton Law Firm today to learn more about how we can help.

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Typically, fictionalized film versions of real-life events often do not have a significant impact on the way youth athletes play football or make decisions about sports-related concussions. However, according to a recent report from NPR, the movie Concussion is seriously affecting decisions made by high school football players and their families. The film details the traumatic brain injury (TBI) research of Dr. Bennet Omalu, “the doctor who was the first to publish research on the degenerative brain disease he called chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE.”

High School Athletes Deciding Against Future Play For Californians who have not heard of CTE or its effects, it is a degenerative disease of the brain that appears to develop as a result of multiple hits to the head that cause concussions. Given that football players commonly experience multiple concussions over their careers, CTE has become known as a serious risk for professional athletes. Nw, it looks as though youth players are also reconsidering the risks inherent in contact sports.

Could growing debates about CTE, and the ways in which multiple concussions can lead to debilitating symptoms in adulthood, actually change the way in which high school football players approach the sport? It seems as though the ever-expanding news about the risks of CTE and sports-related concussions could indeed prevent high schoolers from continuing to take the field in college and afterward. For instance, one high school football player interviewed for the NPR report, John Castello, indicated that “he turned down multiple football scholarships” after seeing the movie Concussion.

The film alone, which stars Will Smith as Dr. Bennet Omalu, was not the only factor in Castello’s decision to stop playing football once he reaches college. Rather, the movie encouraged him to do his own research into CTE findings and the high rate at which this disease appears to affect football players. According to Castello, “I watched interviews with Dr. Omalu and that kind of really gave me some insight onto what could happen if I kept on playing football and some of the injuries that could occur.”

Assessing the Long-Term Consequences of High School Injuries Until he saw Concussion, Castello admitted that he had not considered the long-term consequences of a high school football injury. Castello sustained a brain injury during play last year, but he did not consider that he could experience serious consequences years later as a result of that head trauma. As he told NPR, “I kind of just shrugged it off, didn’t think it was much of anything.” Once he viewed Concussion, however, he realized that playing football and sustaining concussions on the field could have lifelong repercussions.

After thinking more about the potentially debilitating impact of concussions, Castello decided to turn down several college football scholarships. While the young athlete’s family does not have the ability to pay for his college education, he told NPR, “I’d rather be paying off student loans than having trouble getting down the stairs . . . in the morning.”

It is important for high school athletes to have sustained brain injuries to know that they may be eligible to file a claim for compensation. An experienced San Diego brain injury attorney can help. Contact the Walton Law Firm today for more information.

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How is the NFL handling increasing pressure to take preventive measures when it comes to sports-related concussions that occur with surprising frequency in professional football? According to a recent article from CNBC, the NFL “believes one of the best ways to ensure the longevity of its sports—as well as all sports—is to make sure athletes are equipped with the latest and most advanced technologies to prevent traumatic brain injuries.” In other words, the NFL’s answer to sports safety advocates is that we need more science and better technological innovations to keep players from sustaining life-threatening head trauma. The answer to concussion concerns, the league suggests, is not an end to the game of football.

New Technology and the Head Health Challenge Last year the NFL along with GE and Under Armour sponsored a “Head Health Challenge,” which gave researchers an opportunity to “invent ways to improve safety in sports by helping to prevent head injuries.” This year the NFL partnered with GE and Under Armour for the second year of competition. According to Jeff Miller, the NFL Senior Vice President of Health and Safety Policy, the Head Health Challenge II emphasizes the league’s commitment to keeping players on the field safely by applying new technologies and scientific innovations to head-injury prevention.

The competition, as the article points out, is one portion of the Head Health Initiative—a $60 million plan that was initiated in 2013 by both the NFL and its partner, GE, to “advance diagnosis and treatment of concussions.” Researchers who have invested time and energy into the project contend that it is not only about football-related concussions, or sports-related head traumas altogether. GE’s director of community and government strategy contended that the Head Health Initiative may be able to help us understand the relationship between traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) and degenerative conditions such as ALS, Parkinson’s disease, and Alzheimer’s disease.

Focus on Science with Release of Concussion Film As CNBC notes, the NFL’s continued emphasis on scientific innovation with regard to TBI prevention coincides with the release of the film Concussion. The film traces the medical discovery of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and its link to sports-related concussions. NFL officials have indicated that the film will serve to raise more awareness about head injuries in football, which will hopefully result in continued scientific research into injury prevention methods.

As researchers continue to make new discoveries about the long-term risks of concussions, players and their families will be in a better and more informed position about whether or not they are willing to take those risks by participating in the sport.

Examples of new technologies developed through the Head Health Initiative that could help to limit concussions include but are not limited to:

• New helmets that “protect against fractures and concussions”;
• Protective turf underlayers; and
• Rate-dependent tethers that prevent the head from “snapping or whipping when a high-speed, high-force event occurs.”

In the meantime, athletes continue to be at risk of serious TBIs and long-term health risks as a result of multiple concussions. If you or someone you love suffered concussions while playing football, you should discuss your case with an experienced San Diego brain injury attorney. Do not hesitate to contact the Walton Law Firm to find out more about how we can help you.

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Eight high school football players in the country have already died from sports-related injuries sustained this season. With increased focus across the nation on the risks of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and high school sports, officials in California have decided to take a closer look at the future of high school football in our state. According to a recent article in the Contra Costa Times, in response to football fatalities, “the administrator who oversees high school athletics in California raised concerns this week about the sport’s future.

Critical Juncture in High School Football

Does high school football have a future in the San Diego area? Or do the risks of traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries (SCIs), and other serious wounds outweigh student and parent interest in allowing the sport to continue? Roger Blake, the executive director of the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF), suggested that we may not see football being played at high schools in a handful of years: “I think honestly—and I say this in all sincerity—I think high school football, we’re at a critical juncture in the next two to three years.”

What could lead the administrator to shut down football programs at local high schools? Blake explained that the CIF is “going to have to watch and look at the medical science and see what the community says about the future.” It is not just California schools that could put an end to high school football. Blake emphasized that school districts and athletics programs across the country are all at the same “critical juncture.”

Keeping Sports-Related Injuries in Perspective

While it is possible that the CIF could reevaluate the risks and reward of high school football in the coming years, Blake emphasized that it is important for parents and school officials to keep the number of fatal sports-related accidents in perspective. As he explained, there are “more kids involved in tragic accidents in cars at 15 years old than the 1.1 million high school football players playing.” In other words, more students sustain deadly injuries in car accidents each year—by far—than do students on football fields. Yet that fact alone cannot be enough to maintain support for a sport that may be putting youth athletes at unnecessary risk of injury.

Blake indicated that the CIF wants to focus on ways to make the game safer for teenagers in California high schools. While the CIF pays close attention to medical reports about sports-related concussions, TBIs, and other catastrophic injuries. The focus of the CIF, however, remains on making football (and other contact sports) safer without eradicating such athletics programs altogether. The article noted that, while Blake discussed the CIF’s position on sports-related injuries and high school football, another young player sustained fatal injuries on the football field.

Sports-related injuries can be debilitating and even deadly. Football players are at serious risk of suffering traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, and other catastrophic injuries on the field. In many cases, these injuries could have been prevented. If your child suffered a severe sports-related injury, you may be able to file a claim for compensation. You should discuss your case with an aggressive San Diego brain injury lawyer as soon as possible. Contact the Walton Law Firm today to learn more about our services.

See Related Blog Posts: New Report on Football-Related Brain Injuries and CTE https://www.northcountyinjurylawyers.com/2015/09/would-a-soccer-heading-ban-end-traumatic-brain-injuries.html

Over the last five years or so, new research on sports-related concussions and the long-term effects of mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) has yielded startling results. According to a recent article from CNN News, a team of researchers just reported findings that may suggest chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) occurs more often than we previously suspected. As a brief reminder, CTE is a degenerative brain condition that can ultimately produce debilitating and life-altering effects.

Majority of Former NFL Players Suffered from Degenerative Condition

The new study concluded that 87 out of 91 former NFL players studied—96% of all former players examined—suffered from the degenerative brain condition known as CTE. Currently, CTE can only be diagnosed with certainty after death. As such, the recent research focused on the brain of 91 former NFL players who had donated their brains to science for the purpose of learning more about the long-term effects of head trauma on athletes.

CTE is linked most notably to “repeated head trauma and multiple concussions,” according to the researchers from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and Boston University. Scientists do not yet know why some players develop CTE and others do not. Not all NFL players who sustain multiple hits to the head during the course of their careers will suffer from this debilitating condition, yet the recent findings suggest that a majority of players may have to contend with this destructive condition.

While researchers feel relatively certain that you will not develop this condition unless you have a history of repetitive trauma to the brain, the new data suggests that CTE may be more common than athletes have previously believed. CTE is not a condition that develops among only a very small percentage of athletes who engaged in contact sports. Rather, the fact that 96% of the former NFL players studied suffered from this disease intimates that a majority of former players may in fact be at serious risk of developing the degenerative ailment.

Determining Risk for CTE

The researchers hope to emphasize that CTE does not strictly affect athletes. Dr. Robert Cantu, one of the scientists who studied the recent data, highlighted that “there are a number of cases in people who never saw an athletic field.” Examples of other persons in whom CTE has been discovered include but are not limited to the following:

• Former members of the military;
• Persons with seizure disorders or those who have suffered seizures;
• Autistic children who have banged their heads repeatedly;
• Victims of physical abuse; and
• Stunt professionals.

The recent findings first were reported by the television documentary series “Frontline,” and they are now available, along with relevant data, on the Concussion Legacy Foundation’s website.

Contact sports can be particularly hazardous given the rate at which concussions occur on the field. If you or a loved one sustained multiple concussions and have developed early symptoms of CTE, it is important to learn more about your options for seeking compensation. A dedicated San Diego brain injury lawyer can answer your questions today. Contact the Walton Law Firm to learn more about the services we provide for plaintiffs with brain injuries and other sports-related trauma.

See Related Blog Posts: Would a Soccer Heading Ban End Traumatic Brain Injuries? Helmet Could Have Prevented Teen’s Brain Injury