NOVI, MICHIGAN, July 28, 2020 – With continuing safety equipment improvements and a lower number of kids playing contact sports, especially tackle football, the rate of emergency room visits for traumatic brain and other head injuries dropped 32% from 2012 to 2018, according to a new study published in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s weekly report.
“This is welcomed news for all of us who have seen, first-hand, the devastating effects of TBIs,” said John Russell, Co-Founder and CEO at the Center for Neurological Studies, a Michigan-based not-for-profit brain injury research organization and a recognized leader in the diagnosis and treatment on TBI’s.
According to the new study, over a six year period there were about 283,000 ER trips for children with sports or recreation-related TBIs with symptoms ranging from mild and temporary to more serious injuries that can result in long-term complications, and in some cases, even death. A full 25% of head injuries came from tackle football.
The Center for Neurological Studies is currently conducting a groundbreaking research study involving diagnosis and treatment of growth hormone deficiency caused by trauma to the pituitary gland which often goes unrecognized in head injured patients including football players who experience multiple concussive and subconcussive brain injuries.
Brain trauma affects one in three players in the National Football League and is a frequent problem in other sports as well. Pro football players are eight times more likely than the general population to develop Alzheimer’s or dementia. Other effects of brain trauma include memory loss, depression, chronic headaches, anxiety and behavioral issues.
“We’re encouraged that the total incidents of kids’ sports-related TBIs is on the decline,” says Randall Benson, MD, Medical Director and Co-Founder of CNS. “However, the numbers are still too high. There’s a consensus in the medical community that, as the result of repetitive head injuries, many former contact athletes are at risk for cognitive and emotional impairment caused by deficiency in one or more pituitary hormones that can greatly reduce a person’s quality of life. The results we’re generating at CNS can go well beyond sports-related injuries to also help the hundreds of thousands of others who suffer TBIs annually in non-sports related accidents. Growth hormone replacement therapy could be a big part of the solution.”
CNS has pioneered the use of diffusion tensor and susceptibility-weighted MRI in brain trauma to accurately diagnose brain injury, enabling a more precise understanding of each person’s unique issues. Together with testing of pituitary hormones, CNS has been able to maximize treatment to improve the lives of people with a wide range of brain injuries.
CNS has offices in Novi, Dearborn and Grand Rapids. For more information, please visit: https://www.neurologicstudies.com/
About CNS:
The mission of Center for Neurological Studies is to improve the lives of people with neurological disorders. CNS has developed advanced MRI imaging that provides more accurate diagnosis than existing MRIs and has become a nationally recognized provider of advanced MRI diagnostic services. In addition to its ongoing work in diagnosing neurological disorders, CNS is currently helping military veterans with brain injuries. https://www.neurologicstudies.com/
