Veterans with mTBI (concussion) and their caregivers are invited to participate in a research study. Mind Over Matter (M.O.M.) provides a platform that gives veterans with an mTBI and their caregivers an active voice in developing a pathway for increasing the relevance of TBI Patient-Centered Outcomes Research (PCOR) and Comparative Effectiveness Research (C.E.R.).

An abstract presented at the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) 2021 Annual Meeting demonstrated that “multiple concussions [three to five] seem to disrupt the brain’s default mode network (DMN), which could increase the risk of long-term cognitive disruption,” according to an article in Medscape.

The top-flight of English football, the Premier League (PL), announced plans to administer saliva tests that could potentially diagnose concussions sustained during games or training sessions. The trial, an academic study funded by the Premier League and intended to validate salivary biomarkers as a diagnostic tool, may start sometime this season (which ends in May 2022).

Gregory Tierney published a review on concussion biomechanics, head acceleration events (HAE), and brain injury criteria in Taylor & Francis Online. Tierney pooled data from past studies to understand the relationship between the kinematic magnitude and rotational nature of HAE and damage to the brain.

Researchers found decreased gray matter thickness in the frontal and temporal brain lobes of those who’d had COVID-19 compared to those who had not had the virus. The researchers also found that, based on “performance on cognitive tasks,” those who had contracted COVID-19 were slower in processing information (the primary function of gray matter in the brain).

In a breakthrough study led by Georg Meisl, scientists at the University of Cambridge found that targeting the local replication of harmful tau protein clusters in the brain could be a key component in finding more effective treatment methods for Alzheimer’s.

The study found an association between repeated concussions in rugby and having mental health issues – such as increased irritability, depression, and extreme mood changes during retirement. The study found that “professional rugby players are more likely to have mental health issues in retirement than athletes in non-contact sports.”

The Sleepless Warriors At-Home study is recruiting veterans age 21+ who have served in the military for at least 180 days, have trouble sleeping, and have a concussion history.