Dizziness after concussion: pathology, diagnostic and treatment timelines (3/3/22 Newsletter)

In this newsletter: Opportunities, Sports, Pathophysiology, Diagnostics, Therapies Currently Available, Veterans & Service Members, Mental Health, Statistics, Youth, Women’s Health, Culture, and CTE & Neurodegeneration Issues.

There are two lead articles this week: Review article analyzes pathophysiology, patient care of post-concussive dizziness is in the Diagnostics category; Treat acute post-concussion dizziness to promote physical activity and improve recovery, a new study suggests is in the Therapies Currently Available category.

We appreciate the Concussion Alliance Volunteers who created this edition:

Writers: Josh Wu, Claire Holmes, Lori Mae Yvette Calibuso Acob, Aaron Banse, Conor Gormally & Malayka Gormally

Editors: Conor Gormally and Malayka Gormally

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Opportunities

Wednesday, March 9, 11 am: free, online class, Building Emotional Awareness: Be in the Moment and Know When to Pause, hosted by the Brain Injury Alliance of Washington State. You do not have to be a WA state resident to attend the class. Register in advance.

Monday, March 14, 11 am: free, online class, Creating Joy - Strategies to Lift Your Spirits, hosted by the Brain Injury Alliance of Washington State. You do not have to be a WA state resident to attend the class. Register in advance.

Friday, April 29, 6-8 pm EST: free, in-person (Toronto), Concussion Annual Public Forum: Concussions in the Home and Workplace, including Falls and Interpersonal Violence: Prevention and Treatment. Register in advance.

Recruiting for youth study participants: Researchers at the University of Buffalo Brain Function and Recovery Lab are looking for youth aged 8-17 who have “a concussion or suffered a broken arm, wrist or finger within the past year.”

Sports

Many PA high schools’ sports concussion protocols fail to meet state mandates or include current best practices, full-time trainers may help

See our blog post to read this synopsis.

Pathophysiology

Sleep quality may explain the connection between mood dysregulation and neurodegeneration following TBI

See our blog post to read this synopsis.

Diagnostics

Review article analyzes pathophysiology, patient care of post-concussive dizziness

Please see our blog post to read this synopsis.

Therapies Currently Available

Treat acute post-concussion dizziness to promote physical activity and improve recovery, a new study suggests

Please see our blog post to read our synopsis.

Veterans & Service Members

Clinical trial recruiting for veterans: two treatments that may improve sleep and sleep-related outcomes

The Portland VA is recruiting veterans for a remote clinical trial assessing the effectiveness of two types of treatments for sleep. For this study, you will spend 60 minutes every morning next to a lightbox or negative ion generator for up to 4 weeks. Participants can be veterans with or without a history of head injury. Compensation will be up to $180 in gift cards (Amazon or Fred Meyer) for completing the study. There is additional information and a link to the prescreening form on our blog post, or leave a voicemail at (503) 468-6002 with your name and phone number.

Clinical trial: CBT-i App for veterans and active-duty military members with insomnia (recruiting through March)

Military service members and veterans sometimes struggle with insomnia after coming home. Luckily, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a common treatment that can help. But in-person sessions aren’t always feasible, especially now with COVID-19 restrictions. The Center for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine is testing a CBT-i (Internet Guided CBT) app that was made specifically for military personnel with a history of head injury. This online study is open for enrollment and needs volunteers. Interested? Contact the researchers at cnrm-ecbti@usuhs.edu or call/text 301-456-5474. The study is recruiting through the end of March, 2022. For more information, see our blog post about this study.