Concussions, broken bones, and torn ligaments are a few serious injury concerns in Quidditch — a new sport where the rules are still evolving, and players are testing the safety of them.
No longer do kids with concussions need to sit in dark rooms for days on end. For the first time in nearly a decade, the nation's pediatricians have loosened their guidance on concussion recovery.
Doctors are closer to a test in live brains that could help diagnose chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a disease that's been linked to concussions and other repeated brain assaults.
Women are at high risk for getting concussions from domestic violence. A neurologist and a social worker have paired up to try to get women the specific medical help and counseling that they need.
The Army tells NPR of plans to monitor blast exposure across a military career, to enforce limits on firing certain weapons, and to even look into whether special helmets could help stop blast waves.
Service members who fire certain weapons can get concussion-like symptoms from the blasts, an Army-commissioned report finds. It urges taking measures to cut the risk of lasting brain damage.
Scientists believe they have solid evidence that repeated direct hits to the head can cause the degenerative brain disease seen in some athletes, even if there are no signs of concussion.
When a child suffers a concussion, it's very hard to tell if the brain injury will cause long-term problems. An experimental test that looks for bits of genetic material in spit might help.
Doctors know that concussions can cause serious health impacts. Research now shows that rates among adolescents, especially those involved in contact sports, may be pretty high.
By measuring fragments of genetic material in saliva, scientists were able to accurately predict whether a young person's concussion symptoms would last days or weeks.
Some modern shoulder-fired weapons produce blast waves powerful enough to rattle the brain. A $30 million study aims to help the military figure out how much blast exposure, over time, is too much.
After a serious brain injury, people often sleep just a few minutes at a time. As the brain heals, sleep patterns begin to return to normal. The link suggests restoring sleep could improve recovery.
Troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan are far more likely to develop post-traumatic stress disorder if they have suffered a concussion. The reason may be a change in the brain's fear circuits.
We hear a lot about concussion and kids, but older adults are even more vulnerable to traumatic brain injury. A slip in the kitchen leads one man down the rabbit hole with no clear path out.
A play based on interviews with former NFL players, their families and fans digs deep: What's so fun about a sport that devastates bodies and brains? And what if it can't be made safer?
