A study published Monday in the journal Pediatrics examined the National Registry of Sudden Death in Young Athletes (a database maintained by the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation) focuses on deaths from blunt trauma among players 21 and younger.

A key finding was the worrisome number of prep football players who died of head and neck blows after they had already sustained concussions a few days or up to a month beforehand.

The chairman of the Council on Sports, Medicine and Fitness of the American Academy of Pediatrics said the study "gives credence to everything we've been trying to do to make it safer for young athletes out there with proper treatment of concussions.

Pediatrics abstract:

http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2011/06/16/peds.2010-2743.abstract

News article:

http://www.mydesert.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2011106220383

Recently, the business of 'brain-training' software has rapidly grown in profile. Earlier this year, the the Department of Defense awarded a $2 million grant to study the effectiveness of Posit Science software in restoring memory and attention in victims of traumatic brain injury. The company Luminosity has secured a grant through the Navy to study how its brain training games can improve cognitive ability and fluid intelligence.

Can game-like software really help adults with brain injury improve memory, attention and language skills, over the long-term?

Early research looked promising, but critics doubt that short-term improvements in memory would last longer than the three-month period observed in most studies. The randomized clinical trial through the DoD would test 132 service members with mild TBI over a six month period – the final test would be 3 months after the end of cognitive training.

In short, more research needs to be done to gauge the impact of 'brain-training' on cognitive skills in specific populations (e.g. adults with brain injury), over a longer period of time.

Recent articles:

New York Times/The Bay Citizen – Turning to Software to Help Treat Brain Injuries

Ars Technica – Brain Training Boosts Working Memory, But Only In Some People

Fast Company – Why "Brain Gyms" May Be The Next Big Business

Blogs.Forbes.com – Luminosity Looks to Make Military Smarter with Navy Grant

New this week, the Department of Defense has released a mobile application for health care professionals, the Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Pocket Guide. The tool aims to provide clinicians with quick and convenient access to clinical guidelines for concussion care, allowing the clinician to provide evidenced-based care and maximize time spent with the patient.

The mobile application is free and available for download on Android smart phones. Key features of the app include: 

• Interactive decision trees
• Symptom management guidelines
• Provider assessments
• Relevant DoD ICD-9 Coding
• Interactive links

https://market.android.com/details?id=org.t2health.mtbi. 

Hard copies of the pocket guide can be ordered by contacting the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center at info@dvbic.org or 1-800-870-9244.