A team of Brown University researchers is launching a study to test the combined use of the drug MDMA and talk therapy as a treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder and alcohol use disorder in military veterans. The study is the first at Brown on MDMA-assisted therapy and the first anywhere to test the treatment’s effectiveness for dual disorders, the researchers said ..read more

The NFL is set to introduce a significant rule change for the upcoming 2024 season, as it allows players to wear Guardian Caps in a bid to ramp up safety measures. The league has been proactive in its approach to player safety, with the new helmets reportedly slashing concussion rates by almost half during training camps over the last two years. Data from specific position groups that used the helmets in 2022 and 2023 showed a substantial reduction in head injuries, prompting NFL executive vice president Jeff Miller to endorse the move ..read more

Mental-health problems often follow traumatic brain injuries; U.S. doctors are helping their Ukrainian counterparts, and learning from them ..read more

Researchers are trying to determine if a number of Canadian veterans are suffering from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, also known as CTE -- a disorder previously found in the brains of professional football and hockey players after their death. CTE is often accompanied by psychiatric symptoms, which could develop into suicidal thoughts, according to researchers. However, little is understood scientifically about a possible link, nor how widespread CTE is among veterans. Standing inside a brain imaging lab at Toronto’s Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, researcher Isabelle Boileau says ..read more

Researchers know a lot about the traumatic brain injuries that occur in contact sports and combat, but they're just beginning to study injuries from another leading cause - domestic violence. NPR's Jon Hamilton reports on how assaults by a spouse or intimate partner can damage the brain - and a warning that this story contains graphic descriptions of physical violence ..read more

Researchers from Trinity College Dublin have discovered leaky blood vessels, together with a hyperactive immune system may be the underlying cause of brain fog in people with long Covid. They suggest their discovery is important for the understanding of brain fog and cognitive decline – difficulty with thinking, memory or concentration – seen in some people with the condition. It is hoped the findings will help with the development of treatments in the future ..read more

A legendary rugby player has cited the fear and anxiety that has come into his life among the reasons for urging the Australian government to fund support services and education about chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE ..read more

The number of head CT scans completed during concussion evaluations in emergency departments could soon be affected by a blood test newly approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. In early April, Abbott Laboratories announced the approval of its its i-STAT TBI cartridge, which can help determine whether a patient has a concussion in as little as 15 minutes using only a small blood sample.  ..read more

Soldiers can suffer brain injury if they are repeatedly exposed to explosive blasts, a new study shows. Further, the more frequently a soldier is exposed to explosions, the greater their risk for brain injury, researchers reported April 22 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Based on this, researchers intend to develop a diagnostic test to detect blast brain injury in military personnel ..read more

A genetic study involving more than 1.2 million people has pinpointed 95 genetic loci that are associated with risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), including 80 loci that had not been previously known.  ..read more