New Study Suggests Brain Damage and Aggression are Result of Traumatic Brain Injury

If you follow the news lately, it seems that athletes behaving aggressively is on the rise.  Is this the case or is increased attention finally being paid to the condition these men are developing as a result of traumatic blows?

A new study has come out which may explain incidents of aggression among professional athletes and even soldiers. If the study is to be believed, successive blows to the head could cause 4 stages of brain damage which could cause both aggression and dementia.

Researchers at the Boston University School of Medicine released a study on Monday in the Journal Brain, which accounts for multiple head injuries leading to chronic traumatic encephalopathy.  Traumatic encephalopathy is as suggested, a degenerative disease characterized by a progression of dementia brought about by head injuries and concussions.  Even mild injuries could add up over time and cause serious changes to the brain.

4 Stages of Brain Degeneration

As research into the condition of traumatic encephalopathy deepens, an interesting and frightening pattern emerges that explains the brain's degeneration.

• Step 1: headaches and inattention, hard to focus
• Step 2: depression, anger issues and seemingly inappropriate outbursts, brief periods of memory loss
• Step 3: impairment of the brain's cognitive functions
• Step 4: difficulty to form words and find the words to use in speech, dementia, aggressive behavior

These degenerative stages are reportedly the effect of mild to medium concussions and blows to the head which can damage the brain over time.  For this reason, the NFL has changed its guidelines, banning helmet to helmet hits, and many school districts have new limits on the number of hits students may endure in practice and game play.

Many Athletes are Suffering

Over the past few years, a lot of press has come out about athletes who have become ill with degenerative brain problems.  Believe it or not, this is not only the result of a personal injury, but it is the result of repeated injuries on the job.  And yet the NFL seems to offer little in the way of helping these injured athletes long term care.  Perhaps with more studies like this, injured athletes can come forward and get the help that they need. If you have suffered this degenerative brain condition, please seek medical help.  And please also seek out a talented attorney who can help you gain the help you need.

YOSEMITE IS IN CRISIS FOLLOWING HANTA VIRUS OUTBREAK

Yosemite is in crisis; not because Yogi Bear has come back to steal picnic baskets, but rather because of a potentially deadly virus.  9 vacationers have fallen ill with the hanta virus following their stay in Yosemite’s “signature” cabins in Curry Village.  3 of these tourists have later died.

The hanta virus is a potentially deadly virus carried in the saliva, urine, feces, and fur of infected field mice.  Even if you don’t directly touch a field mouse or its droppings, you can become infected by airborne particles and dust. 

Once infected, symptoms initially present as flu like symptoms.  This includes:

• Fever
• Shortness of breath
• Chills
• Muscle and body aches

OVER 3,000 WORKERS FREQUENT YOSEMITE YEARLY

Following the discovery of hanta virus at Yosemite, the national park has taken steps to protect its over 3,000 yearly workers.  Beginning with park maintenance and facilities workers, the park is undergoing a massive testing of employees to detect infections without symptoms. These results have yet to be made public.

The frightening part for Yosemite park employees is the rotating cast of thousands of employees the park sees on a yearly basis.  This includes park rangers, facilities and maintenance workers, and concession workers.  They tend to rotate through national park facilities.  Potentially, if infected, these individuals could also become carriers.  The National Park Service would like to prevent this from happening.

TESTING PRESENTS AN OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE VIRUS

The National Park Service is working with public health officials to protect their employees and their visitors.  However, they also would like to use these results to better understand the virus so they can protect the public better.

Ultimately, public health officials would like to understand whether or not the virus will fail to exhibit symptoms in some people, whether humans will act like carriers, and why some people are at greater risk than others.  They’re hoping this testing will provide the answers.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU’VE BEEN EXPOSED TO THE HANTA VIRUS

The hanta virus has a 6 week incubation period. So if you feel the onset of the flu roughly 6 weeks after camping in the woods, you may want to ask your doctor for a hanta virus test just to be sure.  Mention your camping trip to the doctor and describe your rustic conditions.  Provide as many details as possible. 

Instances of the hanta virus are rare, so don’t panic.  If you do develop the virus, follow your doctor’s advice.  You may also want to discuss your legal options with an attorney.