Everyday people fear they have CTE. A dubious market has sprung up to treat them
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) goes far beyond the NFL. Everyday men and women worry they have the fatal disease, and they've turned to questionable brain products for help.
Shots - Health News
A New Way To Test For Signs Of Consciousness In Unresponsive, Brain-Injured Patients
Scientists are investigating a better test of consciousness in brain-injured patients. If it becomes widely available, it could help with agonizing decisions about withdrawal of life support.
Bad Vibes: How Hits To The Head Are Transferred To The Brain
A question about heading soccer balls inspired a series of experiments to understand how the brain changes shape when someone's head takes a hit.
Heading May Be Riskier For Female Soccer Players Than Males
Females are more likely than males to suffer measurable impact on their brains as a result of heading the ball during soccer.
Service Dog Registries To Streamline Travel For Veterans With 'Invisible Injuries'
Service dog providers are developing registries that airlines and other travel companies could use to verify the legitimacy of service dogs for veterans with psychological disabilities.
Marines Who Fired Rocket Launchers Now Worry About Their Brains
The military is trying to figure out whether troops can sustain brain injuries from firing certain powerful weapons. Two Marines who used to shoot these weapons think they already know.
Female Athletes Are Closing The Gender Gap When It Comes To Concussions
Gina "Danger" Mazany is a professional mixed martial arts athlete, and she's helping researchers learn more about head injuries and the female brain.
Spit Test May Reveal The Severity Of A Child's Concussion
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.
Electrical Stimulation To Boost Memory: Maybe It's All In The Timing
Research in epilepsy has found a key to why small pulses of electricity to the brain sometimes help and sometimes hurt a failing memory. Brains hurt by physical trauma or dementia might benefit, too.
As Sleep Improves, So Does An Injured Brain
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.
Pentagon Shelves Blast Gauges Meant To Detect Battlefield Brain Injuries
The military hoped the body-worn sensors would identify troops with brain injuries from a bomb blast. Instead, the sensors showed service members may be at risk from firing their own weapons.
Life After A Brain Injury: 'I'm Not Terrified Of Death Anymore'
Pulitzer-winning music critic Tim Page had been good at pretty much everything, until he had a life-threatening traumatic brain injury. He talks with NPR about piecing together a new life.
Falls From Strollers And Baby Carriers Can Cause Serious Injuries
Though they're generally safe, strollers and baby carriers are associated with thousands of trips to the emergency room for very young children. Falls are more common than you might think.
How A Team Of Elite Doctors Changed The Military's Stance On Brain Trauma
A group of specialists called the Gray Team challenged the dogma that said head injuries were serious only if they were obvious and bloody. Bomb blasts can lead to lasting but invisible damage.
An Army Buddy's Call For Help Sends A Scientist On A Brain Injury Quest
Harvard researcher Kit Parker built his academic career studying the heart. But Parker, also an officer in the U.S. Army Reserve, switched his focus to figuring out how IED blasts damage the brain.
Poll: Nearly 1 In 4 Americans Reports Having Had A Concussion
Among the quarter of American adults who have had a concussion, most said they had sought medical treatment, according to the results of a poll conducted by NPR and Truven Health Analytics.
A Concussion Can Lead To Sleep Problems That Last For Years
Eighteen months after a concussion or other traumatic brain injury, two-thirds of the patients in a recent study were still sleepy during the day. And most were unaware of their symptoms.
$16 Million Awarded To Brain Researchers, But NFL Is Contributing Nothing
In 2012, the NFL pledged $30 million for research into chronic traumatic encephalopathy. A $16 million study was unveiled but none of the NFL's money is being used for that research.
Army Says It Will Review Cases Of Dismissed Soldiers With Mental Health Problems
The Army says it will conduct a "thorough, multidisciplinary review" to determine whether thousands of combat soldiers with those issues or TBIs have been unfairly kicked out of the Army.
Concussions Can Be More Likely In Practices Than In Games
Long hours in practice might account for the higher concussion risk in high school and college football, a study finds. Some schools are retooling practice to reduce the number of hits.
I Learned The Hard Way That Concussion Isn't Just For The Young
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.
'Borland Effect' A Fumble For Football? Deford Says It Will Pass
San Francisco 49ers player Chris Borland is retiring from the NFL after a single season to avoid potential brain injuries. Some see this as the beginning of the end of football's popularity.
Why Do We Love Football So Much? Theater Tackles Tough Questions
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?