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Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) — including mild ones — can dramatically alter a person’s personality, negatively affecting memory, mood and aggression levels. One population with many brain-related behavioral problems is the homeless. So, does that mean that many of them have had a TBI? YES, says a St. Michael’s (Canada) Hospital study.What They Found
The researchers found that out of 111 homeless men studied: almost half of them had suffered at least one TBI episode in their life, and 87% of these took place before they became homeless.When asked what type of head injury had been sustained:
• 66% reported at least one from assault • 44% reported at least one from sports or another recreational activity • 42% reported at least one from motor vehicle collision • 42% reported at least one from a fall Furthermore, a positive TBI screening result was significantly associated with a lifetime history of arrest or mental illness and a parental history of substance abuse. Findings from a separate study done at St. Michael’s Hospital Centre for Research on Inner City Health underscored the TBI-homeless link, showing that as much as 61% of those who are homeless or “vulnerably housed” have suffered a TBI, a figure seven times higher than the general population.So, what can be done to heal a traumatic brain injury that has already occurred?
• Rest and rejuvenate with at least 7-8 hours of sleep each night. • Refrain from using alcohol and drugs. • Eat LOTS of colorful fruits and vegetables, which contain cell-supportive antioxidants and critical nutrients. • PROTECT and LOVE your brain — do all that you can to prevent more brain injuries in the future.How Can Brain SPECT Imaging Help?
• Help identify if there has been brain trauma • Show brain blood flow deficits NOT visible in anatomical studies, such as CT or MRI • Identify affected brain systems • Help determine if there could be co-occurring conditions that need treatment • Increase treatment compliance by showing pictures of results • Provide scientific documentation that may help with special services or legal issuesImaging Changes Everything
At Amen Clinics, we want to help you and your loved ones heal brain injuries before they affect your life. Call us today at 1-888-288-9834 or tell us more to schedule an appointment. We have found that depression can arise months or even years after sustaining a traumatic brain injury (TBI) that was not deemed severe enough for a trip to a doctor or hospital.How Many Suffer from TBI?
According to the Brain Trauma Foundation: • At least 5.3 million Americans, or 2% of US population live with TBI-related disabilities • 30% of soldiers admitted to Walter Reed Army Medical Center have been diagnosed as having had a TBI • It is believed that 10-20% of Iraq veterans (150,000-300,000 service members) have some level of TBI A study from 2011 found that 30% of adult TBI patients—about 360,000 people annually—suffer depression after a brain injury. Of course, depression may lead to suicidal thoughts if left untreated. According to Suicide Awareness Voices of Education(SAVE), an astounding 15% of people who are clinically depressed commit suicide.Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)
One highly effective non-medication treatment used for TBI and depression is a form of “brain stimulation” called transcranial magnetic stimulation, or TMS, in which a pulsed magnetic field is focused on areas of the brain that control mood.
What We Know
Now comes a study published in the journal Brain Stimulation, in which researchers enrolled 41 adult inpatients who had been admitted to a hospital in “suicidal crisis” [All participants had co-existing PTSD and/or mild traumatic brain injury]. They were then randomly divided into two groups: one group received three 30-minute TMS sessions daily for three consecutive days, and the other group a sham treatment. Scientists found that the patients who got the TMS treatment experienced rapid decreases in suicidal thoughts. After the first day, the active treatment group showed a greater than 50% decrease in suicide ideation scores. Furthermore, the high dose TMS sessions were also found to be safe and free of adverse side effects.Imaging Changes Everything
At Amen Clinics, we can help you and your loved ones overcome the stigma and suffering associated with ADD/ADHD, anxiety, depression, brain injury, weight loss, addictions, memory issues, brain fog, and other emotional and cognitive issues. If you are ready to regain control over your life or help a loved one do the same, call us at 1-888-288-9834 or click here to ask a question. Research detailed in the Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics indicates that children with mild traumatic brain injuries (TBI) and ADD/ADHD are more likely to have a moderate disability than children without ADD/ADHD.What Research States
Patient records of 48 children with ADD/ADHD who had sustained a mild TBI were compared to a control group of 45 age-matched patients without ADD/ADHD who had also sustained a mild TBI: • 25% of the patients with ADD/ADHD demonstrated a moderate disability and 56% were completely recovered within an average follow-up period of 24.9 weeks • 2% of the control group without ADD/ADHD demonstrated a moderate disability and 84% were completely recovered within an average follow-up period of 7.2 weeks.What a Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Tells Us
According to these findings, children with ADD/ADHD who sustain a mild TBI experience a greater level of disability and need (on average) more than three times as long to recover. These findings beg the question: Are rehabilitative efforts less effective for children with ADD/ADHD and TBI? With this question in mind, the study authors make the following recommendations: • Rethink letting children engage in sports and hobbies with increased risk of sustaining a TBI (football, soccer, hockey, boxing, cheerleading, riding a bike without a helmet). • Physicians treating mild TBI cases in children with ADD/ADHD may need to adjust treatment plans, as more intensive treatment and longer rehabilitation may be required. • Families of children with ADD/ADHD with mild TBI should be counseled accordingly about expected outcomes. More evidence that the brain is both delicate and resilient!We Can Help
At Amen Clinics, we can help you and your loved ones overcome the stigma and suffering associated with ADD/ADHD, anxiety, depression, brain injury, weight loss, addictions, memory issues, brain fog, and other emotional and cognitive issues. If you are ready to regain control over your life, give us a call at 1-888-288-9834 or click here to ask a question. Your brain is very delicate like the consistency of soft butter – and is protected by a hard skull with multiple sharp bony ridges. Even minor blows to the head that can be classified as a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), without loss of consciousness, may result in brain injuries that cause serious consequences for the rest of life.The Traumatic Brain Injury Effect
Traumatic brain injury is the leading cause of death and disability for people between the ages of 1 and 44, and an often-overlooked cause of emotional, thinking, and behavioral problems. People who have experienced TBI have a higher risk of depression, anxiety, suicidality, drug and alcohol abuse, job and marital failure, incarceration, homelessness, and dementia.Can SPECT Help?
One of the first lessons we learned was that undiagnosed brain injuries were a major cause of learning, emotional and behavior problems that were often misdiagnosed as “personality disorders” or people who just didn’t care enough to act right. In a world literature review done by our colleagues from the U.S. and Canada, we reviewed 1,600 research studies published over the last 30 years. Of these papers, 71 studies – involving 2,634 patients – were of the highest of quality and were included in the review. Nineteen studies followed TBI patients over time and 5 looked at the effects of treatment interventions.What Research Tells Us
• SPECT is more sensitive than any other study, showing TBI abnormalities not seen on CT and MRI in all 10 of the studies that investigated such sensitivity – 100%. • SPECT findings correlate with the psychological and neurological symptoms of TBI. • SPECT is effective for helping to direct TBI treatment interventions. These same patients may have recurring psychiatric symptoms such as depression, attention problems, and impulse control issues. Commonly, they are referred to psychiatrists who generally do not use neuroimaging to diagnose and treat brain disorders. Ultimately, how would physicians ever know if the TBI was significant unless they ordered a functional imaging study like SPECT? Brain SPECT imaging can provide answers that may guide diagnosis and treatment of patients with TBI.We Can Help
We believe that millions of Americans are still being forced to live in the “dark ages” of psychiatric care; treated with often times harmful psychiatric drugs and given the diagnosis of having a “mental illness” when in fact there is a treatable physiological cause for their problems. This is truly a tragedy for everyone: patients, families and society as a whole. At Amen Clinics, we can help you feel like yourself once again. We offer biomedical testing as part of our Integrative Medicine program; combining conventional medicine with complementary and alternative therapies. If you would like to explore physiologic issues that may be misdiagnosed as psychiatric disorders, connect with us online or call 888-288-9834 today. Comprised of around 80% water, the brain is very soft, with a consistency similar to soft butter or custard. It’s protected by a hard skull and surrounded by fluid, yet there are many bony edges and ridges inside the skull; some of them as sharp as knives. These ridges can easily damage the brain during head trauma.Sports & Your Brain
We must reiterate that your child’s brain was not created to withstand all the bell-ringers and hard knocks from tackle football, soccer headers, and hockey, among others. If you love your child’s brain, and especially if you have a child with ADD or learning problems, please educate them about risk-prevention and if possible, don’t let them play these brain-injuring sports. The symptoms of a brain injury can be very similar to the symptoms of ADD or ADHD, therefore it’s most important to get a proper diagnosis when you notice that something is wrong.Unquestionable Proof
Not only did we conduct the world’s largest study on brain damage in NFL players, more than 4,500 former players sued the NFL, seeking concussion-related compensation and alleging that the NFL concealed the risks of long-term brain damage. The settlement was $765 million dollars – yet the NFL will neither admit liability nor that the players’ injuries were caused by football. From 2009-2012, Amen Clinics performed the world’s largest brain imaging and rehabilitation study on active and retired professional football players because we had a high suspicion that many players suffered with the effects of chronic traumatic brain injury (TBI).The results of our NFL study were very clear:
• A very high percentage of our players had evidence of TBI patterns on their SPECT scans and showed symptoms of it – there was a high rate of depression, dementia, obesity, and ADD-like symptoms among them. • 81% of the players complained of attention problems and showed concentration problems on the psychological testing that we performed. The good news came from the second part of this study, where we taught players how to care for their brains and gave them specific nutritional supplements. • 80% of our players experienced significant benefit, including improvements in mood, attention, motivation, and sleep. This shows that even those who have suffered brain injury can still have hope – as there is a very high potential for recovery on a brain-smart program.Treatment is Possible
Nobody knows exactly how many blows to the head it takes to cause problems, yet studies have shown that it takes longer for children to recover from a second concussion if it follows soon after a first, and that once someone has a concussion they’re more likely to experience more. Many brain injuries go untreated because the person did not lose consciousness, so keep an eye out for these symptoms and seek medical attention right away if you suspect trauma: • Feeling drowsy or having a hard time waking up. • Not thinking clearly, feeling spacey, or acting confused. • Headache or the feeling of pressure in the head. • Memory and mood changes.We Can Help
At Amen Clinics, we want to help you and your children heal brain injuries before they affect your life. Call us today at 888-288-9834, or tell us more about your concerns. Brain trauma can cause significantly decreased function in a person’s brain. Even though we have seen that brain damage can be reversed to some degree, for the best quality of life, a never-damaged brain is by far the best option. At Amen Clinics, we have the largest database of brain scans relating to behavior. We once treated a 42-year-old woman who had failed six alcohol treatment programs. Her impulse control was virtually zero. She could not even be given a prescription for any medication because she would take them all at once. When we initially asked her if she had ever had a brain injury, she said no. But when we asked her again, she remembered that she had been kicked in the head by a horse when she was 10 years old. Her brain SPECT scan showed severe damage to her prefrontal cortex (PFC). When the PFC shows damage, most people are in serious trouble. Without the high thinking, and executive functions offered by the PFC, this woman had virtually no “supervisor” in her head.What Research Says About Concussions
This is why new research about the average teenager’s risk of concussion is so concerning. The way they treat their brain today has lifelong implications. Research shows that one in five teenagers will suffer a concussion, even if they don’t play sports; and the risk rises dramatically if they drink, smoke pot or play a contact sport. A traumatic brain injury is defined as a head injury that knocked the teenager out for at least five minutes or resulted in overnight hospitalization. The study involved students in grades 7–12. Here’s what the researchers found: • Over 20% of teenagers said they had a concussion in their lifetime. • Nearly 6% said they had suffered at least one concussion in the past year alone. • 63.5% of concussions in boys were related to sports; 46.9% of concussions in girls were related to sports. • Teens who drank alcohol, even if just occasionally, were five times more likely to suffer a concussion in the last year than those teens who didn’t drink alcohol. • Teens who smoked marijuana more than 10 times in the last year were three times more likely to suffer a concussion in the last year than those teens who didn’t smoke marijuana.Consider This
A person doesn’t have to be knocked out or hospitalized to have suffered a concussion. If a concussion or traumatic brain injury in this study was measured as a 5-minute blackout or hospitalization, then 20% is a very conservative figure. It is likely that teenagers sustain a higher rate of traumatic brain injury than this study discovered.What Brain Injuries Can Tell Us
We have treated people who have suffered from brain injuries they did not think were serious until they saw their SPECT scans. These were often unreported and untreated. These people can suffer from cognitive, mood, and behavior problems. They don’t understand why, they just feel they are messed up. As in the case of the woman who was kicked in the head by a horse, after many questions from us, they’ll remember a childhood knock to the head or a “ringer” they suffered in a sports match. Brain SPECT studies will show decreased blood flow to these previously injured parts of the brain and, depending on the location of the injury, can have dramatic impact on behavior, temperament and cognitive power.We Can Help
At Amen Clinics, we know that brain trauma is not a function of not trying hard enough, being lazy, or not having enough willpower. We will work with you to address your specific brain type. Learn more about how Amen Clinics can help, or contact us today at 888-288-9834 or tell us more online.In a study performed at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and published earlier this month, over 90% of teenagers studied showed that they understood the symptoms of a concussion, but only 54% of them indicated they would “always or sometimes report symptoms of a concussion to their coach.”
It is a finding that should stop every parent in his or her tracks.
I cannot overemphasize the importance of physical exercise in brain health; it is an incredibly powerful brain booster. Exercise is especially important for children and young people, who are forming health habits – for better or for worse – that will have lifelong implications. In our society sports are the go-to avenue for getting our children moving. If you’re a parent, the decisions you make about what sports your child will play can be influenced by many factors, like the sports you played while growing up or the team that your community loves. But your child’s brain should be the first and foremost consideration, hands down.
When it comes to brain safety, not all sports are made equal – a reality to which I can attest firsthand. After spending years immersed in the study of brain SPECT scans and real-life experiences of 150 active and retired NFL players, I can categorically suggest that any sport with high risk of head trauma is not a source of brain-healthy exercise.
Combine high risk of head trauma and the reluctance a teenager might feel to be seen as weak, and you have a losing combination. If the teenager doesn’t report his or her symptoms and continues playing, there is an increased risk of a second trauma occurring before the first trauma heals. This is an especially dangerous scenario often referred to as second impact syndrome, which can lead to permanent disability and even death.
The story of Zackery Lystedt has brought national attention to the issue of concussions in youth sports. As an eighth grader in 2006, Zackery suffered a head injury during a football game, but was returned to the field to complete the game. Before the game was over, Zackery had collapsed. It took emergency brain surgeries to save his life and months of rehabilitation before he even spoke again. Today he is still working on walking and so many other simple functions that we take for granted. Efforts by Zackery’s family have seen laws passed in nearly all 50 states, which require teams to educate players and parents on concussion symptoms, remove a player from play at the time of head trauma and require the player to get approval from a licensed medical professional before he or she can return to play.
I applaud lawmakers for taking action on this issue; I applaud Zackery’s parents for looking out for the safety and well-being of other children; and I applaud Zackery for his unrelenting determination to recover. As I learned in my study of the brains of NFL players, reversal of brain damage is possible in considerable measure, but far better is to avoid this kind of trauma in the first place… so teenagers don’t have to choose between saving face and saving their brains.
Parents, be encouraged! There are many sports that are great for the brain, including rowing, track and field, golf, tennis and (my personal favorite for brain health) table tennis, to name a few.
At Amen Clinics, we have helped thousands of children and adults with concussions or TBIs to heal their brain and minimize their symptoms. We use a combination of the least toxic, most effective therapies, which may include neurofeedback, hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT), nutraceuticals, and medications, as well as simple lifestyle changes that can make a big difference.
If you experienced a head injury in your youth, or if your child has suffered head trauma, Amen Clinics can help. Speak to a specialist today at 888-288-9834. If all our specialists are busy helping others, you can also schedule a time to talk.
Dr. Daniel Amen cringed when he heard the news that former NFL linebacker Junior Seau had taken his life by pointing a gun at his chest. “He did what players think you’re supposed to do: Save your brain,” said Amen, a California-based physician and psychiatrist. “They have to learn there’s another way. Don’t give up on your brain while you’re alive. Try to fix it.“ Amen’s research and stated mission — to rehabilitate a damaged brain — gets at the heart of class-action lawsuits filed against the NFL. A master complaint was filed Thursday in U.S. District Court in Philadelphia that laid out the claims of more than 2,000 former football players. In addition to personal damages, the complaint outlines the need for medical monitoring, a costly undertaking that would require the NFL to pay for medical testing and treatment for the duration of a player’s lifetime. “Guys are scared. The Junior Seau thing kicked it into a whole other category,” said Von DuBose, one of the attorneys representing former players. “There was a lot of cynicism from folks on the outside looking in. But Junior Seau was NFL royalty. When that happened, it took that layer of cynicism off. It really got folks to thinking, wow, this is a real, real problem. This isn’t a bunch of broke, retired guys looking for a quick payday.” Whether a brain that’s been damaged can truly be fixed is a subject still open to discussion in the scientific community. Amen, though, thinks he’s on the right track and is confident that he can take a player who’s suffered multiple concussions and improve decision-making, reasoning, depression, mood and memory. He’s worked with 117 former NFL players and says eight out of 10 have shown improvement. “I could care less about the politics or even the lawsuits,” Amen said. “This is a brain-damaging sport. When we started our research, everyone was actively in denial. They’re changing now, and I’m excited about that. But we got to start talking about the next step: Let’s rehab their heads.” Seau’s suicide has not been linked to head trauma, but his death last month sparked renewed discussion about head trauma in football. Nick Bell, 43, can empathize with what he thinks Seau must’ve felt. Bell, a running back for the Los Angeles Raiders from 1991 to ‘93, began seeing Amen two years ago. He weighed 435 pounds then, battled depression and had sleep apnea and mood swings. He found himself walking into rooms and couldn’t recall why he’d entered. Even reaching out to Amen was a struggle. “I had to fight the shame,” said Bell, “especially culturally, of seeing a psychiatrist or psychologist. It’s a real problem because a lot of guys can get help, but they can’t bring themselves to ask for it.” Bell, who is one of the litigants suing the NFL, doesn’t know how many concussions he endured playing football, but he remembers the first. During his rookie season, he was hit so hard that he ran to the wrong team’s huddle for the next play. “Back then, you couldn’t tell the coach you had a concussion. There was no way,” he said. “If you did, you’re on the bench and you might be losing your job.” Bell began a program with Amen that involves supplements, hyperbaric oxygen treatments, fish oil and exercise, all intended to aid the regeneration of the brain cells and boost the neural connections in the brain. Amen said Bell’s most recent testing has shown more than a 30 percent improvement in memory, attention and processing speed. Amen’s studies have been published in journals, but he says more research needs to be conducted. The medical community’s understanding of brain trauma has grown rapidly in recent years and experts say work like Amen’s is encouraging. “I think we’re getting there,” said Barry Jordan, a renowned neurologist who studies the effects of brain trauma on athletes. “I think there’s still a lot that we don’t know.” The need is great, however, as studies have shown strong links between head trauma in football and depression, dementia and chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Half-jokingly, Jordan calls it dementia footballistica. Amen operates four for-profit clinics, including one in Washington D.C. He says the price of rehabilitating the brain can cost $5,000-$6,000 per athlete. Using hyperbaric oxygen treatments would double the cost. His clients say the results justify the price tag and they are hopeful the NFL eventually agrees to medical monitoring. “It’s amazing where I am now compared with where I’ve come from,” said Anthony Davis, the former running back whose USC career earned him induction in the College Football Hall of Fame. “It‘s scary what my head used to be like.” When Davis first met Amen in 2006, Davis was 54 years old with a brain that looked like that of an 85-year-old. He was more than 100 pounds overweight and diabetic, suffering from sleep apnea and high blood pressure. He’d leave his home and have to return two or more times to make sure he locked the door. “I’m telling you, if it wasn’t for him, I’d just be deteriorating,” Davis said. “This thing, it’s like a silent death.” Davis played five years professionally, including two in the NFL. He says he’s “one of the lucky ones” because he had only two diagnosed concussions. “It took me many years to screw it up,” Davis said, “so it’ll take me some years to rehab it, too, to bring back some normalcy. It‘s a process, but I can feel the results.” With targeted treatment, you can change your brain and change your life. If you feel that you or a loved one could benefit from an evaluation, contact the Amen Clinics Care Center today online or call (888) 288-9834.