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Latest news about Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia traumatic brain injuries
The most recent and informative news stories that relate to Washington DC, Virginia and Maryland traumatic brain injuries (TBI). If you have been seriously injured, contact a Washington DC Maryland and Virginia TBI lawyer at Zukerberg Law Center now.Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
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NYPD Officer Survives Stabbing and Serious Traumatic Brain Injury
May 18, 2012A New York City police officer, Eder Loor, survived a stabbing to the head that could easily have resulted in a fatal or massively debilitating traumatic brain injury. His doctor called him the “luckiest unlucky man you could ever have.”
Office Loor and his partner had been investigating a domestic call in East Harlem. Terrence Hale, a 26-year old a bipolar man who had stopped taking his medications, was in an emotionally disturbed state and his mother had called 911 to ask for assistance in dealing with him. Office Loor and his partner tried to escort Hale to the hospital; Hale swiveled and stabbed Loor in the left side of his head.
Miraculously, the knife blade missed—by millimeters!—very sensitive regions of the brain, including a major artery and structures that control vision and motor functions. Loor was taken by ambulance to Mount Sinai Medical Center. There, an emergency room team led by Dr. Joshua B. Bederson, the hospital's head of neurosurgery, examined the injury.
The knife wound went “deep into the temporal lobe and all the way down to the skull base,” according to Dr. Bederson, and cut through the Sylvian fissure, which divides the frontal and temporal lobes. Despite the injury, the officer is expected to make a complete recovery.
Officer Loor has a young daughter and a pregnant wife, who managed to be composed enough to respond thoughtfully to questions at a news conference shortly after the stabbing.
Traumatic brain injuries can be horrific, violent events. If you or someone you know suffered a car accident in Washington DC, a sports injury in Maryland, or some other traumatic brain injury, the brain injury attorneys here at the Zukerberg Law Center can help you. Connect with us at (202) 232-6400 or toll free at (888) 473-1707, and download our free report, Understanding Brain Injury. -
Large Alzheimer's Drug Trial to Begin in Columbia
May 15, 2012The New York Times is reporting today that a large scale trial of the experimental drug Crenezumab will begin in Medellin, Columbia. The city is home to an extended family of 5,000 people, who have a genetic mutation which creates a high risk of developing Alzheimer's.
The five year study will test whether the drug is helping delay memory loss and other Alzheimer's hallmarks. Although Alzheimer's is very different from traumatic brain injury, both can involve damage to neurotransmitters. The cause of Alzheimer's is unknown, while TBI comes from known head trauma. The Columbian study will be watched closely by all specialists studying brain injury. -
How to Acquire a Traumatic Brain Injury: The “Romney’s Dog” Fiasco
May 11, 2012How might a minor political headline have bearing on your potential Washington D.C. traumatic brain injury case? The answer is both surprising and enlightening.
Whether or not you are a “Beltway insider,” odds that are you've heard stories about how presumptive GOP presidential nominee, Mitt Romney, once drove a significant distance with his dog lashed to the top of his car. At the recent White House Correspondents’ dinner, President Obama made fun of his rival regarding the whole “dog on the roof” business. From a certain perspective, it’s an amusing story. On other hand, the story holds powerful and subtle lessons for people who might have a head injury case.
Let’s follow the logic. Whatever your political preferences, you are probably aware that Mitt Romney has earned a reputation as an authority figure. He served as Governor of Massachusetts, helped organize the 2002 Olympic Games in Utah, ran a successful business, and bested his rivals in the recent GOP primaries battle. Yet even someone who accomplished all that engaged in ridiculous behavior with respect to the dog-on-the-roof business. The point is that anyone—no matter what his station—can make crazy, potentially dangerous decisions, depending on the circumstances and the timing.
On some level, this is an obvious point to highlight. Almost everyone has lapses of judgment from time to time. On the other hand, if you really consider this observation, your perspective on your risk for DC traumatic brain injury changes. Think about it:
- Have you ever tripped while going downstairs?
- Have you ever slipped on a slick or wet surface?
- Have you ever momentarily failed to pay attention while driving?
- Have you ever played a rough-and-tumble game?
- Have you ever lost your temper and done something irrational?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, you can probably begin understand how and why devastating accidents—and traumatic brain injuries—can afflict practically anyone at any time.
To deal effectively with your situation, educate yourself by downloading the Zukerberg Law Center’s free report, Understanding Brain Injury. You can also get further information about recovery from a serious accident leading to brain injury by calling our offices: (202) 232-6400 locally, or (888) 473-1707 toll-free.
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NFL Brain Injuries Spark Celebrity-Led Lawsuit
May 07, 2012Alex Karras, a former Detroit Lion and TV/movie star, has filed suit against the National Football League together with 118 other ex-players. The players allege that the concussions they sustained while playing professional football led to traumatic brain injuries and other health problems.
Karras, who won wide fame for his roles as the lovable dad on the 1980s sitcom Webster, and as the big man who punched the horse in Mel Brooks' Blazing Saddles, now suffers from dementia, high blood pressure, dizziness, and a host of other ailments. The 76-year-old’s wife, Susan Clark, told reporters, “He was an amazing cook—Thai and Greek food. He doesn’t cook anything at all anymore. He can’t remember what his recipes were.”
All told, approximately 1,200 former NFL players are engaged in legal actions against the NFL. They allege that the League did not provide appropriate care for concussed players, safety equipment, training and education. In the wake of Karras’ lawsuit—and other actions—the NFL has started to institute changes to reduce concussions and traumatic brain injuries in football.
Optimists point out that helmet technologies have improved, as have traumatic brain injury (TBI) diagnoses and medicine. Pessimists counter that the game of football has gotten more hard-hitting than ever before. Witness, for instance, the scandal that broke earlier this year involving players in the New Orleans Saints putting “bounties” on players on other teams. Karras, for his part, retired way back in 1970. So it could be years, if not decades, before the full extent of the NFL’s legacy of concussions plays out.
If you or someone you care about has suffered a head injury in Maryland or Washington D.C., the team here at the Zukerberg Law Center can provide free and confidential assistance. Learn more at our website or download our free book now: Understanding Brain Injury. -
Vietnam Veterans with TBI Help Scientists Map Brain Functioning
May 06, 2012Over 180 Vietnam veterans suffering from TBI’s volunteered to help scientists map the physical areas of the brain associated with various aspects of intelligence.
The Vets suffered from highly localized TBI’s caused by penetrating brain injuries. Most civilians, by contrast, have closed-head TBI's, with diffuse injury.
When a bullet or fragment pierces the skull, often destroys specific areas of the brain, while leaving others intact.
Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urban, led by Dr. Aron Barbey, took CT scans of the Vets, then administered an extensive battery of neuropsychological tests. These are the same battery of tests experts retained by the Zukerberg Law Center use to access cognitive deficits in TBI clients.
The researchers then used sophisticated software to create 3,000 three-dimensional sections. By analyzing the specific areas of damage, and then comparing these with the cognitive test results, the researchers were able to identify the brain regions associated with a particular cognitive function, such as intelligence, processing speed and executive function.
Their results are published in this month’s Brain, A Journal of Neurology. This research can help DC, Maryland and Virginia brain injury clients quantify the nature and extent of their injuries – a significant issue in brain injury litigation. -
iPad is Game Changer for Kids with Traumatic Brain Injury
May 06, 2012Sure the iPad is get for entertainment, but it is also a huge boost for kids with speech or communication deficits. Programs like Proloquo2go is just one of the many apps aimed at people who need help with speech, including brain injury survivors in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, DC.
Too bad Medicare, and most private insurance companies, don't cover tablets, because "the devices might be used for non-medical purposes." But even these "non-medical" applications can often benefit kids who have suffered TBI's. Interactive games can be theraputic for those suffering from memory loss, decreased processing speed, or other cognitive deficits.
Just because it's fun, doesn't mean its not helping. While waiting for Medicare and the insurance companies to get on board, an iPad is a wonderful gift for many kids with traumatic brain injury. -
M.I.T. Scientists Find New Ways Measure Intracranial Pressure Without Surgery
May 05, 2012Measuring intracranial pressure (ICP) is often essential following a DC, Maryland or Virginia traumatic brain injury (TBI). Currently, the only way to measure ICP is to surgically insert a probe in the brain. But now, MIT scientists have created a model which accurately estimates ICP by measuring peripheral arterial blood pressure and blood flow velocity, which can be measured without surgery. The full research can be found in this month's Science Transactional Medicine. For patients, the new technique means that patients with mild or moderate TBI's can have their ICP monitored, even where surgical implantation of a probe is not necessarily indicated. Pressure can also be monitored for more seriously injured patients after ICP probe is removed.
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MRI Study of Professional Boxers Show Early Signs of Traumatic Brain Injury
Apr 25, 2012In the largest study of professional boxers ever assembled, doctors at the Cleveland Clinic, have concluded that MRI's of the hippocampus and thalamus can predict future cognitive decline.
In the past, the first signs of brain damage are often reports of losses in memory, processing speed or altertness. But symptoms almost always preceeded documented losses as seen in imaging studies.
Dr. Charles Bernick, head of the Cleveland Clinic team, has been able to quantify reduction of the size of brain regions known as the hippocampus and thalamus, and then correlate these changes with development of cognitive symtoms.
These findings are important to boxers, football players, hockey players, and anyone who has suffered repeated blows to the head in DC, Maryland or Virginia, or who has suffered repeated concussions.
Now, rather than waiting and worrying whether all those shots to the head will result in disability, an early MRI can forecast the can forecast the the furture course of a traumatic brain injury.
Players who show early signs of a shrunken hippocampus or thalamus could weigh the cost of continued playing against the likelihood of permanent injury.
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Washington Redskins Adopt New NFL Rules to Limited Head Injuries
Apr 18, 2012The Washington Redskins got back to practice a month later than usual, under new NFL rules designed to reduce concussions.
Players are getting more time off-season to rest and recuperate, and less full contact during spring training.
Head injuries, particularly repeated concussions, have caused long-term injuries to retired NFL players and led to the filing of several class-action suits.
Former Redskin quarterback Marc Rypien is the named plaintiff in one such suit, against the NFL and helmet manufacturers, claiming the defendants hid the known dangers of repeated concussions.
If you or someone you love has questions about a sports-related brain injury or a TBI you suffered during an accident, illness, or other event, connect with the Zukerberg Law Center for a free consultation at 888-473-1707. Please download our free report, Five Common Myths About Concussions, here at our site. -
Loss of Self-Control Due to Traumatic Brain Injury: The Bales Trial
Apr 18, 2012Prior to allegedly murdering 17 Afghan citizens in Kandahar on March 11, U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Robert Bales suffered a traumatic brain injury. Many analysts now believe that Bales’ TBI contributed to (or perhaps even caused) his rampage, which not only took 17 innocent lives but also set back the US-Afghanistan relationship.
Analysts believe that Bales suffered from both posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and TBI. Both conditions have been linked with aggressiveness, rage, hostility, depression, attention and executive function problems, sleep disorders, headaches, and impulse control problems. The 39-year-old Bales allegedly endured his traumatic brain injury while on deployment in Iraq. He allegedly suffered from chronic headaches, nightmares, and flashbacks prior to his most recent deployment in Afghanistan.
Perhaps the PTSD he suffered was more responsible for the extreme violence. Some surveys of veterans with posttraumatic stress have found disturbing statistics. For instance, PTSD-afflicted vets are up to three times more likely to hit their wives than vets and engage in acts of premeditated aggression. A meta analysis of dozens of head injury studies suggests that damage to the orbitofrontal cortex—the region of the brain right behind the eyes—can ratchet up the likelihood that the victim will commit violent acts by approximately 10 percent.
It’s probably an oversimplification to blame Bales’ alleged PTSD or TBI for what happened. But we don’t want to discount the effects of those injuries or traumas, either. The reality is that head injury science is a relatively new science. Neurologists and other brain researchers have done a yeoman’s job of mapping the brain and understanding some of its critical functions.
We still have a long way to go before we can make more certain diagnoses. That said, understanding the nature of Bales’ traumatic brain injury—particularly as it related to his violent outburst—is a crucial task not only for the military but also for the millions of Americans who experience concussions and other TBIs every year.
If you or someone you care about was recently hurt in Afghanistan or Iraq—or injured in a car accident, sports game, or slip and fall accident—the Zukerberg Law Center can help you understand your legal rights. We can provide you with powerful resources to make progress with your case and help you deal with critical issues in your life.
The information contained in this website is not legal advice. Information contained in this website is provided by The Zukerberg Law Center, PLLC for informational purposes only. Receipt of this information, or contact via this web site, does not create an attorney-client relationship between any sender or recipient and the Zukerberg Law Center, PLLC.
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