Southwest Florida's Health and Wellness Magazine Health and Wellness Articles
Do you remember that time you hit your head when you were playing high school or college sports? Or the whiplash car accident from 10 years ago? Or when you slipped and fell and hit your head? If you think that these injuries are a thing of the past, you might want to reconsider. The latest scientific research is showing that these injuries may have long-term and lasting effects on mood, memory and even your earning potential!
The Centers for Disease Control estimates that up to 3.8 million sport-related mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBI) are reported annually in the United States. Most of these injuries are never treated sufficiently or recognized as a potential cause of long-term mental health problems. You don’t need to lose consciousness to sustain a concussion and there can be long-lasting consequences even if there are no immediate symptoms.
Sports concussions can cause persistent symptoms, known as post-concussion syndrome (PCS), such as anxiety, irritability, mood swings, depression, a short temper, difficulty focusing, poor sports performance, memory issues, etc. These symptoms may show up immediately after the head trauma, several months later, or they may emerge many years after the injury.
Having an initial concussion sets things up for making future bumps to the head, even minor ones, more impactful and more likely to cause long-term consequences. Do you remember that bump to your noggin when unloading the kayak or when you hit your head on the cupboard door? Repeated injuries, on top of an initial concussion, can reinjure the brain and increase the likelihood of mood swings, irritability, memory issues, and a wide range of adverse emotional and mental health concerns. Additionally, studies show that concussions may lead to an increased risk for neurodegenerative diseases such as chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) later in life.
Concussions cause physical and chemical changes in the brain that affect how it functions. Post Concussion Syndrome physical symptoms can include one or more of the following: headache, dizziness, insomnia, exercise intolerance, fatigue, noise, and light sensitivity. Psychological symptoms, including depression, irritability, and/or anxiety, are common. Cognitive problems such as memory loss, poor concentration, and reduced problem-solving skills frequently occur and can persist over time. These long-lasting physical, psychological, and mental symptoms can significantly affect the quality of your life, career, and your relationships.
A 2009 study published in Brain, the Journal of Neurology, concluded that even 30 years after a head injury, sports concussions could have detrimental effects on cognitive and motor function. Former athletes with a history of concussion had poorer performance on neuropsychological tests of memory, hearing, executive functioning skills (attention, reasoning, judgment, problem solving, creativity, emotional regulation, impulse control, etc.) and they also moved more slowly.
Neurofeedback for Post-Concussive Syndrome
The trauma to the brain from concussions results in abnormal brain electrical activity, which may be detected in a Brain Map (qEEG). These traumatic brain waves are often associated with depression, anxiety, difficulty focusing, memory issues, irritability, etc. Once they are identified, they can be reduced or eliminated through targeted Neurofeedback training. Neurofeedback is a non-invasive process of retraining your brain’s electrical activity back to a state of healthy regulation.
During a neurofeedback session, sensors painlessly monitor brainwaves. While the client watches a video, the computer will look for the brainwaves associated with head trauma, anxiety, depression, overwhelm, etc. When the computer detects irregular brainwaves, it will fade the video and sound. This will cause the client to refocus their attention on the video until the brainwaves return to normal. This can happen hundreds of times during a single session. Eventually, after multiple sessions, the brain learns to maintain brainwaves in a healthy range. As that happens, the client will typically see a reduction in their Post-Concussion Syndrome symptoms. The best part, results are often permanent.
Personalized repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (PrTMS) for Post-Concussive Syndrome
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) is an FDA-approved drug-free, painless, non-invasive therapy that uses magnetic pulses to stimulate activity in the brain. Unlike conventional TMS, where all clients receive the same treatment, PrTMS incorporates diagnostic assessments and a brain function analysis to deliver an individualized TMS treatment.
PrTMS is a simple, safe, and effective way to address post-concussion symptoms. An electroencephalogram (EEG) will be performed to assess brain wave activity using a cap that communicate to a sophisticated computer. The recording takes less than 5 minutes to complete. The data collected is analyzed for abnormal brainwave activity caused by past head trauma. From the EEG data, a custom treatment protocol is generated that is tailored specifically to your brain and symptoms.
During a PrTMS treatment session, clients relax in a comfortable chair for approximately 20 minutes. A small electromagnet is placed above the scalp. The electromagnet delivers a painless magnetic pulse that re-regulates the nerve cells in the region of the brain affected by the concussion.
Nutrition for Post-Concussive Syndrome.
Research points to the importance of nutritional supplements and wise food choices following a concussion. It’s essential to focus on anti-inflammatory foods and protective nutrients to balance the brain’s inflammatory response. Sugar, red meat, gluten, and many processed and refined foods, as well as caffeine and alcohol, are highly inflammatory and lack the nutrients the brain needs for repair and recovery. Foods with browned proteins, chips, crackers, or coffee should be avoided. These foods contain advanced glycosylated end products, which may harm the body and brain.
Nutrients, such as those found in green tea, turmeric, fish oils, berries, eggplant, black rice, and broccoli, along with additional magnesium, zinc, selenium, ascorbate, and glutathione precursors, may be helpful as a part of a comprehensive brain recovery protocol. Foods high in anthocyanins can benefit the brain and slow neurodegeneration. Lion’s Mane mushroom has neuroprotective effects and reduces the reactive oxygen species in the brain. It also increases the levels of a brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which encourages the growth of new brain cells, especially the myelin sheath, which is often damaged from head trauma.
The Brain Wave Center
Isn’t it time that you found a way to free yourself of depression, overwhelm, anxiety, and the other symptoms of post-concussion syndrome? Our Center has a dedicated team of professionals offering innovations in brain health.
Find out how nutritional therapies, neurofeedback, and PrTMS can help you or a loved one. Call 941-552-4500. We offer brief no-charge initial consultations with our medical director.
941.552.4500
BRAINWAVECENTERS.COM
640 S. Washington Blvd., Sarasota, Florida 34236
References:
Louis De Beaumont, Hugo Théoret, David Mongeon, Julie Messier, Suzanne Leclerc, Sébastien Tremblay, Dave Ellemberg, Maryse Lassonde, Brain function decline in healthy retired athletes who sustained their last sports concussion in early adulthood, Brain, Volume 132, Issue 3, March 2009, Pages 695–708, https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/awn347
Ledreux, A., Pryhoda, M. K., Gorgens, K., Shelburne, K., Gilmore, A., Linseman, D. A., Fleming, H., Koza, L. A., Campbell, J., Wolff, A., Kelly, J. P., Margittai, M., Davidson, B. S., & Granholm, A. (2020). Assessment of Long-Term Effects of Sports-Related Concussions: Biological Mechanisms and Exosomal Biomarkers.
Frontiers in Neuroscience, 14. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2020.00761
BMJ Open . 2020 Oct 21;10(10):e038161. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-038161.
Effect of concussion on salary and employment: a population-based event time study using a
quasi-experimental design
