In a new position paper published in Neurology, the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) defines death by neurologic criteria – commonly known as brain death – as the individual’s death due to irreversible loss of function of the entire brain in accordance with the Uniform Determination of Death Act (UDDA) a model state law that was approved for the U.S. in 1981. In the position paper the AAN proposed uniform brain death laws, policies and practices. In a comment to MedPage Today, lead author James Russell, DO, MS, of Lahey Hospital said the statement has three goals. “First, it provides AAN, American Neurological Association, and Child [...]

Fortunately for many athletes who suffered head injuries, recent awareness of mild traumatic brain injury and the possible long-term effects, has saved them from further injury. Medical professionals are on site for contact sports to determine if a player suffered a concussion and if the athlete should be removed from play. Gone are the days when the coach would make light of a player having his “bell rung.” For everyone else, the severity of a head injury can only be determined by a visit to the ER. But how does a person determine when a trip to the ER is necessary?  According to Dr. Charles Emerman, [...]

What happens when a patient is admitted to a trauma center with a traumatic brain injury (TBI)? Clinicians will first classify the injury as mild, moderate or severe, by assessing the patient’s consciousness levels. The differences in TBIs will vary greatly from the initial trauma and assessment to the resulting effects in the years that follow. The use of broad classifications for these injuries can be detrimental by limiting the predictability of the patient’s outcomes, both long-term and short-term. “Every traumatic brain injury is unique,” said Vignesh Subbian, an assistant professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, or BME, and the Department of Systems and Industrial [...]