Brain Balanz

03/02/2022

We are learning that Covid causes brain symptoms. How does this happen and why? Many of these symptoms resemble concussion.

02/11/2021

Lives are at stake

Brain injuries have overtaken a broken nose, jaw and fractured ankles as the most common injury requiring hospital admission among league and union players.

24/10/2021

Baseline testing for concussion - this article discusses the evolution of neurocognitive baseline testing, the reliability of such tests, and the supplementary tests that could be done to gather more "pre-injury" information.

https://brainbalanz.com.au/concussion-baseline-testing/

Concussion baseline testing take some of the guessing game out of the very important decision regarding recovery and returning to sport.

20/10/2021

Ever heard the term Blood-Brain-Barrier? This article attempts to shed some light on this fascinating feature of our brain, and what happens to it after brain injury.


https://brainbalanz.com.au/blood-brain-barrier/

We need to have an organized thought process around categories of concussion, to enable us to better assess and understand what’s wrong.

10/10/2021

https://brainbalanz.com.au/categories-of-concussion/

We need to have an organized thought process around categories of concussion, to enable us to better assess and understand what’s wrong.

20/07/2021

“According to research, up to 80% of concussed athletes show some eye movement dysfunction.” This article goes on to point out that despite this percentage, eye movement assessments for concussed persons are often disregarded. Lets moved forward!

01/07/2021

Certain pre-existing factors can influence the likelihood of developing post-concussion syndrome. These factors fall into the categories of lifestyle, diet, autoimmune disease, gut disorders/systemic inflammation, physical health, mental health, and general wellness. If you’re still suffering from concussion, months after your injury, your challenge is to optimise every category because they each influence brain health and endurance. Not an easy task even for a healthy brain.

31/05/2021

In this study, (https://lnkd.in/gaErwpr), PET scanning shows increased Tau aggregation and inflammation in the brain of young concussion (approx 20-30 years old) victims, more than 6 months after injury. Tau aggregation induces neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease.
How important is it for us to ensure the proper recovery of brain health, post-concussion?

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) and repeated sports-related concussions (rSRCs) are associated with an increased risk for neurodegeneration. Autopsy find…

02/05/2021

Eye movement assessments can be helpful for identifying functional issues in neurological pathways of the brain. This patient presents with migraine, dizziness, fatigue, sensitivity to light, and sensitivity to pain. Her vertical saccadic eye movements can be seen in the video to pause as they move. This would be classified as hypometric, meaning that she cannot move completely from one target to the other.

27/04/2021

A 2014 study of 6704 high-school athletes found a relationship between concussion and neck strength, neck circumference and head-to-neck ratio, whereby those with weaker, thinner necks, were more likely to be concussed. It was postulated that athletes with these characteristics were targeted for preventative measures to improve neck strength. If your child were in the "high-risk" category for concussion, would you find these mitigation measures interesting?

23/04/2021

We all rely heavily on our visual inputs to inform us about our position and how we are moving in relation to our environment. Due to a head injury, this client has suffered a loss of vestibular function and consequently has become too reliant (theoretically) on his vision. This visually complex video is causing him to “over-react” to the visual input. We hope that by placing him in this challenging situation he will be forced to recruit the vestibular (inner ear balance) and proprioceptive (body position sense) inputs to the brain, enabling again a better integration of all three sensory inputs. Ps a virtual reality environment would be even harder/better for him .

22/04/2021

Easier to see in the dark...

Movements of the eyes in the dark are often more informative than what we can observe in the light. This is because the eyes can FIXATE onto targets in the light, therefore suppressing vital clues. This video shows downbeat nystagmus after a headshake test, indicating a “central”, brain dysfunction. The eyes are observed via infrared goggles which allow us to see video through a lens. The lens is designed to remove vision from the client, therefore denying fixation. The likely diagnosis is Vestibular Migraine.

18/04/2021

It is common practice to use objective measurements to assess an injury. For example, we may measure a knee’s range of motion and muscle strength. The same concept should be applied for a brain injury whereby we can measure things like cognition, balance and eye movements. Without such measurements it’s very hard to set a baseline and validate improvements.

16/04/2021

Most people consider concussion to be a short term “headache”. Yet too many times have I heard the story of a life in tatters, months or years later. Education about risk factors and management are crucial steps towards minimising the negative impact of concussion and risk of chronic brain dysfunction.

14/04/2021

According to a 2019 article from the Australian journal of general practice, eye movement dysfunction is reported in up to 69% of concussions, yet standard assessments DO NOT typically include examination of the eye. Oculomotor examination SHOULD be part of every concussion assessment.

09/04/2021

In the past twenty years, the management of concussion has changed significantly. We now know that it is crucial to have more rest in the vulnerable days following a head injury. The average return to play time in 2000 was 3 days, however, the average return to play time now is 12 days. The longer rest period has seen a 90% decrease in the likeliness of re-concussion.

08/04/2021

What is the vestibular system? IF you didn't already know, your ear is important for balance! Inside your ear is the vestibular apparatus, which senses movement of the head. These sensors are crucial for the brain to know how to stay upright.

08/04/2021