Thinning a skull takes a lot of skill and at least three months of practice, said Dorian McGavern, senior investigator at NIH and lead author on the study. Scientists already developed a technique to thin a mouse skull until it is see-through under the light from a two-photon microscope, which scientists use to observe the mouse’s brain while it is under anesthesia. (If you’re squeamish, you might want to jump ahead.)
So researchers at NIH found a way to watch what happens to the brain when it collides with the skull. CAT scans and MRIs can show bleeding and swelling, but previously no one was sure how severe the damage following a bump to the head could be. Patients report different symptoms, often at different times after their accident. The symptoms - headaches, dizziness - are vague, he said. Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post via Getty ImagesĬoncussions are difficult to diagnose, said Larry LaTour, a researcher who has been studying traumatic brain injuries at the National Institute of Health. Though Welker will sit out for the Bronco’s next game, doctors can do little to treat concussions. On Sunday, Denver Broncos wide receiver Wes Welker reportedly received a concussion after a hit during a play against the Tennessee Titans. Their findings, published in the journal Nature this week, showed that a single concussion can cause cell death in the brain in a matter of hours.
Department of Defense estimates that 22 percent of all combat injuries are traumatic brain injuries.īut what happens to the brain right after a concussion? Researchers at the National Institute of Health peered into the brains of mice and watched how a traumatic brain injury progresses over a day. Former football players reached a $765 million settlement against the NFL stemming from a lawsuit where they claimed to have memory loss, depression, headaches and dizziness after multiple head injuries during their careers. Photo by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Ĭoncussions and traumatic brain injuries have been receiving national attention lately. An MRI of a patient’s brain 19 hours after a fall shows bleeding and damage to the meninges, the lining between the skull and the brain.
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