What are the macroscopic features (neuropathology) of chronic TBI?

 

Sports Concussions and Traumatic Brain Injury

Be sure you have read the article “Neurological consequences of traumatic brain injuries in sports,” by Helen Ling, John Hardy, and Henrik Zetterberg. This reading is available through the following link: 

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S104474311500041X?via%3Dihub OR https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mcn.2015.03.012

Ling, H., Hardy, J., & Zetterberg, H. (2015). Neurological consequences of traumatic brain injuries in sports.Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience. Amsterdam, Netherlands: Elsevier. Article in Press.Professional as well as amateur athletes in contact sports including football, soccer, boxing and hockey are at risk for repeated concussions. Fortunately, the medical community is examining the long-term effects of repeated concussions or traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) on athletes with the goal of identifying preventative measures as well as treatments. In 2012, the National Football League donated $30 million dollars to the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health to support research in brain injuries. The Ling et al. (2015) article from this week’s assigned reading discusses how chronic brain injuries lead to chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a progressive degenerative disease that includes memory loss, confusion, aggression, depression, abnormal impulse control, impaired judgment, and ultimately dementia.

Respond to the following:

1. What are the types of brain injuries that occur in high-impact sports?

2. At the cellular level, how are neurons and glia believed to be affected by TBIs?

3. What are the macroscopic features (neuropathology) of chronic TBI? How is the structure of the brain affected?

4. Do you believe there should be new rules and regulations and/or development of new protective gear? Why or why not?

5. What do you think should be done to protect professional players from TBIs? Would you recommend the same interventions for amateur players? Why or why not?

6. Based on what you have learned this week, how would you advise a friend about their child’s participation in junior league football?

Assignment Details

Evaluating Your Own Risk for Inherited Disease

This two-part assignment will allow you to evaluate the role our genes play in the development of certain diseases. Additionally, you will demonstrate your ability to use electronic database for research purposes.

First,  think about your individual health and health risks, by considering what genetic diseases or problems are prevalent in your family.  Do you  have a predisposition to breast cancer, diabetes, hypertension or any other disease? You may consider your own health risks or those of other individuals such as a family member or friend. Then, in a paper of 750–1,000 words, address the following:

Part I: Evaluating Risk for Disease

· What genetic diseases or problems did you identify to be potential issues?

· Choose one of these diseases and provide an introduction of the disease, including the reason why this would be considered to be a genetic/inherited disease?

·  Discuss the major signs/symptoms of the disorder. Research the mode of inheritance for your chosen disease and provide a thorough discussion of the mode of inheritance. If you are not able to find a specific mode of inheritance, provide a hypothesis for the mode of inheritance. Explain your reasoning thoroughly.

· What information would help an individual who has been recently diagnosed with the disease?

· What would you say to a family member who is also at risk for developing the disease? What should they know about passing this disease trait to their children?

Part II: Purdue Global Library Search

Finally, visit the library by clicking on My Studies and then selecting the “Library” link on the Campus homepage. Select the option to perform an advanced search by scrolling down to Quick Links and selecting “Advanced Search: EBSCO Discovery Service”. Answer the following questions:

· Search for the disease/trait you selected in Part I of this assignment. What search term(s) did you use?

· Use a combination of search terms. Which method resulted in the most “hits” or results?

· What is the difference between this PG library search and a search on a search engine (e.g., Google)?

· Which search is more appropriate for academic research? Why?

· Select two credible sources from your Purdue Global Library Search and briefly explain whether these references support or contradict your previous conclusions regarding your selected disease. Please ensure that you have included these sources in your references page.