Researchers are buffled by illnesses sustained from contact sports such as football. Football stars Steve Gleason and Kevin “The Collision Expert” Turner, are reported to have developed amyotrophic lateral scleros (ALS), or commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. A controversial research from Boston University, however, suggests that they may not actually have ALS, but instead another motor neuron disorder. The clear cause? Repeated blows to the head.

The debate on whether ALS may develop from brain injuries is still a grey area among researchers. But they are one in saying that concussions, one type of traumatic brain injury, sustained during football games can cause depression, mood and behaviour changes, memory loss, and even early stage of dementia. In medical terms,  this is called chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), characterized by the buildup of two proteins, tau and TDP-43, which leak out when brain cells are injured and can buildup where they aren’t supposed to be.

Second-impact syndrome is the one to look out for. While CTE syndrome can be cured with proper medical attention, second-impact syndrome, on the other hand, can lead to a lasting brain damage, or even death. Second-impact syndrome may occur to those who stay on the game after suffering concussions to the brain.

Contact sports are called that because they are exactly contact sports. Football is not the only sport that has this risk. Boxing, rugby, and hockey are also considered high risk when it comes to concussions and traumatic brain injury because of repeated blows to the head.

LegalView is sad to hear of the passing of Sarah Burke, Canadian freeskier, who died from a traumatic brain injury that occurred after she crashed during training. She was 29.

It was the famous football coach Vince Lombardi who said: “I firmly believe that any man’s finest hour, the greatest fulfillment of all that he holds dear, is that moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle – victorious.”

Sarah Burke has inspired athletes and sports lovers alike. Not only because she has proven herself a formidable competitor in her field, but also because she has proven to be an effective ambassador in promoting superpipe skiing. Sarah is loved not only because of her skills, but also because of her legacy. Even in her death, Sarah has still proven that what she lived for is worth dying for, too. In the words of Lombardi, she has worked her heart out in a good cause and lies in the field of battle, victorious.

This fateful accident opened debates over freestyle skiing. Extreme sports are highly susceptible to accidents leading to traumatic brain injury. This comes as no surprise. This incident has opened for more talks on how to make innovations for the sport and make it safer and better.

Sarah Burke’s death is a reminder to us. A reminder not of fear but of purpose. Sarah lived her life according to her purpose, and died still embracing her purpose. The achievements of Sarah Burke, both personal and for the love of the sport, is her victory. Her finest hour is when she laid there knowing that she has left a legacy; not just a legacy of sportsmanship, but a legacy of courage. Traumatic brain injuries not only occur from sporting events, but from car accidents, abuse, and every day slips and falls. They can be life-changing and expensive. For more information about brain injuries, visit LegalView.com.

What Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords went through, is going through, and will be going through, may be described in two words: life changing.

A lauded public servant, she nonetheless found the wisdom to resign from her office to fully recover from the traumatic brain injury she is now recuperating from. That unfortunate incident which claimed innocent lives and injured many more, including Rep. Giffords, indeed can be said to be life changing. Looking at it, one could say that it wasn’t only Rep. Giffords’ life that was affected by her injury, but also the lives of those whom trusted her to be their voice in the government.

Rep. Giffords must still have many things to do in her lifetime. One who survives such ordeal could only say that luck was on her side and that she still has a mission to complete. Nevertheless, the feisty representative needs to retreat for the time being and recover from the many consequences of a traumatic brain injury.

Rep. Giffords is not alone. Many who suffer the pains from a brain injury – the loss of good health and bodily functions, piling medical expenses, endless treatments, emotional trauma, and foregone opportunities – can testify to the hardship of suffering from such an injury.

But from all this, Rep. Giffords, through her example, is showing us that life goes on. Hope springs anew for those who embrace life-changing circumstances; for those who look at these injuries not as thorns but tools in life. Her resignation is not a sign of defeat. To paraphrase her, giving time to concentrate in recovering from a brain injury is not a sign of defeat, but a sign of victory over an ordeal.

Visit LegalView for ongoing updates about brain injury survivors, treatment options and legal resources at http://braininjury.legalview.com.

Sarah Burke, a Canadian freestyle skier who was injured on during a practice run had successful surgery to repair a vertebral artery tear, which had caused bleeding in her skull. The tear in Burke’s neck artery which supplies blood to the brain, caused an intracranial hemorrhage, a statement released by her publicists on Thursday said.

Dr. William T. Couldwell, who performed Wednesday’s surgery and is neurosurgery chair at University of Utah, said that he and his team need to monitor her brain functions before making any definitive prognosis can be made. Dr. Couldwell says that they frequently see this type of traumatic brain injury with car accident victims.

Burke reportedly fell during a practice run and was treated on the scene before being flown via helicopter to the University of Utah located in Salt Lake City.

Burke is considered a pioneer in freestyle skiing and was a major force in getting the ski halfpipe event added to the 2014 Winter Olympics.

Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) may be added to the list of stroke risk factors. Patients who have suffered from TBIs are more likely to have complications such as torn arteries, cardiac problems or blood clots – all factors that increase the risk of stroke. Almost three percent of patients with TBIs have a stroke within the first three months after injury, which is almost 10 times what someone without a TBI’s likelihood is of having a stroke.

The highest incidence of stroke occurred when patients had a fractured skull. The risk of stroke for someone with a fractured skull was 20 times higher than other patients with brain injuries. Patients with TBI were also at a greater risk for bleeding in the brain following a stoke compared to those who had not experienced traumatic brain injury.

TBI patients are also more likely to have high blood pressure, diabetes, coronary heart disease, atrial fibrillation and heart failure. Patients with TBI’s should be monitored for the first few months following an injury to check for many of these symptoms.

TBI’s are hard to diagnose and hard to treat. Symptoms may not present themselves right away and are often not visible. Similar injuries does not mean similar symptoms.

Seventy-five former professional football players are suing the National Football League, saying the league knew as early as the 1920s of the harmful effects of concussions on players’ brains, but covered up the information. The 75 players filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court this week among the players were former Miami Dolphins wide receiver Mark Duper and former New York Giants running backs Otis Anderson and Rodney Hampton.

The players claimed they did not know the long-term effects of concussions and the NFL tried to hide those effects from the players when instead they should have been protecting them. The lawsuit also points at Riddell Inc, which has made the helmets for the NFL since 1989.

Recent studies show that multiple head injuries can lead to long-term brain injuries, including memory loss, dementia, depression and CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy). The NFL was aware of this information but failed to share it with its players. Last year the NFL finally acknowledged the dangers linked with concussions by sending a warning to every player and team but failed to notify past players.

Neither the NFL spokesman Greg Aiello or Riddell have made comments regarding the issue but claim they are waiting to review the complaint.

The NFL’s Brain Injury Committee knew about the links between concussions and traumatic brain injuries, but they tried to cover up this information by publishing articles with contrary findings. These articles not only tricked the players but also Congress and the public.  In 1994, the NFL studied concussion research and published their findings in 2004 stating that there was no evidence that multiple concussions led to chronic or worsening injury.  The NFL also allowed many players to return to the field on the same day that they suffered from a concussion if they were cleared by a doctor.

Many former players in the NFL have suffered from traumatic brain injuries and even death. Most notably former Chicago Bears safety David Duerson, 50, who  shot himself in the chest in February, leaving behind a note requesting that his brain be donated for study.

The NFL has been involved in a number of legal battles recently which may signify a change in the management of the league. The legal battles have already been compared with the Big Tobacco lawsuits. The brain injury lawsuit does not outline a dollar amount for damages.

Research had been increasing on the correlation between traumatic brain injuries and war veterans and football players. Traumatic brain injuries or TBIs are a leading cause of death and or permanent disability among these professions. The newest study shows that there is a possible link between TBIs and dementia. The study shows that TBIs could do as much as double the risk of dementia.

The study looked into the medical records of about 300,000 war veterans who were 55 or older and found that those with TBI’s had a 15% chance of developing dementia compared to a 7% chance for those who had not previously suffered from a TBI. Another study that focused on NFL players showed that 35% over the age of 50 had developed brain injury related problems that could be considered significant or serious.

Traumatic brain injuries can be time consuming and expensive, these injuries often result in extensive medical treatments and in-home care. This new research suggested that those with traumatic brain injuries should  be monitored and screened for signs of dementia.

A conference held last Saturday at Johns Hopkins Hospital was held to showcase new technology for traumatic brain injuries. Recent news has shed light on two causes of TBIs: concussions from sports and soldiers wounded by explosions in Iraq and Afghanistan.

TBIs are hard to diagnose and treat because they all yield different symptoms and results. The conference which was many presented on PowerPoint showed the progress that medical specialists have made recently. The conference mainly focused on TBIs of wounded soldiers in Afghanistan.

Specialist described cases that they had worked through, one involving a soldier who suffered a fractured skull and pooling of blood on the brain. Doctors kept him in a medically induced coma for a week, and was kept for a month in the hospital. Six months later “he was completely fine”.

Another soldier who faced a less severe injury from a blast about 100 feet away ended up with symptoms still present a year later. His symptoms included dizziness, headaches and other symptoms.

Specialists also spoke about how genetics can play a role in how individuals respond, but still further study needs to be done.

New York Rangers, Derek Boogaard, 28, was found dead in his apartment in Minneapolis last Friday. After much deliberation, his parents have decided to donate his brain to Boston University for an ongoing studying that researches concussion effects in athletes.

The cause of death has not been released, but Boogaard is one of many athletes whose brains have been donated to this study. Boston University’s Center has a donation registry for athletes to study effects of trauma on the brain and spinal cord.

Many suspect that the cause of death is CTE or chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a condition which is mostly found in people who are active in sports with common head injuries like football, hockey, and boxing, but is most prevalent in NFL players. Boogaard missed the last 52 games of hockey scores in the regular season with a concussion and shoulder injury and did not play in the ice hockey betting playoffs.

Former NFL safety Dave Duerson who committed suicide in February left a note requesting that his brain be donated as well. The study determined that Duerson suffered from CTE linked to concussions.

In February, former Chicago Bears safety David Duerson shot himself in the chest, leaving behind a note that asked that his brain be given to the NFL’s brain bank. Duerson’s wish was that his brain be studied for evidence of a certain disease striking athletes.

After studying Duerson’s brain, scientists found that Duerson’s brain tissue showed “moderately advanced” evidence of chronic traumatic encephalopathy and no other evidence of other disease. Chronic traumatic encephalopathy or CTE is a dementia-like brain disease afflicting athletes exposed to repeated brain trauma. CTE can affect the areas that control judgment, inhibition, impulse control, mood and memory.

CTE has been linked to the brains of 14 of 15 former NFL players that have been studied.  All of the cases had one thing in common, repeated concussions and sub-concussive blows to the head or both. The picture beginning to emerge from these cases is that trauma could be causing brain damage.

Duerson suffered a minimum of 10 known concussions during the course of his career.