Fifty US troops left with brain injuries after Iranian rocket attack

The Sydney Morning Herald

January 29, 2020

Washington: The Pentagon says 50 US service members are now diagnosed with traumatic brain injury after missile strikes by Iran on a base in Iraq this month, 16 more than the military had previously announced.

President Donald Trump and other top officials initially said Iran's January 8th attack had not killed or injured any US service members.

"As of today, 50 US service members have been diagnosed" with traumatic brain injury, Pentagon spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Campbell said in a statement about injuries in the attack on the Ain Asad air base in western Iraq. Symptoms of concussive injuries include headaches, dizziness, sensitivity to light and nausea.

Thirty-one of the 50 were treated in Iraq and returned to duty, including 15 of those diagnosed most recently, Campbell said.

Eighteen of the total have been sent to Germany for further evaluation and treatment, and one was sent to Kuwait and has since returned to duty, he said.

"This is a snapshot in time and numbers can change," Campbell said. In its previous update on Friday, the Pentagon had put the number of thoseinjured at 34.

Trump last week appeared to play down the injuries, saying he "heard that they had headaches and a couple of other things".

That prompted criticism from a US war veterans' group. William Schmitz, national commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, said on Friday the group "expects an apology from the President to our service men and women for his misguided remarks."

According to Pentagon data, about 408,000 service members have been diagnosed with traumatic brain injury since 2000.

Iran fired missiles at the Ain Asad base in retaliation for the US killing of top Revolutionary Guard general Qassem Soleimani in a drone strike at Baghdad airport on January 3.

The missile attacks capped a spiral of violence that had started in late December, and both sides have refrained from further military escalation.

Reuters



This Helmet Will Save Football. Actually, Probably Not.

The New York Times

By Michael Powell 

Dec. 12, 2019

At Stanford, David Camarillo chases the dream of a helmet that can prevent brain disease related to playing football. It’s filled with water. Really. Brain experts say he’s wasting his time.

PALO ALTO, Calif. — Walk between a colonnade of palm trees and push through a door at Stanford University and find a sorcerer’s apprentice lab where prospective Ph.D. sorts beaver away at bioengineering programs.

This is CamLab, where David Camarillo, a nationally respected bioengineer and former college football tight end, and his students are in pursuit of that American El Dorado: They seek a helmet that will make it safe to play tackle football.

Dr. Camarillo, 40, insisted they could soon crack the case. He tapped at his keyboard and on the screen, watched a simulation of his new helmet shock absorber, and whispered: “This could reduce concussions by at least 75 percent. Theoretically, this is the holy grail.” That might be an unintentionally apt metaphor. No one, after all, has found Jesus’ chalice. After years of research, only a few scientists believe they can still make such a helmet. Many who study this field say a more sophisticated helmet may even prove dangerous.

“My fear is that a better helmet will give false reassurance,” said Dr. Lee Goldstein, a psychiatrist and researcher with the C.T.E. Center at Boston University, which has carried out pioneering research on chronic traumatic encephalopathy, the degenerative brain disease linked to repeated hits to the head. “It’s like developing a better cigarette filter. It’s smoother and it might not give you a hacking cough. But you still get lung cancer.”

These are strange and contentious times for football. It remains America’s most popular sport. The National Football League remains a mint, pumping out revenues that have reached $15 billion annually. At the same time, youth and high school football participation has fallen steadily, driven, in part, by broad parental concern about the brutal damage wreaked by hits that shake and rattle the gray mass of mystery that is the human brain.

 Their worry is based in fact. When a 310-pound man who runs a 40-yard dash in five seconds flat slams into a running back, that runner’s neck and head accelerate, and the brain and its fibers twist and stretch and tear. A particularly rough hit could jar open the blood-brain barrier, the semipermeable wall that prevents bacterial pathogens from entering the brain.

The danger isn’t limited to the largest and fastest people. In fact, smaller repeated hits — as opposed to spectacular collisions — are the real danger. Football, brain experts say, can represent imminent danger to the brain of a child, a teenager or an adult. No advance in helmet making, they say, is likely to materially change that.

Willy Moss, a physicist at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California, has worked with Dr. Goldstein and the Department of Defense, seeking to develop better helmets for players in contact sports and soldiers in war zones. He has alsoconsulted with Dr. Camarillo.

He is open to a breakthrough in helmet technology, though a thin smile spoke to profound doubt.

“You can make whatever changes you want, but in the end it’s all physics,” he said. “Talking of new and better buffers is like Goldilocks and the three foams.”

Stefan Duma, an engineering professor at Virginia Tech, runs a respected helmet lab that evaluates and rates them, and he has tracked the breadth of the technological leap. More sophisticated helmets and foams have reduced the acceleration of the head by about 50 percent, and all of the companies, he said, are engaged in research to develop new technologies. But he is not convinced that great advances remain. C.T.E. remains an ever-present danger no matter what a player wears on his head. “Not getting hit in the head at all is the best thing for you,” he said.

“The top five or six pro helmets are interchangeable, well designed and perform well,” he added. “But we have to be clear: This is about risk reduction.”

So the argument is joined, and there’s no doubting the stakes. The N.F.L. recognizes the threat to its future and has shoveled money into helmet and concussion research as fast as a stoker tosses coal into a furnace. It has spent $200 million, and counting, in the past decade, and the Department of Defense has poured in tens of millions of dollars of its own, hoping to find better protection for soldiers. In mid-November, the N.F.L. announced a $2 million grant competition to create a new “top performing helmet.”

Taken on its own, the $140 million football helmet business is dominated by a half-dozen companies and offers a poor profit center, as the market is small and heavily weighted down with insurance liability costs. Dr. Camarillo has applied for a piece of that N.F.L. bounty and has yet to receive money. He is principally underwritten by a grant from Stanford’s Children’s Hospital.

“My goal is not to be a consultant to football,” he said. “Really traumatic brain injury is a much bigger issue.”

And he is convinced that a better helmet can help solve it.

 



British man found guilty ofAustralian Amy Parsons' murder in London

The Age

By Henry Vaughan

November 20, 2019

London: A man who battered his Australian fiancee to death when she wanted to leave him because of his cross-dressing has been found guilty of murder in the UK.

Roderick Deakin-White, 38, repeatedly hit Amy Parsons, 35, over the head with a metal bar while she was showering in the flat they shared in Whitechapel, east London.

She suffered "horrific injuries" to her head, face and brain during the attack on April 25 before he left her bleeding to death on the floor.

Deakin-White denied murder but was found guilty by a jury on Tuesday. He faces a life sentence when he is sentenced on November 26.

The court heard Parsons, a personal assistant for a City company who was from Melbourne, became increasingly dissatisfied with the relationship, telling friends one bone of contention was Deakin-White's cross-dressing.

"She was unhappy about this and this was something he had often wanted to do when they were intimate," said prosecutor Gareth Patterson QC.

He told jurors Deakin-White became angry and jealous after Parsons began arelationship with her colleague James Saunders a few weeks before the killing.

The prosecutor said Deakin-White launched the attack after she told him she was leaving him. "Unwilling to accept that she was going to leave him, he used a metal bar to hit her repeatedly around the head while she was showering in the Docklands flat which they shared," Patterson said.

"By his blows with the bar he caused her horrific injuries and fractures to the head and face and brain."

She was left bleeding on the shower floor, and Deakin-White fled the flat before confessing to a friend, who persuaded him to hand himself in.

A post-mortem examination found she suffered major fractures to her head and face and died of a traumatic brain injury.

In interviews with police, Deakin-White admitted attacking her with a metal bar.

But denied murder, claiming it was an "accident". Scotland Yard Detective Inspector Darren Jones said: "Amy Parsons paid the ultimate price because of Deakin-White's controlling, selfish and violent nature.

"He relied on Amy's financial support and I believe he could not stand the factthat she was moving on and refused to be taken advantage of any more.

"Amy had become aware of what kind of person he was and was beginning to take steps to leave Deakin-White.

"These steps included a new relationship, free from Deakin-White's coercive and abusive behaviour.

"Because of this Deakin-White launched a vicious and brutal attack on Amy, without warning and in her own home, where she should have been safe and secure."

 



  1. My once-vibrant husband died of ALS, and my complicated grief is deep
  2. Program to Prevent Suicide by Veterans Earns Bipartisan Support
  3. Sporty teens with concussions are three times more likely to be depressed
  4. Just one season of playing football—even without a concussion—can cause brain damage
  5. Startups fighting a 'bulletproof' mentality in men's health
  6. 'His personality changed': Michael Hutchence's sister on his traumatic brain injury
  7. Toddler suffers 'catastrophic brain injury' in alleged beating
  8. Cyclist, 70, left with head and spinal injuries after being hit by car
  9. 'Choked to the point of brain damage': Ice scourge fuels domestic violence
  10. Mass Murderer Possible undiagnosed brain damage
  11. Savage attack in Melbourne's north leaves tourist with bleeding to the brain, broken jaw
  12. Link between concussion and brain damage to ensure AFL debate rages
  13. Sports commentator Billy J Smith dies after a fall
  14. Surgeon killer could be first to get10-year term under one-punch laws
  15. Liam Neeson's nephew Ronan Sexton dies, years after serious fall
  16. Toddler burnt with lighter and hit every day in lead-up to her death, court told
  17. Patron filmed unconscious, held around neck as guard evicts him from hotel
  18. FA Cup set to introduce concussion substitute trial this season
  19. Teen fighting for life after Healesville car park brawl
  20. Police discover critically injured man at Logan Village address
  21. 'Don't ask me for compassion': Angry Anderson has not forgiven his son's killer
  22. Brain Injuries Remain Undiagnosed in Thousands of Soldiers
  23. Man dies in hospital after falling to punch in Fortitude Valley
  24. Maradona to be discharged within days, says doctor
  25. Cricket bat bashing victim fights for life after Ballajura pub brawl
  26. Diego Maradona, World Cup-winning football superstar, set to undergo brain surgery
  27. 'Country footy is way behind': The missing concussion discussion in local level Aussie Rules
  28. Autistic girls going undiagnosed due to ‘camouflaging’ behaviour, study says
  29. Lisa Montgomery to be first female federal inmate executed in 67 years
  30. Man dies after being shoved to the ground in New York mask altercatio
  31. Thomas had a rare brain cancer and no good options. Then he joined a clinical trial
  32. Nearly One-Third of Covid Patients in Study Had Altered Mental State
  33. Shaun Smith supportive of daughter Amy, signed by AFLW club North Melbourne
  34. Texas residents warned of tap water tainted with brain-eating microbe
  35. 'It's been a big day for me': Smith wants change after $1.4m concussion payout
  36. Damage Assessment
  37. What are CTE and concussion and how do they affect athletes?
  38. Danny Frawley was suffering from chronic brain disease when he died
  39. Elon Musk unveils brain computer implanted in pigs
  40. Portland truck driver apparently kicked unconscious as unrest continues
  41. Treatment for aggressive brain cancer shows promise in early trial
  42. Four-year-old injured after motorbike crashes through barriers at Sydney race
  43. 'Dangerous behaviour': Horror crash in sprint to finish leaves rider fighting for life
  44. Father charged with murder over death of six-month-old baby Beau
  45. Sickening Michael Chee Kam concussion overshadows gritty Eels win
  46. We asked veterans to respond to The Post’s reporting on Clint Lorance and his platoon. Here’s what they said.
  47. Doctors find brain issues linked to Covid-19 patients – study
  48. Widow of heart surgeon killed in one-punch attack sues Melbourne hospital
  49. Crowdfunding raises £30,000 for veteran's brain tumour surgery
  50. Boy in critical condition after fall at Sydney primary school
  51. 'I began to wonder if I would be better off ending my life': The invisible war wounds
  52. VA unlawfully turned away vulnerable veterans for decades, study says, with 400,000 more at risk
  53. Brain wiring could be behind learning difficulties, say experts
  54. Concussion: there's no knockout answer
  55. CTE discovered in Polly Farmer's brain in AFL-first
  56. Six-week-old baby nearly killed in ice-fuelled attack, court told
  57. Former hard man Ron Gibbs' chilling admission as head knocks take toll
  58. An Olympic Hockey Hero, a Violent Crime and the Specter of Brain Trauma
  59. Traumatic brain injury is a signature wound of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. But the military still has no objective way of diagnosing it in the field.
  60. More than 100 US troops suffered traumatic brain suffered traumatic brain in Iran strike,to report
  61. Man, 28, fighting for life nearly two weeks after Southbank attack
  62. NRL pledges initial $250,000 for landmark concussion study
  63. Veterans criticize Trump's downplaying of US troops' brain injuries
  64. Trump should apologize for minimizing troops’ injuries, VFW says.
  65. Fifty US troops left with brain injuries after Iranian rocket attack
  66. Can heading a football lead to dementia? The evidence is growing
  67. Mobile phones cause tumours, Italian court rules, in defiance of evidence
  68. Scientists create decoder to turn brain activity into speech
  69. Woman reportedly wakes up from coma after 27 years
  70. Enraged Qld dad who killed toddler jailed
  71. 'We thought it would be wonderful - we didn't know what was to come'
  72. 'We thought it would be wonderful - we didn't know what was to come'
  73. Graham must wake up to dangers of concussion
  74. Footballers focus on concussion, but there are many other risk factors
  75. Ex-AFL player sues club after retiring because of concussion
  76. When will we stop butting heads over sporting concussion?
  77. Why people with brain implants are afraid of automatic doors
  78. Christchurch mosque shooting victim, 4, suffering brain damage
  79. Link between concussion and brain damage to ensure AFL debate rages

Page 8 of 35

Latest News

  • ‘Extremely dark’: Safety concerns raised before jockey’s death on ‘bush track’ 
    ‘Extremely dark’: Safety concerns raised before jockey’s death on ‘bush track’ The Age Adam Cooper November 22, 2021 As the two racehorses cantered that...
  • ‘Extremely dark’: Safety concerns raised before jockey’s death on ‘bush track’ 
     Extremely dark’: Safety concerns raised before jockey’s death on ‘bush track’  The Age By Adam Cooper  November 22, 2021  As the two racehorses...
  • The Unclaimed soldier
    The Unclaimed soldier Thousands of veterans, especially from the Vietnam era, die alone every year The Washington Post Democracy Dies in Darkness By...
  • London cabbies’ brains are being studied for their navigating skills. It could help Alzheimer’s research.
    London cabbies’ brains are being studied for their navigating skills. It could help Alzheimer’s research. The Washington Post By Cathy Free 2/11/2021 London...
  • Former Tiger seeks to lift damages bid with concussion claim
    Former Tiger seeks to lift damages bid with concussion claim The Age By Jon Pierik October 22, 2021 A former Richmond footballer is pushing to...
  • Mother jailed in UK over baby’s injuries blames former partner at appeal
    Mother jailed in UK over baby’s injuries blames former partner at appeal  The Guardian UK Hannah Summers Thu 28 Oct 2021  A woman has told the appeal...