April 10, 2024
Neuroimaging and the Impact of Concussion on Brain Health
Annegret Dettwiler
Research Scientist, Princeton Neuroscience Institute
Neuroimaging and the Impact of Concussion on Brain Health
Annegret Dettwiler
Research Scientist, Princeton Neuroscience Institute
speaker: Annegret Dettwiler/ Introducer: Richard Trenner
Minutes of the 25th Meeting of the 82nd Year
President John Cotton called the meeting to order at 10:15 AM, and Frances Slade led us in the invocation.
One hundred eighteen persons attended, including 14 guests: Richard Meyer, guest of John Cotton; Doug Megill, guest of Teri Lemischka; Candice Schultz, guest of John Guthrie; Elizabeth Fernandez, guest of Miguel Fernandez; and Mariella Borschow Danspeckgruber, Nirpal Dhanjal, Wolfgang Danspeckgruber, Judith Steer, Ed Steer, Chris Barr, Trish Stanley, Ginny Mason, and Barbara Griffin, guests of Richard Trenner.
President John Cotton read the minutes of the prior meeting prepared by Len Berlik.
President Cotton mentioned that two meetings had to be cancelled recently due to the ill health of the speakers. He congratulated the membership for remembering to park on Springdale Road and invited members to have lunch at Springdale after the meeting.
President Cotton announced that next week's speaker will be Nancy Malkiel, Emerita Professor of History and Dean of the College at Princeton University. She is the author of the book Changing the Game: William G. Bowen and the Challenges of American Higher Education.
Richard Trenner introduced the speaker, Dr. Annegret Dettwiler, a native of Switzerland. Dr. Dettwiler studied at the University of Basel and the University of Frankfort, earned a PhD at Columbia University, and is married to Wolfgang Danspeckgruber, the director of the Lichtenstein Institute on Self-Determination at Princeton University. He also mentioned that Dr. Dettwiler is multilingual, skis, and plays tennis as well as the cello, and would speak on her neuroimaging research, with focus on how the brain reallocates resources after injury.
Dr Dettwiler spoke about her work with a large team of collaborators. They have been creating ways to collect data and ways to use data obtained from studies of Princeton University athletes and Marine Corps service members to determine the effects of concussions.
Dr. Dettwiler defined concussions as "direct blows with impulsive force" to the head (shock wave injuries), of which there are an estimated 1.6 million to 3.8 million a year, 50% of which are not reported, perhaps due to the injured person not losing consciousness.
A major finding is that these concussions are common in athletes engaged in contact sports such as football, ice hockey, basketball, lacrosse, and wrestling, as well as in Marines engaged in firing shoulder mounted weapons that cause blast exposure, and that these concussions must be taken very seriously as they cause (a) often permanent damage to the white matter in the brain and (b) often permanent behavioral changes, such as mood swings, deficient impulse control, cognitive impairment, sleep disturbances, headaches, dizziness, nausea, noise sensitivity, light sensitivity, visual problems, mental fog, difficulty concentrating, irritability, and balance problems.
Research has revealed that concussions are rapid accelerations and decelerations with rotational forces. They also cause an increase in demand for glucose, a reduced blood flow in the brain, and the need for much more energy to perform tasks.
Studies are looking at symptoms of concussions, diagnostic tools for testing for concussions types, and blood biomarkers.
It is important for athletes feeling symptom free not to get back into the game too soon or they may suffer the effects of second impact syndrome. Those with serial concussions should not engage in contact activities.
Advanced imaging techniques such as fMRI (Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging), DTI (Diffusion Tensor Imaging), and MRS (Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy) are being used.
A major finding of the study is that brain recovery lags behind behavior recovery. The back of the brain may recover, but not the front; recovery is not a straight line.
Another major finding of the study is that younger men (ages 19 to 22, for example) fare worse from concussions, since their brains are still not fully developed.
Prevention techniques include sensors in helmets, warmups, mouth guards, no contact in practices, less time using electronic screens, and barring head-to-head contact in sports.
When asked her opinion about whether parents should permit their children to engage in activities where concussions are common, Dr. Dettwiler mentioned that a child's interest and identity in athletics should be considered in making that determination and that the child be guided toward less dangerous activities.
Respectfully submitted,
Kathryn Trenner
One hundred eighteen persons attended, including 14 guests: Richard Meyer, guest of John Cotton; Doug Megill, guest of Teri Lemischka; Candice Schultz, guest of John Guthrie; Elizabeth Fernandez, guest of Miguel Fernandez; and Mariella Borschow Danspeckgruber, Nirpal Dhanjal, Wolfgang Danspeckgruber, Judith Steer, Ed Steer, Chris Barr, Trish Stanley, Ginny Mason, and Barbara Griffin, guests of Richard Trenner.
President John Cotton read the minutes of the prior meeting prepared by Len Berlik.
President Cotton mentioned that two meetings had to be cancelled recently due to the ill health of the speakers. He congratulated the membership for remembering to park on Springdale Road and invited members to have lunch at Springdale after the meeting.
President Cotton announced that next week's speaker will be Nancy Malkiel, Emerita Professor of History and Dean of the College at Princeton University. She is the author of the book Changing the Game: William G. Bowen and the Challenges of American Higher Education.
Richard Trenner introduced the speaker, Dr. Annegret Dettwiler, a native of Switzerland. Dr. Dettwiler studied at the University of Basel and the University of Frankfort, earned a PhD at Columbia University, and is married to Wolfgang Danspeckgruber, the director of the Lichtenstein Institute on Self-Determination at Princeton University. He also mentioned that Dr. Dettwiler is multilingual, skis, and plays tennis as well as the cello, and would speak on her neuroimaging research, with focus on how the brain reallocates resources after injury.
Dr Dettwiler spoke about her work with a large team of collaborators. They have been creating ways to collect data and ways to use data obtained from studies of Princeton University athletes and Marine Corps service members to determine the effects of concussions.
Dr. Dettwiler defined concussions as "direct blows with impulsive force" to the head (shock wave injuries), of which there are an estimated 1.6 million to 3.8 million a year, 50% of which are not reported, perhaps due to the injured person not losing consciousness.
A major finding is that these concussions are common in athletes engaged in contact sports such as football, ice hockey, basketball, lacrosse, and wrestling, as well as in Marines engaged in firing shoulder mounted weapons that cause blast exposure, and that these concussions must be taken very seriously as they cause (a) often permanent damage to the white matter in the brain and (b) often permanent behavioral changes, such as mood swings, deficient impulse control, cognitive impairment, sleep disturbances, headaches, dizziness, nausea, noise sensitivity, light sensitivity, visual problems, mental fog, difficulty concentrating, irritability, and balance problems.
Research has revealed that concussions are rapid accelerations and decelerations with rotational forces. They also cause an increase in demand for glucose, a reduced blood flow in the brain, and the need for much more energy to perform tasks.
Studies are looking at symptoms of concussions, diagnostic tools for testing for concussions types, and blood biomarkers.
It is important for athletes feeling symptom free not to get back into the game too soon or they may suffer the effects of second impact syndrome. Those with serial concussions should not engage in contact activities.
Advanced imaging techniques such as fMRI (Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging), DTI (Diffusion Tensor Imaging), and MRS (Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy) are being used.
A major finding of the study is that brain recovery lags behind behavior recovery. The back of the brain may recover, but not the front; recovery is not a straight line.
Another major finding of the study is that younger men (ages 19 to 22, for example) fare worse from concussions, since their brains are still not fully developed.
Prevention techniques include sensors in helmets, warmups, mouth guards, no contact in practices, less time using electronic screens, and barring head-to-head contact in sports.
When asked her opinion about whether parents should permit their children to engage in activities where concussions are common, Dr. Dettwiler mentioned that a child's interest and identity in athletics should be considered in making that determination and that the child be guided toward less dangerous activities.
Respectfully submitted,
Kathryn Trenner