Additional Brain Stimulation Can Help Recovery after Injury

A group of researchers has been quietly experimenting with how to increase recovery after a brain injury using additional stimulation, including intellectual, cognitive, physical and social stimulation.

Some of these techniques are currently being used at the Toronto Rehab and Canada Research Chair in Traumatic Brain Injury. There, neuroscientists are researching why brain injury recovery can be impeded, and focusing on the development of treatments and strategies that can help defeat the effect of such impediments.

What is interesting about this body of work at the center is that the researchers have reason to believe that moderate to severe traumatic brain injury, could actually be a progressive neurological disorder. This is obviously a very different way of looking at traumatic brain injury, and has some interesting implications for treatment down the line.

According to the neuroscientists, soon after a brain injury, the area of the brain that is damaged leaves the undamaged and healthy areas of the brain under-stimulated. Over time, these areas of the brain actually begin to deteriorate as a result of lack of use, and lack of stimulation.

The researchers found that when people were given additional stimulation especially physical, social and cognitive simulation, it helped block the deterioration of these areas of the brain.

The field of brain injury diagnosis and treatment is a vast area of study, and there are several studies being performed across the world, aiming not just to speed up diagnosis of brain injury, but also to develop treatments that can help limit the long-term effects of these injuries.

Brain injuries are some of the most frequent injuries resulting from bicycle accidents. Even a bicyclist, who is wearing a helmet, could be at risk of traumatic brain injury in an accident.

New California Bicycle Law Requires 3 Feet of Passing Space

A new bill that has just been signed into law by Governor, Jerry Brown requires that motorists, who are passing a bicycle, leave at least 3 feet of passing space when they do so.

The legislation is expected to go into effect in September 2014, and the law has been widely welcomed by California bicycle accident attorneys, and bicycle safety groups. A number of states around the country have already passed such laws that define the minimum amount of space that motorists must leave when they are passing by a bicyclist. This is meant to help reduce the risk of accidents to bicyclists when motorists drive too close to a bicyclist, yell at or taunt the bicyclist, increasing the bicyclist’s risk of being involved in an accident.

California’s law now requires motorists to give bicyclists a minimum of 3 feet of space, when they’re passing on a California roadway. The law has been a long while coming. In fact, Governor, Jerry Brown vetoed similar legislation on two separate occasions in 2011 and 2012. Last year, the Governor objected to language in the law that would have permitted a motorist to cross a double yellow line in order to leave the required passing space. In 2011, he objected to a provision that would have required motorists who are unable to move over, to slow down to a certain speed, regardless of the speed limit on the road.

The law requires motorists to give bicyclists passing space, and requires motorists to slow down if they’re not in a position to give room to the bicycle. Failure to comply with the law would be deemed an infraction, and violators can be penalized with a fine.

How to Choose the Right Bicycle Helmet

One of the basic rules of bicycling for all California bicyclists is to wear a helmet. It is important to wear a bicycle helmet while riding, because in the event of an accident, the helmet may be the only thing standing between you and almost certain fatal or catastrophic brain injury.

The right kind of bicycle helmet is one that fits you comfortably. It goes without saying that if you’re not comfortable wearing a bicycle helmet, you’re much less likely to wear it, and that simply increases your risk of suffering a serious brain injury during an accident.

The helmet must not be too snug or too loose. It should not be so snug that it pinches, or bothers you while riding. On the other hand, the helmet should not be too big for your head. A helmet that’s too big will still fail to protect your head in the event of an accident, because the head will be able to move around inside the helmet.

One of the biggest mistakes that bicyclists make when they buy a helmet is to buy one without bothering to try it for size. Helmets can differ based on the size of the inside of the helmet, and different manufacturers have different sizes. It is absolutely essential that you try on a helmet for size before you buy it. When you try the helmet, make sure that you fix the straps.

However, wearing a helmet doesn’t guarantee protection against injuries in a bicycle accident. Most helmets will only protect your head during a fall from your bicycle at fairly low speeds, and will do nothing to help protect your head in a typical accident that involves a high-speed motor vehicle crash.