09.29.09
Posted in Brain Injury News at 1:02 pm by Jenny
The Brain Injury Association of New Jersey held its 2009 annual meeting on Wednesday, September 23, 2009. The tenure of the meeting was upbeat as a result of the outstanding leadership provided by outgoing President John Tiene over the past two years as well as the outstanding work of President and CEO Barbara Geiger-Parker and her staff.
As is customary each year, there were award presentations. This year, Lorraine Adawai and Nancy Sommerville were the recipients of the Founder’s Award for Volunteer Service. They received this award for their exemplary work on expanding the Walk for Thought/Cycle for Safety event to the northern part of New Jersey.
This year’s recipient of the James and Sarah Brady Award for Public Service was Pamela Fischer, Director of the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety as a result of her ongoing commitment to raise awareness about traffic safety and injury prevention. More particularly, Ms. Fischer has dedicated her career to working to reduce teen crashes, injuries and fatalities.
The highlight of the award presentations was the awarding of the Silvio O. Conte Award for Public Awareness and Education which went to Gary Conger and three of his friends, Will Darche, Diego Ortiz and Jaraun Wright who bicycled across the United States to raise awareness of brain injury. Gary Conger, receiving the award on behalf of his group, gave an inspirational talk that brain injury doesn’t end on the day of the injury. Gary had sustained a severe brain injury when a senior in high school, approximately five years ago. Through his hard work and the help of medical professionals, Gary is now in his last year at the Morris County Community College.
Also receiving awards was John K. Tiene who received the Past-Chairperson Award, Jill Schulman, Senior Director of Development for BIA-NJ for twenty outstanding years of service to the organization and Judi Weinberger, Director of Family Support and Vocational Projects who received her ten year service award.
The second highlight of the evening was the presentation of the video “Traumatic Brain Injury The Silent Epidemic” which was presented by David Grubb, incoming Vice Chairman of BIA-NJ. This outstanding video which will be circulated to schools and organizations throughout the state of New Jersey provides an excellent learning tool for people to understand traumatic brain injury.
Anyone interested in obtaining a copy of this video should contact the BIA-NJ.
It was a wonderful evening.
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09.26.09
Posted in Uncategorized at 11:48 am by Jenny
26 Sep 2009 04:48 AM
If you have a crazy work schedule, travel a lot or enjoy experimenting with unstructured fitness plans, then it might be challenging to find a consistent workout partner.
Enter man's best friend.
Fido and Fifi often make ideal four-legged fitness companions.
Exercising with a dog is the perfect solution for individuals, who long for company while they burn calories, but can't seem to mesh schedules with a two-legged pal.
That said there are some general tips you should consider before making your little wagster your main workout buddy:
Agility activities: According to experts, medium dogs, especially herding breeds, are good at agility activities. Which is not to say that big or small dogs can't do agility activities, but the herding breeds (e.g. Border Collies and Australian Shepards), overall, are best at completing exercises, such as hiking and catching Frisbees.
Arms: If you want to sculpt your arms by playing fetch with a dog, then seek out a retrieving breed such as a Labrador or Golden Retriever. Also, you don't have to limit yourself to playing fetch with a stick. Many dogs enjoy playing fetch with tennis balls, racquetballs, or other small toys.
Swimming: Most dogs love to swim. What's more, swimming is a non-joint stressing exercise for you and your pooch. If you live in a warm climate, then consider taking your pup to a lake or pond that is dog friendly. Otherwise find a pool, which allows you to take a dip with your dog.
Running: Jogging with your dog is a wonderful form of exercise. However, before bringing Spike along on your next 10-miler, you need to get him acclimated to hard surfaces first. If your dog is used to running on soft grass in the yard, you will need to make the transition slowly. Move from grass to dirt, then to gravel or cement. If you are running in hot weather, be mindful that your dog may suffer from burns to the pads from hot cement or asphalt.
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09.24.09
Posted in Brain Injury News, Brain Injury Resources & Links at 1:02 pm by Jenny
Researchers from the University of California have published a new study validating prediction rules for identifying children at very low risk for clinically-important traumatic brain injuries for whom CT can routinely be obviated. The researchers, noting that CT imaging of head injured children has the risk of radiation-induced malignancy, aim to identify children at very low risk of clinically-important TBI for whom CT scans might be unnecessary. The research utilized patients under the age of 18 presenting with 24 hours of head trauma with Glasgow Coma Scale scores between 14-15 in 25 North American emergency departments.
The researchers analyzed over 42,000 children, obtaining CT scans on approximately 15,000 patients. Of those, clinically-important TBI occurred in about one percent (376) and of those, 60 underwent neurosurgery. The researchers concluded that for children younger than two years who had normal mental status, no scalp hematoma except frontal, no loss of consciousness or loss of consciousness for less than five seconds, non-severe injury mechanism, no palpable skull fracture and acting normally according to the parents, had a negative predictive value for clinically-important traumatic brain injury. For children aged two years and older, the prediction rule with normal mental status, no loss of consciousness, no vomiting, non-severe injury mechanism, no signs of basilar skull fracture and no severe headache had a negative predictive value of 99.95 percent and sensitivity of 96.8 percent. Neither rule missed neurosurgery in the validation populations.
The study was funded by the Emergency Medical Services for Children Programme of the Maternal and Child Health Bureau, and the Maternal and Child Health Bureau Research Programme, Health Resources and Services Administration, US Department of Health and Human Services. The study was published in the Lancet and can be found onilne here.
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09.22.09
Posted in Brain Injury News at 1:01 pm by Jenny
As I mentioned in a previous post, The International Brain Injury Association will hold the Eighth World Congress on Brain Injury in Washington, DC, March 10-14, 2010. The preliminary program for the Congress is now available for viewing on-line, and includes a scientific program with over 100 world renowned experts in the field of brain injury presenting on a variety of topics across the continuum of care. The IBIA has also planned other special features including workshops, panels, scientific poster and paper presentations and candlelight sessions with experts.
To access the preliminary program, or for additional information on the IBIA’s World Congress, please visit their website online here.
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09.19.09
Posted in Uncategorized at 6:21 am by Jenny
18 Sep 2009 11:21 PM
Looking for a new workout partner? Why not enlist the help of your favorite four-legged friend?
According to a new study, there are physical and mental health advantages for a dog owner and a dog when they exercise together.
Exercising with Fido will not only help you reduce your waistline, but it can also do wonders for your dog's as well. What's more, experts say working out with your pet helps promote the human-animal bond.
However, before you drag your Dalmatian on a 6-mile hike you should consider the type of dog you have. Researchers note that dogs differ in the amount and types of exercise they should be doing to maintain good health. Factors such as age, breed, weather and general health need to be considered before you involve your dog in a strenuous workout regime.
Some guidelines to consider include:
*Generally, larger dogs have higher energy needs, and smaller breeds need less exercise.
*Ideally, dogs should be taken out twice a day for exercise. Times may vary from 15-60 minutes, depending on your individual pet. Humans can benefit from the same amount of exercise.
*Allowing your dog to run loose in the backyard while you chase after him doesn't constitute as effective exercise. Aerobic exercise should be continuous with few breaks. Most dogs are content to lie in the sun and only get up for short periods of activity. This behavior could negatively influence your exercise regime.
*According to experts, medium and large dogs typically make better long-distance running partners. If your dog can run longer than you are able, you may want to consider biking while having your dog run beside you on a leash.
*Make sure your dog is in shape before taking him along on intense workouts. If you are planning to run a long distance, you need to build your dog's endurance so he can handle the longer mileage.
Related Articles:
Exercise and Music
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Getting Fit in Your Own Backyard
Staying Fit and Healthy
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