Concussion Recovery is "Poorly Understood" and its Biological Basis "Is Unknown"

    WASHINGTON, DC, April 02, 2015 /24-7PressRelease/ -- There are currently more than 40 different definitions for concussion. The biological basis of mild TBI (concussion) is unknown and the stages of recovery are poorly understood. Could sub-concussive trauma lead to long-term brain damage? These were some of the thought-provoking facts and ideas presented to attendees at last year's TBI Conference. The conclusion from 2014 is: what do we really know about concussions? The answer: surprisingly little.

"Concussion or mild TBI is a critically important public health issue that accounts for more than a million hospital visits each year. And, those are just the ones that go to the hospital for treatment," said John Waslif, Managing Director of Arrowhead Publishers, the producers of the 2015 TBI conference to be held in Washington April 15 and 16. "Yet we know surprisingly little about how concussion occurs, how to treat it effectively and with confidence or what the long-term effects are from being concussed. We have to have much more research if we are to develop answers for the public."

"The 2014 TBI conference featured a number of provocative presentations outlining just how much more we have to learn about concussions and moderate to severe TBI. The only path forward is continued research and developing a deeper understanding of the biological basis of concussion. At the 2015 TBI Conference we will continue that focus with a number of important presentations by some of the United States' leading researchers in concussion and TBI," Waslif added.

TBI Conference concussion specialists include well-known US TBI researcher Dr. Robert Stern of Boston University, who will present studies involving the detection of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in living athletes. Last year, Stern presented the case studies of CTE found in deceased athletes of various sports with no recorded concussions, raising the specter of long-term brain damage from sub-concussive impacts and trauma - essentially caused by playing some sports the way they are intended to be played.

Thomas McAllister, MD, of Indiana University School of Medicine, will focus on sport-related concussion by presenting on The Concussion Assessment, Research and Education (CARE) Consortium, a joint research initiative of the NCAA and Department of Defense aimed at increasing understanding of the natural history and neurobiology of sports-related concussion.

David Cifu, MD, National Director for PM&R Services for the Department of Veterans Affairs , will present DoD-VA research on the long-term effects of repeated, combat-related concussions. A key issue in concussion treatment is the long-term effects of one or more concussions.. He will also discuss the mission and goals of CENC (Chronic Effects of Neurotrauma Consortium), which is aiming to fill the gaps in knowledge about the basic science of mild TBI and its effects on later-life outcomes and neurodegeneration.

Doug Smith, MD, Director of PENN's Center for Brain Injury and Repair at the University of Pennsylvania will present "Tackling Concussion: Pursuing Translational Science" while Dr. Jeff Bazarian, MPH, Professor of Emergency Medicine at the University of Rochester will review new data revealing genome-wide changes in mRNA expression before and after sports-related concussions and discuss how these provide clues to the pathophysiology of concussion.

Andreas Jeromin, PhD, Scientific and Medical Advisor for Quanterix Corporation, will outline Simoa, the company's ultra-sensitive biomarker detection technology, and describe case studies detecting total tau blood biomarkers in sport-related concussion. Simoa is one of a number of advances in the detection of biomarkers for concussion and TBI being presented at the TBI Conference. Together, they that are leading the way towards a deeper more fuller understanding of the pathphysiology of concussion and TBI, and that have the potential to lead to towards better treatments for all forms of brain trauma, ranging from sub-concussive through to mild (concussion), moderate and severe TBI.

More information, including the most up-to-date scientific presentation agenda, sponsor/exhibitor opportunities, and the conference scientific poster session, can be found at www.tbiconference.com.

The fifth annual TBI Conference (www.tbiconference.com) to be held in Washington, DC on April 15 and 16 brings together many leading TBI researchers to present their latest research findings and pre-clinical and clinical studies in neurotrauma, TBI, PTSD and concussion to their peers and to the research community and policy makers. The two-day conference also presents numerous networking opportunities to discuss the latest issues in TBI with leading researchers in the field. There will also be a TBI Day for TBI survivors before the conference on Tuesday, April 14.

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