01.30.09
Posted in Brain Injury News, Brain Injury Resources & Links at 1:05 pm by ceo
I recently read a new book entitled “MMPI-II Assessing Personality and Psychopathology (4th Edition) by Dr. John R. Graham. Dr. Graham played a major role in the development of the MMPI-II and is currently a professor of psychology at Kent State University.
In this text, Dr. Graham reviews the Fake Bad Scale developed by Paul Lees-Haley. Readers of this blog are familiar with other studies attacking the validity of this scale.
In this text, Dr. Graham writes, “Published research with the FBS does not support its validity for its intended purpose.” “A meta-analysis of MMPI-II malingering studies (Rogers et al., 2003) revealed that the FBS has been quite ineffective in identifying malingerers and, in fact, had the worst validity for this purpose of all of the MMPI-II scales included in the meta-analysis. It is this author’s recommendation that the FBS not be used to identify malingering of psychopathology on the MMPI-II.”
This book is another weapon in the arsenal to discredit the use of the FBS in neuro litigation.
Permalink
Comments off
01.28.09
Posted in Brain Injury News at 4:44 pm by ceo
An article in yesterday's New York Times reports that doctors at the Boston University School of Medicine have found a 6th former National Football League player with a brain injury most commonly linked to former boxers. Doctors studied the brain of Tom McHale, who played in the NFL from 1987 - 1995, and who recently passed away last May at the age of 45.
Doctors found a condition called chronic traumatic encephalopathy in McHale's brain, which is a progressive condition resulting after repetitive head trauma and can lead to the early onset of dementia for people in their 40s or 50s. McHale makes the 6th former NFL player out of 6 that were tested who has been diagnosed with having chronic traumatic encephalopathy between the ages of 36 and 50.
I've written several times before on the devastating and deadly effects injuries on the field can have on players long after their seasons have ended. These findings only further the evidence that the dangers and injuries suffered in football, specifically to the brain, are too easily ignored.
Permalink
Comments off
01.27.09
Posted in Brain Injury News at 1:08 pm by ceo
In response to the tragic death of Montclair High School’s Ryne Dougherty, U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ), the co-founder and co-chairman of the Congressional Brain Injury Task Force introduced legislation in the House of Representatives to help schools better protect student athletes from brain injuries.
The legislation, called the Concussion Treatment and Care Tools (ConTACT) Act, will authorize federal grants to states to be used to help schools invest in concussion screening technology and adopt better concussion management guidelines.
“Providing basic preventative technology and guidelines to mitigate the effects of head injuries can reduce the number of tragic deaths and countless injuries that occur in youth athletics,” stated Pascrell. “I will push hard with the weight of the entire Congressional Brain Injury Task Force to implement the ConTACT Act.”
Specifically, the ConTACT Act will create a state grant program through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that will fund computerized pre-season baseline and post-concussion neurological testing for school sponsored sports. Schools that enroll students from grades 6 through 12 will be eligible for the funding.
The grant program would be authorized for 5 years and is estimated to cost $5 million in the first year. It would require a report to Congress within 2 years of enactment regarding the use and results of screening technology.
Pascrell has long been a strong advocate for expanding concussion management technology to youth athletics. In August of 2006, Pascrell visited a Nutley High School football practice to announce a new round of grants for New Jersey high schools to implement concussion management technology.
The legislation was developed by Rep. Pascrell, Rep. Todd Platts (R-PA) and the Brain Injury Task Force with consultation from the Brain Injury Association of America, Brain Injury Association of New Jersey, the National Association of State Head Injury Administrators, the Athletic Trainers Society of New Jersey, the International Brain Research Foundation and the New Jersey Office of Disability Services.
Permalink
Comments off
01.22.09
Posted in Brain Injury News at 1:00 pm by ceo
In President Obama’s inauguration address, he called for a new era of responsibility and pledged to restore science to its rightful place. I am encouraged by President Obama’s swift action in halting all pending regulations that the Bush administration tried to push through in the waning days of its administration.
For eight long years, the Bush administration ruthlessly denied injured citizens their right to seek compensation for injuries sustained by those who broke the rules and refused to accept responsibility for the harm they caused. For eight long years, the Bush administration ignored regulations, suspended regulations and enacted new regulations to benefit those who would put profit over safety. In his book “Doubt Is Their Product”, David Michaels outlined how industry science manufactured uncertainty which threatened the health of all Americans.
President Obama’s pledge to restore science is a welcome relief after these past eight years.
Permalink
Comments off
Posted in Uncategorized at 1:01 am by ceo
NEW DELHI: Jubilant Biosys, the Bangalore-based research subsidiary of Jubilant Organosys has developed a screening solution to accelerate drug discovery programme, a company release said. The new software allows scientists to capture, store and analyse Oracle 9i/10g based screening data with greater flexibility, accuracy and speed.
It has been developed in collaboration with a leading global drug company whose name has not been disclosed. The software is available through subscription and will be initially launched in the US and Europe, the company added.
This novel screening tool for scientific, pharmaceutical and biotech communities around the world can enhance the productivity of pharmaceutical and biotech research, Jubilant Biosys, head IT Amit Rustagi said.
Permalink
Comments off
« Previous entries ·