Concussion Books

I actually was only going to read this book to prepare myself for the radio interview with this author (May 29, 2008 on In Short Order at [...]). Instead, I found myself glued to the pages of valuable information from a patient's view. By reading this book, those who know or take care of a person with a TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury) will be better able to understand what the victim is going through - a better handle on things makes for a better friend/family member or care provider. Those who treat TBIs would benefit from this book more than most - what you can't see on tests can be learned here and therefore validate the diagnosis more quickly so that treatment can begin at an earlier stage. For those with a TBI, Lyme disease, or any disabling affliction, this book is your pair of ruby slippers.

Bruno equates a TBI to The Wizard of Oz classic. Although I have Lyme disease (which in many cases can be likened to a TBI), and can relate and benefit from this book, I never saw it put so simply - and well written. Just as Dorothy is whisked to another place, it is the same with most injuries and illnesses. We leave the life we know for a place we have never been before (and few want to make it a vacation spot). Come take the first step on the yellow brick road - where the journey to recovery begins.

Glinda (as we remember as the good witch) starts us on the path. Contacting organizations and support groups is an important step. Who doesn't need support, information, and to hear from others on virtually the same path? There are many things to do to prepare us for the first steps to recovery, but often we forget where we need to begin. Order is the way to end chaos. Support is the way to end aloneness. And information is the way to the next steps that must be taken if recovery is the goal. And don't forget, some who have grown accustomed to your disability-state may not want you to recover - learn why in "If I Only Had A Brain Injury."

There are the ruby slippers and the wicked witch. The information in this section is most helpful because it starts us focusing more closely on ourselves. Here we can begin to turn the injury or disease into a new beginning. When we beat ourselves up or refuse to accept what we cannot change, we slow or halt our journey. Forgiveness and identifying change are good things.

Okay, we're on our way. We may not be skipping yet, but we can add pep to our steps when we look at what can remove some of the stumbling blocks that have been preventing us forward movement on our road to recovery. Bruno learned that buying quality electronics (a computer monitor) cut down on her headaches and dizziness; which allowed her to work; which enabled her to earn a paycheck; which helped her to feel she was still in Kansas.

There are more ideas that are presented in this work - classical music, relationships with animals, and cultivating new friendships, to name a few. These will open new doors in the land of Oz and you may even discover new things about yourself that you never knew existed.

In "If I Only Had A Brain Injury," Bruno has given us a map of the Emerald City, introduced us to the Munchkins, and provided a beacon for anyone who is associated with injuries and disease. It is a one-of-a-kind book.

This a must read for all, with hopes that you find an owl in your life, too.


Sue Vogan
[...]

I got this book yesterday afternoon and I have been gobbling it up! Right from the start I identified with the writing. I, too, had a feeling that my evening at the outdoor amphitheater that July 26th night in 2005 could change my life. I didn't know how and so I ignored my irrational feelings. I went to the ballet and although we were sitting inside I must have picked up the tick as we walked across the lawn to the amphitheater. 10 days later, almost to the hour, I was very, very sick. The Lyme crossed the blood brain barrier and I have had neurological and emotional problems. My stupid neurologist says I am "in the normal range" even when I have vertigo and was falling back on my head walking down the street, have huge memory gaps, sometimes make no sense, etc. I told him it wasn't normal for me, but ended up getting nowhere and leaving his office in tears.
My boyfriend of 12 years (with whom I attended the ballet that night) became very frustrated and angry. I am no longer the same woman he signed up for. We separated in the Fall of 2007. He felt I was not "trying hard enough" to get better.
My family thinks I am mentally ill. In fact over the last 9 months I have been misdiagnosed with either depression or Bipolar II disorder and mis-medicated, which DID make me pretty crazy. I am now convinced I ought not to be on any medications but treat myself holistically. I have been medication free for one month and that has made a huge difference for me.
So, I am so thankful for the book! I am finding out that I need to listen to myself and not depend on doctors to be able to fix me or even diagnose me correctly. I have been changing my diet and using it as my medicine. I have been making sure to get outside and walk or recently I can bicycle again! Soak in some sun. Surround myself with positive people--no angry boyfriend--as much as possible. I am painting again.
I think I was already headed in this direction -- after 11 months of putting my hope and trust in, then floundering in, medical offices, hitting my head against (figurative) wall after wall. Laura Bruno's book gives me such strength and hope for this journey.

If I Only Had a Brain Injury is a beautifully conveyed book that is not only practical, simplistic, and full of easy to apply tips and tremendously helpful, thorough resources, but is also an artistic expression of genuine experience and compassion that takes one on a journey through Oz. Utilizing Dorothy and her friends' experiences to illustrate our own unfolding life processes creates a tangible and easily understood analogy, and coupled with Laura's own personal experiences, truly hits home and creates a relateability that transcends all boundaries. This is not only helpful for those with TBI and medical challenges as listed, but truly is a guideline and means of support for any and all challenges in life that can be simply applied. Finding myself challenged in overly mental focusing and truly not having the desire to do so either, I found Laura's book wonderfully supportive to this. It was easy, quick, and very clear, with nothing to have to read between the lines or mentally figure out. One can open the book to any page and find something valuable easily without it feeling out of context. This works well for people like myself who either don't have time to read, don't have much desire to read, or little focus to do so. You can pick up and leave off at any point and never feel lost and get exactly what you need at every turn. Laura is a beautiful example and expression for us all and one can only look forward to more wonderful books to come from her.

Injury took some mental abilities away.
Through that loss, author Laura Bruno,
finds an alternative path to health and
trusting herself. She demystifies many
medical mysteries all the while reassuring
those in similar situations not to suffer alone the
embarrassment and self consciousness of a
brain that is learning to function again -
perhaps differently. If I Only Had a Brain
Injury is a compendium of spiritual and
emotional support. It includes 52 healing
hints while leading its readers to become
wizards of their own healing. It offers
support to the caregiver and acknowledges
how events changes all involved.
Ultimately Laura Bruno wants everyone
to find their own deeper meaning of
injury - an opportunity to connect the
mind and heart - to live deeply, meaningfully,
and creatively through one's
essence.

If I Only Had a Brain Injury is a delightful, powerful and highly informative book. Beautifully written, Laura Bruno draws upon her experiences with her own Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) from a car accident. Her descriptions are vivid, deeply and personal. The book is very supportive and is an excellent resource for those dealing with Traumatic Brain Injuries and their caregivers. The book is also vitally important for those dealing with challenging and mysterious health issues like Chronic Fatigue, Lyme Disease and Migraines.

Bruno tells her own story while expertly weaving her insights within the context of the Wizard of Oz. I loved the humor, playfulness and utter seriousness in the book in the chapter titles and content. In the chapter, Somewhere Over the Rainbow Bruno states that her aim is, "...to inspire you and to guide you to resources that will empower you to take control over your own health and wellbeing."

Gradually after Bruno's own accident she began to realize that she had entered into a new land, and needed to learn anew. She recounts these realizations in the chapter, We're not in Kansas Anymore. Bruno says, " Like Dorothy, I knew I could not return the way I arrived. Like Dorothy, I eventually found my way "back home," but I took the Technicolor journey with me. I wrote this book to help others to do so, to."

And, like Dorothy following the yellow brick road to find her way back home to Kansas, the book emphasizes actions you can take in your recovery from the symptoms of these various illnesses that are so mysterious to the medical community. Bruno says in the chapter titled "Glinda," that "This chapter suggests ways to find the Glinda's along your journey...Even in the Wizard of Oz, Glinda prefers to help Dorothy help herself." She includes an excellent listing of resources to contact. For instance, she notes that you might want to contact a Behavioral optometrist that specializes in connections in mind, body and vision because "...a majority of people with neurological issues suffer from visual impairment. If you have any of the flowing symptoms, you may benefit from visual therapy or prism lenses: Concentration problems; Double vision; Headaches; Difficulty reading; Balance disorders; Clumsiness; Eyestrain; Intolerance of flickering lights; Intolerance to varied backgrounds; Panic Attacks; Easily becoming overwhelmed; Vertigo.

If I Only Had a Brain Injury is like a breath of fresh air as it offers hope where typically there is none. As Bruno notes, so many head injuries and their effects are not detected, diagnosed or treated. Many people are told that they do not show any medical evidence of a medical injury even though they are experiencing severe difficulties in daily functioning since the time of their accident or since the onset of their illness. And, even when a brain injury and trauma is recognized, there have been very limited resources to assist in continued rehabilitation.

My level of awareness about the nature of head injuries and its effects has risen dramatically from reading this book. This includes helping me to understand some of my own experiences from knocking my head with numerous falls off of horses, minor car accidents and some of my own hard to diagnose symptoms. I now keep this book by my bedside for personal quick reference and I also have a copy available in my office for those clients who have had head injuries.

If I only Had a Brain Injury is an excellent resource that I very highly recommend for anyone who has experienced a Traumatic Brain Injury as well as their family members, caregivers, medical professional and therapists. For anyone whose life has been touched in some manner with a Traumatic Brain Injury or by any illness that has been a medical mystery, this book will be of great value.

Excellent well researched book that de-mystifies the I got my "bell rung" attitudes. Gives practical strategies to manage head injury risks. A must read for all parents and coaches in contact sports.

I had 11 concussions playing football in the 1960's. My last two happened when I was playing for the NY Jets Taxi Squad. They ended my career. "Head Games - Football's Concussion Crisis" has given information
and understanding that I had not known in 40 years. I think every parent should have knowledge about head injuries no matter what sport their children play. "Head Games - Football's Concussion Crisis" is a great way to start.

This is a fantastic book and a must read for parents, athletic trainers, coaches, and anyone else interested in seeing a summary of the current research on concussions. Nowinski breaks down the complex science into layman's terms and uses LOTS of stories and personal accounts to really drive home the importance of his message without ever taking an alarmist tone. As an athletic trainer, I would highly recommend this book to anyone remotely involved in sports, especially collision sports like football and wrestling.

This should be required reading for every clinician that sees patients who have had concussions.

As a physician and athlete, I was surprised at how much I didn't know about head injuries! Not only is this book an excellent layman's guide, it is a well-researched and even-handed review of the emerging data on post-concussion disability. Nowinksi has a personal writing style and uses his own experience for credibility and context. He is to be commended!

This was the collection of stories that helped me find my voice as a writer. While reading Grass Fires, it became clear to me how important it is to tell your story in a patient and relaxed manner. Let the reader quietly observe the story's characters as the events unfold; nothing dramatic or spectacular or shocking needs to occur to hook the reader, so long as your voice is honest and observant. I was amazed, and still am, at Mr. Gerber's ability to tell a simple story that, I know as a writer, is extremely difficult to pull off. These are simple stories about everyday people, going about their everyday lives, while dealing with those little complications that keep us reading.

I have read, re-read, and re-read Grass Fires. It is one of the few short-story collections where I have savored every sentence. Each story captures you from the first paragraph, drawing you deeper and deeper into each character as Dan Gerber peels away the layers. The descriptions are crisp and unique. Dan Gerber, I am sorry to say, is one of America's best kept secrets.

P.S. Grass Fires is currently out of print, but well worth the search. And, no, I will not sell my copy!

The authors are clearly THE experts in the field of Sports Related Concussion. They share their experience in high school and college athletics as well as the NFL and NHL. The research that is quoted is very revealing. They claim most leg and knee injuries are examined by physicians, but most brain injuries are not! That's a scary thought!

I was especially impressed with the comments from professional athletes who have suffered numerous concussions before gaining an understanding of the health implications. Their stories should be read by every coach and trainer!

If you are looking for a great book check out open ice.
The things I liked most about this book is that it had to do with my favorit sport hoskey, and the was exactly how a teen aged hockey layer would act. The things I diden't like was that if you don't know much about hockey you wouldn't understand it, and theres a lot of inaproprit things.
This book is about a teen Nick Tagilo the best hockey player on his high school hockey team that can't play due to a brain ingery he got from being blind sided, but to Nick hockey wasn't just a sport, it was his life.

Fast-paced literary skater Pat Hughes showed that she is comfortable on the ice of writing and definitely a senior member of the varsity team
in her latest book Open Ice. She deftly negotiates the delicate edge-of-the-blade teenage dialogue while skating backwards and making it look easy. This sports reader's attention was glued to every page-turning play of her game even ruining his planned Sunday afternoon nap which was replaced by reading the last 160 pages of Open Ice.
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>I loved this book. Hughes placed me directly in the midst of these people and their thoughts. I feel like I know them and, the ultimate sign of great writing, I wonder what they are doing now that I've finished reading the book. Not only does Hughes think like a teenager but, as she's done in her previous books Guerrilla Season and Breaker Boys, she comes across like an authentic teenage guy! This book felt like it was told to me by Nick himself, a little wiser, more mature, but definitely by the guy who lived the experience.
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>And then the layers...When Devin was distancing herself from Nick and
>urging him to pressure his parents to play again I thought I was SO smart that I could see right through her motives. I had her pegged for what she was. Then I smiled as it occurred to me that I get NO credit for my revelation. Hughes had me right where she wanted me. Seeing only what she wanted me to see. But then at the after-game party when the details about her and Ramsey came out I stopped hating her and felt bad for her instead. Her intentions were not as clear as I had been ready for them to be earlier in the book. Hughes didn't take the easy literary route and stop at Devin being a hockey groupie. She had deeper problems and insecurities. I rode the roller coaster that Hughes laid out for me and what a great ride it was!
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Every family of a traumatic brain injury patient should read this book. My heart skipped a beat when Nick accidentally sent the Instant Message to the wrong person knowing that he would never have done that prior to the concussion, and knowing that it was the tip of the iceberg of his problems. As he became more contentious and more aggressive and
impulsive I was scared for the fallout. And sure enough it came. The standoff between Nick and his Dad was stressful. Working around rehab I have seen the disintegration of many marriages and families because the TBI patient "isn't who he used to be". This book has the power to let others have a peek inside the mind of a person suffering from post-concussive syndrome.

Hughes is a talented, authentic and entertaining writer. With this one she's also done a great service to the community of families living with mild brain injury patients.

I thought Pat Hughes captured perfectly the politics of teenage life. Setting her novel in the world of school sports enhances its themes of relationships, friendship, love and personal growth. I truly enjoyed Open Ice.

I gave Open Ice to my boyfriend (24) who does not read often for fun. He was reluctant to start the book, but as a hockey player, he was intrigued. He read it in 2 days and then told me to start right away so we could talk about it. I read it the next day and it was great! It was so cool to be able to talk about the book with him.
I would recommend this book to anyone.
After reading it, I e-mailed the author to express my delight with the book and she responded within 24 hours. I was so excited to actually communicate with an AUTHOR!
Check this book out, even if you don't care about hockey, you'll get so involved with the characters and Nick's plight.

I am a 14 year old girl and I just finished reading Open Ice. It was by far the best book I have read in awhile. I am a hockey player so I know how important hockey was to Nick. This was an inspiring book for me because I appreciated how much Nick fought to play, if something like that happened to me I would fight too. I think all teens should read this book whether you play hockey or not, it makes you realize a lot of things. Nick is an inspiring character to me because I could completely relate to everything he was talking about. Overall this book was amazing!

I don't usually read erotic books written by men because they often end up sounding like Penthouse letters. Men's erotica (or in most cases, men's porn in book form) often center on threesomes, teenage girls losing their innocence, voyeurism, or stories about harmless, shy women who morph into wanton sexpots. Chaz Thompson is guilty of writing stories with the aforementioned subjects in Candy Concussion -- only that his stories are actually very good. Candy Concussion is a lovely collection of erotic short stories and poems that satisfies the reader from cover to cover (so to speak). Interestingly enough, my favorites are the ones centered on the cliché subjects above. I enjoyed "Wendy," "The Lollipop," "The Librarian," " 'Twas the Night Before Christmas," "Mr. Frankenstein," and "The First Time." Most of the stories have interesting narratives that come from a voyeur of sorts, so they all have some form of fantasy about women (and girls) told by a man's point of view. That is not a bad thing though. As said earlier, I prefer to read erotica written by women for women, but Candy Concussion is a great treat. I look forward to reading more books by this author.

Review Intentions

My review is intended to give potential readers guidance as to what they might gain from reading this book. There are many different professions that can benefit from the information provided, although the compiling author had clinical neuropsychologists and psychologists in mind. I encourage anyone interested in sports, medicine, and sports related injuries to read some, or all, of this book, but note, not everyone will enjoy it due to the background knowledge necessary for understanding.

Style and Prose Critique

For the most part, the book is written in a conversational tone, which allowed me to get through some of the more technical sections with ease. The book is structured much like a review article, meaning it contains information from a broad range of studies and authors, mainly focusing on mild traumatic brain injuries (MTBI) and concussions. I liked the use of various authors to write about different aspects a neuropsychologist might face when entering the realm of sports neuropsychology.

Content Discussion

The book is broken down into five main parts, each of which is broken down into chapters with more specific examples and explanations. The first part gives a basic history of sports in which head injuries historically appear. It also explains the need for study and management of sports related concussions. The author gives an objective view of pros and cons working with athletes and athletic teams. In this section, he encourages each neuropsychologist to carefully examine his or her motives for pursuing this specific field. As a whole, this part is interesting and gives a good background for the rest of the book; however, much of the historical information is not pertinent to current applications and might seem useless to some readers.

The second part of the book is by far the most technical. The intended reader should have no difficulty understanding the basic physiological and scientific information presented. This section tackles the difficult issue of defining what constitutes a concussion, the epidemiology of concussions, and clinically applying this knowledge in the sports arena. What I like best about this section is the author's use of sports jargon. For example, William B. Barr writes, "The terms `having one's bell rung' or receiving a `ding' are sports expressions used to describe when an athlete has received a relatively severe blow to the head" (Echemendía, p. 89). I've heard these terms used all my life playing football and rugby, and not once have I stopped and thought how we can dismiss what is potentially a serious brain injury with something as simple as a colloquial phrase. Some of the more important questions raised in this section are the cause and effect, both short and long-term, of MTBI on kids as well as adults. Some studies provide evidence to answer these questions, but for the most part, the scientific and medical communities know little about how concussions are caused (traditional versus rotational forces), and the effects of concussions. Evidence has shown that there are lower concussive thresholds for successive impacts, and that second-impact syndrome could have devastating consequences later in life ranging from cognitive impairment to even Alzheimer's. This section also provides the reader with information on how to assess MTBI on the "sideline," and what the guidelines for "return-to-play" should be.

The third part of the book aims to aid the neuropsychologist in starting and maintaining MTBI testing programs including elementary school, middle school, high school, college, and professional level athletes. I like the idea that these testing programs can be implemented in schools to educate and involve a majority of young athletes and parents that may not know anything about MTBI and the risks to which young athletes are exposed. I think more than just neuropsychologists can benefit from reading this section. For these programs to be initiated, public officials need to be convinced of the dangers of MTBI before any of them agree to spend money on a comprehensive and potentially expensive program. The author might have added advice as to presenting this information to those that might not fully grasp the physiological and developmental importance of the brain and its functions. Unfortunately, I think navigating the political or social community is a necessary evil in which the average neuropsychologist will have little to no experience.

The fourth section is specific to computerized neuropsychological test batteries. As a non-neuropsychologist I found this section to be the least useful or informative to me. Multiple tests are given including the ImPACT Neuropsychological Test Battery, the HeadMinder Concussion Resolution Index, CogSport, and Sports Concussion Applications of the Automated Neuropsychological Assessment Metrics Sports Medicine Battery. These all have slightly different criteria for assessing cognitive impairment, but what I took from the section is that computerized technology is a method for making neuropsychological testing quicker and cheaper which in turn will allow it to be used in a much more extensive manner when compare to traditional handwritten neuropsychological tests. This section is really only useful if the reader intends to implement some sort of computer based testing.

The fifth and final section gives the reader different perspectives when assessing, treating, and monitoring sports MTBI. Throughout the book, but especially here, the author(s) state the importance of collaboration when dealing with MTBI. Certified athletic trainers, team physicians, coaches, players (and parents), and neuropsychologists all must work together when either assessing or treating MTBI. The main goal is to prevent further injury to the player, while not being overly cautious so as to prevent the player from achieving necessary goals.
Final Statements

I think this book does a good job explaining many aspects of sports MTBI. For those interested in medicine as well as sports, I highly recommend reading and understanding the facts behind why some of your favorite sports players might not be allowed to play for extended periods of time from one little hit in a game. The implications for fantasy football could be enormous.

The Rizzo & Tranel text is one of the more comprehensive and informed treatments of the topic of head injury and post-concussive phenomena. It covers all aspects of brain injury -- from neuropathological substrates through cognitive and psychosocial outcome -- and provides a realistic appraisal of the continuum of head injury. The contributors are drawn from major academic medical centers, and are recognized leaders in the field of traumatic brain injury. I highly recommend this text.

This book could have been much better, but instead in a set of disjointed chapters which are selected, apparently, from former students and associates. Content regarding patients is often insulting. Inclusion of a very defense oriented chapter o legal aspects of head injury is ighly inappropriate and unfair.