Series: The Science Of Brain Health

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Series: The Science Of Brain Health

Scientists are still developing a better understanding of brain health and maladies from concussions to Alzheimer's disease, but it's clear that all stages of life can have significant consequences for the human body's most complex organ. Brain health plays a role in everyday wellness challenges elderly adults face, and as Wisconsin's overall population ages, research and public-health efforts promoting well-being and quality of life are focusing on issues like degenerative neural diseases and strokes. At the same time, the medical community is becoming more concerned about threats to younger and middle-aged people's brain health, especially when it comes to devastating effects of athletics-related injuries, whether in high-school competitions or professional sports. Whatever the circumstances, the condition of the brain has myriad effects on both physical and mental health.

What Fruit Flies May Be Able To Reveal About Football Injuries

Audio:

Megan Hart

Wisconsin Public Radio

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WPR

Flies were used during early research into human genetics, said Dr. Doug Brusich. An assistant professor at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, Brusich is among a group of researchers who now use the insect to study traumatic brain injuries.

Series: The Science Of Brain Health

Alcohol's Enduring Appeal Is A Matter Of Brain Chemistry And Genetics

Will Cushman

WisContext

Wisconsin's affinity for alcohol — and the drug's complicated cultural impact on the state — can in many ways be explained by a few straightforward biochemical processes.

Series: The Science Of Brain Health

Series: Trauma-Informed Care In Wisconsin

What A Simple Test Can Say About Lifelong Traumas, Individually And Across Wisconsin

Will Cushman

WisContext

Children who suffer abuse or neglect or who live in dysfunctional homes often carry the burdens of these experiences into adulthood. Behavioral health professionals call these ordeals "adverse childhood experiences," or ACEs.

Series: The Science Of Brain Health

Series: Trauma-Informed Care In Wisconsin

Why Trauma-Informed Care Is Creating Hope For Kids In Wisconsin

Will Cushman

WisContext

A sweeping shift over the past few decades in the practice of behavioral health has come to be known as trauma-informed care, an approach adopted by dozens of counties and tribes in Wisconsin.

Series: The Science Of Brain Health

As 'Bell-Ringers' Pile Up, More Badgers Leave Football

Emily Hamer

Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism

UW-Madison student-athletes were diagnosed with 137 concussions from 2014 to 2018, according to records from an ongoing NCAA and U.S. Department of Defense concussion study.

Series: The Science Of Brain Health

When Present, Athletic Trainers Can Improve Concussion Outcomes For Student-Athletes

Samantha Nash

PBS Wisconsin

The gridiron is not the only venue where athletics-related concussions can occur — every sport includes some risk of fall or collision that can result in a blow to the head.

Series: The Science Of Brain Health

Rethinking Treatment Of Traumatic Brain Injuries Among Children With Disabilities

Donna Crane

PBS Wisconsin

Young children inevitably fall as they learn what they can do physically and experiment with their limits. If a fall results in a blow to the head, the child may have sustained a traumatic brain injury.