Category Archives: Miscellaneous

Man’s Best Friend Aids Brain Injury Recovery

Dogs are proving to be powerful partners in brain injury rehabilitation, offering benefits across physical, emotional, and speech therapy alike.

A March 2026 story from the University of Colorado Health (UCHealth) system documented Alan Tay, a 71-year-old stroke survivor who credits his border collie Olay with driving his recovery. Working with a neurological physical therapist, Alan used dog agility training to rebuild endurance, coordination, and memory – ultimately winning a national canine competition just three months after his stroke. Emotionally, dogs combat the depression and isolation that frequently accompany brain injury. The above-mentioned UCHealth story also notes that Olay gave Alan the will to push through. An NIH-funded clinical trial confirmed that service dogs may meaningfully reduce PTSD symptoms in military members and veterans.

Dogs can assist with speech recovery, as well. Research shows that aphasia patients produce more verbal and nonverbal communication around therapy dogs, which respond to tone and gesture rather than specific words. Speech therapy in such a uniquely low-pressure and therapeutic environment is highly beneficial for language practice.

The bipartisan SAVES Act, which reached the Senate calendar in February 2026, would fund service dogs for veterans with TBI and PTSD. Introduced by Rep. Morgan Luttrell (TX) on April 2, 2025, H.R.2605 explicitly lists “Traumatic brain injury” as a covered condition, recognizing that a trained service dog can be “optimal for the veteran to manage the disability, condition, or diagnosis and live independently.” In March 2026, America’s VetDogs launched a national campaign during this Brain Injury Awareness Month that highlights service dogs’ life-changing impact for TBI survivors, particularly as it relates to counter-balance support and deep pressure therapy.

Family Trauma Means Mullin’s Mission Goes Beyond Political Party

As President Trump’s nominee to lead the Department of Homeland Security, Senator Markwayne Mullin (OK) has been subject to an extremely contentious confirmation. However, previously, Mullin has worked with both Republicans and Democrats. Specific to this site, he has worked across party lines to pass bills that are very important and extremely dear to him, related to traumatic brain injury. Therefore, as a TBI survivor myself, I find it important to look back at his record, related to the topic:

In January 2020, Sen. Markwayne Mullin’s 15-year-old son was subject to a severe traumatic brain injury during a wrestling match. (Apparently, during his son’s most trying time, President Trump called almost daily and offered his personal plane. The President also later visited his son at the rehab center.) Rehabilitation, which professionals estimated would take years, was completed within 9 months and Mullin’s son is now in college.

Since the unfortunate incident, Senator Mullin has channeled his anguish and frustration into finding answers. His legislations related to TBI tend to focus on research funding and diagnostic standardization for brain injury. Only six months ago, the Senator earnestly reaffirmed his devotion to the issue when he stated, “That is why we must continue to bring awareness to this critical injury. I am honored to join my colleagues on this resolution to recognize Friday, September 19th, as National Concussion Awareness Day.”

Concrete examples of his bipartisan push forward for the brain injured community include S. 4755, Traumatic Brain Injury Program Reauthorization Act of 2024, co-led with Senator Bob Casey (D). When that bill expired, Mullin reintroduced it as the TBI Program Reauthorization Act of 2025, S. 2898, on September 23, 2025, with co-sponsors Senators Andy Kim (D), John Cornyn (R), Alex Padilla (D), and Catherine Cortez Masto (D).  (The 2025 version expanded coverage to include all acquired brain injuries.)

(Devotion to issues that relate to brain injury do not represent the entirety of legislation introduced by Senator Mullin while he has been in the Senate. Additionally, this article is not a comment on Senator Mullin’s nomination to head the DHS.)

Cherry-Picking Superfoods to Aid TBI Recovery

A small red fruit that appears in various forms throughout the year is more than simply a tasty treat. Cherries pack natural pigment, known as anthocyanins, melatonin, and quercetin that cross the blood-brain barrier, reduce neuroinflammation, and protect injured neurons. It has long been known that anthocyanins cut brain injury volume by up to 27%, with anti-inflammatory potency similar to that of ibuprofen. Three more recent human randomized controlled trials also confirmed measurable improvements in memory, attention, and mental fatigue after daily tart cherry juice consumption.

These neurological improvements, highly beneficial to those with brain injuries, include a 23% reduction in memory errors in one 12-week. The NIH’s National Academies Press identified polyphenols found abundantly in cherries as interacting with neuronal survival pathways after traumatic brain injury (TBI). A 2025 review in Nutritional Neuroscience concluded that these compounds lessen neuroinflammation and oxidative stress following brain injury. An earlier comprehensive USDA-supported review of 29 human cherry studies also found cherry consumption decreased oxidative stress markers in 8 of 10 studies and reduced inflammation in 11 of 16 studies.

However, studies show that not all cherries deliver equal benefits. Montmorency tart cherries provide the highest benefits, though dark sweet varieties also carry high anthocyanin levels. Cherries also do not need to be eaten raw to be advantageous. Liquefied tart cherry juice concentrate has proven to be the most clinically validated form, though cherries that have been cooked retain significant amounts of active compounds. When frozen, cherries still provide these benefits, as they preserve 90–95% of polyphenols.

*Beyond delicious cherry pie, recipe research shows me that cherries are a feature in numerous recipes that are well-suited for every time of the day. For breakfast, for example, try cherry overnight oats (rolled oats, frozen cherries, ground flaxseed, and almond butter) which requires zero morning prep and provides steady brain energy. A cherry-chocolate brain smoothie is a good snack (tart cherries blended with cocoa powder, spinach, chia seeds, and almond milk) that delivers anthocyanins and omega-3s in one glass. For TBI-related sleep disruption, tart cherry turmeric bedtime tea (cherry juice simmered with ginger, turmeric, and chamomile) supports both natural melatonin production and neuroinflammation recovery simultaneously.

Spring Forward, Fall Down: Neurological Effect of Time Change

Every March, we lose an hour of sleep, or we gain an hour of sunlight, depending on your perspective. For TBI survivors, this forced clock shift has medically been proven to be particularly cruel. Up to 70% of survivors already struggle with disrupted sleep and circadian rhythms. Unfortunately, that is the same biological clock that drives the neural repair process itself.

The twist, though, is that the extra daylight we are about to gain can actually help injured brains heal. Powered by sunlight, studies have shown that Vitamin D is typically low in brain injury patients, particularly at rehab admission, and deficiency is linked to worse survival. While adding a Vitamin D supplement into your daily pill regiment is good, natural Vitamin D absorption is always best.   

While it may seem a biannual norm, it wasn’t until March 19, 1918 that time became a legislative concern in the United States. President Woodrow Wilson signed the Standard Time Act of 1918, also known as the Calder Act, “to save daylight and to provide standard time, for the United States.”. (On January 20, 1942, President Roosevelt established War Time, which halted the time shift from 1942 – 1945.)

More recently, opposition to time change has increased and a large minority of Americans say that they do not want to keep switching their clocks. In Congress, S.29, Sunshine Protection Act of 2025, sponsored by current Secretary of State, former Florida Senator, Marco Rubio and Rep. Vern Buchanan (FL) would have made Daylight Savings Time permanent. This Congressional year, Rep. Greg Steube (FL) introduced H.R. 7378, Daylight Act of 2026, that would permanently move U.S. clocks forward by 30 minutes and eliminate the biannual time change. As of March 4, 2026, this Act is in the House.

*British Columbia will permanently adopt year-round daylight saving time in 2026, with the final “spring forward” occurring on Sunday, March 8, 2026. It may be useful to observe how this change, or lack there of, functions in another country that has same time zones before passing legislation.

Liquid Gold for Your Brain: Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Your pantry might hold one of the most powerful brain-protective foods on the planet. Research now links extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), long recognized as a boon to heart health, to a sharply lower risk of dementia, faster brain injury recovery, and protection against the toxic plaques that drive Alzheimer’s disease.

The National Institute on Aging states, “Consuming olive oil is associated with lowering the risk of dementia-related death.” This association was found to be true “regardless of overall diet quality”. These findings were compelling enough that the 2025–2030 U.S. Dietary Guidelines, issued by USDA and HHS, placed olive oil at the center of the new federal nutrition framework.

The 2026 PREDIMED-Plus study, which focused on the benefits of the Mediterranean diet for reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes, revealed that EVOO works through the gut-brain axis, with participants showing improved memory and cognitive function alongside greater microbiota diversity. Animal studies from 2025 showed that oleocanthal, a polyphenol unique to high-quality EVOO, reduced brain infarct size and sped recovery after traumatic brain injury.

The key is EVOO’s polyphenols, specifically oleocanthal, oleuropein, and hydroxytyrosol, which cross the blood-brain barrier, clear amyloid plaques, and calm neuroinflammation. Only cold-pressed extra virgin oil retains these compounds at therapeutic levels, so quality matters. Refined olive oil could not replicate these results.

Ready to cook for your brain? Try combining EVOO with other ingredients known to promote brain health, such as salmon, or another staple of the Mediterranean diet, mint.

A Gift from the Heart to the Mind

This Valentine’s Day, that box of dark chocolates may offer more than romance. A body of research indexed in PubMed reveals that dark chocolate’s primary flavanol, epicatechin, is a potent neuroprotective compound with remarkable potential for brain injury recovery.

“Epicatechin represents a promising therapeutic candidate for traumatic brain injury – its multi-pathway neuroprotection, from antioxidant defense to neurogenesis, makes it unlike any single pharmaceutical agent,” stated Wang et al. in 2024 in CNS Neuroscience & Therapeutics. Research shows that administering epicatechin after traumatic brain injury prevents neuronal death, reduced neuroinflammation, and restored neurological function by targeting the AKT-P53/CREB signaling pathway. This pathway then promotes cell growth and inhibits apoptosis. A 2025 meta-analysis in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry pooled 12 animal studies and confirmed epicatechin significantly improves outcomes across TBI, ischemic stroke, and other brain injury types, while reducing oxidative stress and boosting antioxidant defenses.

Dark chocolate’s brain benefits operate through multiple pathways: boosting cerebral blood flow by 8-10% via nitric oxide–mediated vasodilation, activating the Nrf2 antioxidant system, elevating the brain-derived neurotrophic factor critical for neuronal survival, and stimulating neurogenesis. Crucially, these are the very mechanisms disrupted by traumatic brain injury and stroke.

While most current TBI-specific evidence remains in animal models, the results are compelling. This Valentine’s Day, choose dark chocolate with the highest cocoa content you can find, preferably 70% or above. Your brain, and your loved one’s brain, will thank you.

Texas Governor Declares Disaster to Combat Screwworm Threat

Governor Greg Abbott issued a statewide disaster declaration Thursday, January 29th to prevent a certain species of screwworm fly from entering Texas, mobilizing state resources against a parasite. “Although… not yet present in Texas or the U.S., its northward spread from Mexico toward the U.S. southern border poses a serious threat,” Abbott stated.

Cochliomyia hominivorax, also called Coquerel or New World screwworms, are parasites endemic in South America and the Caribbean. Not new to America, the U.S. was declared free of the parasite in 1966 by the US Department of Agriculture, after successful eradication efforts. A small outbreak occurred in the Florida Keys in 2017.

According to the US Embassy in Costa Rica, “screwworm flies predominantly affect cattle, but frequently affect dogs… and occasionally affect humans.” Experts warn that maggots can burrow into vulnerable tissue like the brain, causing sepsis. Sepsis can cause severe brain damage through systemic inflammation, disrupting the blood-brain barrier (BBB), oxygen deprivation, and neuroinflammation, leading to acute issues like delirium and coma, and long-term cognitive deficits. The Embassy further discusses the story of a 15-year-old girl developed intense headaches after 45 larvae infested a scalp wound, demonstrating risks to children and representing the first human death since the 1990s.

Protection requires cleaning and covering all wounds, wearing long-sleeved clothing, and using EPA-registered insect repellents.

Brain Injury Detection Goes Low-Tech

A simple spit test may soon revolutionize how doctors diagnose brain injuries. Researchers have known for years that saliva contains biomarkers indicating brain injury. In January 2026, University of Waterloo in Canada unveiled HeadFirst, a portable saliva-based device that works much like a COVID test – two lines indicate a concussion, one line means negative. According to the report, this new low-tech innovation is currently at the pre-clinical trial.

The mission is clear: “Leave no concussion undetected.” “What we’re doing is adding the first objective test into the toolkit of athletic and health care professionals,” said Andrew Cordssen-David, HeadFirst CEO. The new technology detects biomarkers that cross the blood-brain barrier into saliva within minutes of injury.

Currently, no saliva concussion test has FDA approval, though several companies are preparing submissions. With studies showing 92-94% accuracy, these non-invasive diagnostics could transform sideline assessments in sports and combat zones alike. 

* TBIontheHill first reported on the government’s investment in brain injury detection devices in 2017. At that time, Abbott Laboratories was developing of i-STAT, a mobile device that could detect brain injury. Since that time, U.S. government agencies have remained heavily invested in concussion detection. The National Institutes of Health awarded $2.3 million to Quadrant Biosciences for developing saliva-based microRNA tests, while the Department of Defense mandated baseline cognitive assessments for all military recruits starting January 2025. 

Chewing Gum’s Surprising Brain Benefits Come with Caution

In 2026, publications from The Economics Times to National Geographic, have reported on the unexpected benefits of chewing gum. The U.S. government has a long-released study that confirms this.  Nearly 30 years ago, the NIH published a study that found, “[Chewing] increased regional cerebral blood flow in the primary sensorimotor areas by 25-28%, in the supplementary motor areas and insulae by 9-17%, and in the cerebellum and striatum by 8-11%.” (Cerebral blood flow activates the hippocampus, critical for memory, and reduces stress hormones by 16%.) Multiple trials confirm improvements in alertness, sustained attention, and reaction times from chewing gum.

These benefits seem to have been almost forgotten though, as what has been more widely reported in the past decade is the harm that chewing gum causes the body. A study indexed in the NIH database found that chewing commercially available gum can release over 250,000 microplastic particles per hour. Research shows microplastics cross the blood-brain barrier, potentially contributing to oxidative stress and neuroinflammation linked to cognitive decline.

Pertaining to brain injury patients, medical professionals have long known chewing gum may be a boon. The aforementioned statistics note gum’s ability to enhance blood flow and hippocampal stimulation support neural recovery, while stress reduction aids in healing. Gum chewing is used in speech and oral motor rehabilitation therapy, strengthening muscles while stimulating neural pathways, and improving reaction times. Additionally, during these cognitive rehabilitation exercises, gum still retains its ability to reduce stress levels.

To capture benefits while avoiding microplastics and without artificial sweeteners, consider homemade alternatives using natural chicle or beeswax. Many websites offer such recipes, including: Instructables Utopia CookTilYummy. (I do not known the quality or tastiness of these recipes. If you choose to make chewing gum for its cognitive benefits, I recommend using fresh mint as an ingredient because of its own proven cognitive benefits)

“Marty Supreme” Brings Attention to Ping Pong’s Dual Role in Brain Health

As many anticipate 2026 Academy Award nominations to be announced tomorrow, one film, in particular, has gained Oscar buzz for cinematic acumen and, from me, its focus on an often overlooked sport. An A24 Films production Marty Supreme follows a 1950s ping pong hustler through his rise to glory. (Timothée Chalamet, who portrays the star table tennis player, has already won a Golden Globe for the role.) But beyond Hollywood, the sport at the heart of the film has proven transformative for brain injury patients.

Recent NIH research reveals that ping pong has remarkable therapeutic potential for traumatic brain injury recovery. A 2024 study published in Brain Research and indexed in NIH PubMed demonstrated that long-term table tennis training significantly alters dynamic functional connectivity and white matter microstructure in large-scale brain regions – enhancing cognitive function and attention in patients recovering from neurological injuries. This is due to the sport’s simultaneous engagement of visual tracking, motor coordination, and rapid decision-making, which triggers neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to rewire itself. A 2024 stroke rehabilitation study in the database showed significant brainwave changes in patients practicing seated table tennis, with enhanced activity in frontal and temporal regions associated with sensorimotor integration. This additionally supports broader applications of the sport for traumatic brain injury rehabilitation.

However, the term “ping pong” isn’t singly used to define the sport of table tennis. Ironically, “ping pong fracture” is the term used to describe a very serious infant condition: a depressed skull fracture that resembles a dented ball. These fractures occur in approximately 3 per 10,000 live births, often as the result of difficult deliveries. Fortunately, a 2022 World Neurosurgery systematic review of 228 cases found 96.4% achieve favorable outcomes without lasting neurological damage. Most resolve spontaneously within six months.

As is apparent, science continues to prove that ping pong’s medical connections, whether through the healing effects to the injured brain of gameplay or used to describe neonatal trauma, run deeper than any championship rally.