Tag Archives: University of Miami

Coast Guard Forced to Confront Brain Injuries

Coast Guard boat at sea

Coast Guard “surfmen” continuously absorb thousands of violent wave impacts while piloting rescue boats through rough surf. As the director of the University of Miami’s concussion program told the local NBC affiliate, “These are… significant waves, and sometimes it’s like hitting a concrete wall.” On July 31, 2026, US Coast Guard finally acknowledged the danger, through Admiral Kevin Lunday’s statement: “We owe it to [the crew] to protect [their] long-term health from the damage caused by relentless wave pound, blast overpressure and other concussive events that may cause injury.”

This reckoning was prompted by a citizen-investigation by 18-year-old Kayleigh Bonner, whose surfman father died by suicide in 2025. Soon after, this information was picked up by the New York Times, who reported that the service “has never studied the hazard that waves may pose to the brain.”

Repeated impacts can cause cumulative brain trauma, CTE-like degeneration, as the brain moves back-and-forth inside the skull. It has been determined that fast-boat operators have a roughly 45 percent chance of traumatic brain injury, but recreational boaters, powerboat racers, and commercial mariners are at risk too.

The US Coast Guard now pledges decisive action to better prevent, detect, and treat those effected by the impact of consistent wave pounding, and other such neurologically damaging events. On an individual scale, precautions include shock-mitigating suspension seats, gravitational force (G-force) sensors, speed limits, medical baselines, and prompt symptom reporting.

Cook Brainfood With the Right Pan

Fried egg with colorful sautéed vegetables in a skillet

Every time you fry an egg or sauté a vegetable, the nonstick pan’s coating exposes you to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAs). In fact, these “forever chemicals” reportedly are detectable in more than 99% of people. Research increasingly ties this seemingly inescapable PFA injection increasingly ties them to neurological risk.

A 2026 University of Miami study in Environmental Research report on the findings of this study drew wide attention last month, July 2026: Higher blood levels of the PFAS compound PFHxS were associated with roughly 53% greater odds of multiple sclerosis, climbing to about 56% in women, with the most-exposed participants more than 3.5 times as likely to have MS. MS is a widely known possible consequence of brain injury. [Scientists caution, though, that this evidence is associational, not proof of cause.]  Animal studies have provided further evidence that PFAS can build up in the brain tissue and disrupt learning and memory.

Irrespective of these concerns, nonstick pans remain valuable, as they make it easier to cook low-oil foods like eggs, salmon, walnuts, and leafy greens that nourish the brain. So, to protect yourself, recommendations include: (1) avoid overheating pans, (2) never preheat pens empty, (3) ventilate your kitchen, (4) use wood or silicone utensils, and (5) replace scratched or pre-2015 pans.

Spicy Spray, Cool Results: Nano-Pepper Treatment Chills Brain Damage

University of Miami researchers announced in January 2026 that a revolutionary nasal spray that cools the brain after injury could soon help paramedics protect trauma victims before they reach the hospital. The technology uses “nanovanilloids” – microscopic particles derived from pepper-related compounds that activate the brain’s natural cooling system. When sprayed into the nose, these particles travel directly to the brain and trigger special receptors called TRPV1 [Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid1] that lower brain temperature by up to 3.6°C.

Brain cooling after injury reduces inflammation and cellular damage, with NIH-funded studies showing up to 87% reduction in brain damage from stroke. An “umbrella review” of studies, posted in the NLM PubMed in October 2025, is more nuanced: “Studies have shown controversial results regarding the effect of TH [therapeutic hypothermia]… Some of the important parameters that may affect the results are the age of TBI patients, the use of barbiturates, target TH temperature, rewarming rates, and method of cooling.”

Current treatment methods require hospital equipment and carry significant side effects, but studies have shown that the nanovanilloid spray works within minutes and targets only the brain, leaving body temperature stable. Published in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, a peer-reviewed scientific journal, the breakthrough could transform emergency treatment for stroke, traumatic brain injury, and cardiac arrest. “These results mark one of the most important technological developments in therapeutic hypothermia over the past 30 years,” said Dr. W. Dalton Dietrich of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.