UHCL : New Initiative Targets Recovery, Education For Victims Of Head Trauma

Press release from University of Houston-Clear Lake:

February 28, 2022

The Health and Human Performance Institute (HHPI) at University of Houston-Clear Lake is launching the Center for Neurologic Injury
and Recovery, a new initiative that aims to identify and help rehabilitate those who
have suffered severe neurologic injuries and concussions or other mild traumatic brain
injuries due to intimate partner violence (IPV), a sports injury, or an occupational
injury. This community outreach initiative provides unique services and research while
training students working toward a Master of Science in Exercise and Health Sciences to apply the concepts they are learning in class in a hands-on setting.

"The experiential learning opportunities gained from working directly with clients
puts the students far ahead others who are entering the workforce," said HHPI Clinical Director Joe Hazzard, who also provides oversight and guidance to students.

Cases like Saget's are not uncommon because there are often no warning signs of a
brain bleed after a fall or blow to the head. Hazzard said Saget could likely have
been a person with a very superficial blood supply structure in the brain.

"There are some people who suffer a relatively small bump to their head that results
in a brain bleed, which would tear the blood supply in the brain and cause a slow
trickle of blood that would fill the cavity between the brain and the skull, causing
unconsciousness and even death in a short period of time," he said.

"It's our goal to raise awareness about these kinds of injuries among people who provide
resources to athletes, to those who might experience a job-related head trauma, and
to those have suffered intimate partner violence," he explained. "We can help them
recover through a protocol of exercise and testing."

The World Health Organization reports that globally, one out of three women will experience
intimate partner violence or sexual abuse over their lifetime, and that over 90% of
the blows delivered in an assault are to the head, face or neck.

But these injuries might not be immediately evident to front-line resource personnel
who interact with a victim after the assault.

"Victim resource personnel might sit with a victim of IPV, explain their options,
and wonder why they don't seem to understand or be able to make a decision," Hazzard
said. "Short or long-term cognitive deficits are common in these cases. Community
resource people may not completely understand this could be the result of a head injury."

He said one aim of the Center for Neurologic Injury and Recovery initiative is to
help raise awareness about signs and symptoms among people who provide these kinds
of community and medical resources to IPV victims. "They are often the first point
of contact," he said. "They're often looking for broken bones, but they don't always
ask if a person has been hit on the head."

A concussion can occur by several mechanisms — a direct blow, a rotational force of
the brain, the head hitting the ground or object during play. "This can happen to
athletes, but also people in certain occupations, like firefighters or police officers,"
he said. "In the HHPI, together with graduate students, we work to identify victims
of head injury and use gradual exercise as a tool to initially provocate symptoms,
which include dizziness or balance issues, vision problems, grogginess, headaches,
nausea, and trouble thinking clearly."

Previously, Hazzard explained that the protocol for concussion or mild TBI would have
indicated rest and a limit on activity. "We now believe that while exercise is initially
a provocative stimulus, long-term it is promoting and accelerating healing," he said.
"Increased blood flow translates to an improvement in all areas and systems of the
body, including cardiovascular, musculoskeletal and respiratory. Exercise is medicine,
period."

Hazzard added that other research has demonstrated the benefits of exercise on brain
health in general. "The brain simply functions better as a result of exercise, and
in this population with mild TBI or concussion, what we want to do is return the person
to their sporting or work environment as quickly and as safely as possible," he said.
"Now we know from the research that we can introduce submaximal exercise within 48
hours of the injury."

Anyone with a diagnosis of concussion or mild TBI is eligible for free services at
the Health and Human Performance Institute. No referrals are needed. For more information
about HHPI, go online.

This press release was produced by University of Houston-Clear Lake. The views expressed here are the author’s own.