Local Charlotte Doctor Striving to Bring a Happier Ending to "Concussion" Story

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Dec. 22, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The new "Concussion" movie, starring Will Smith, will shed immense light on the disease process known as Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), a disease stemming, in part, from repeated head injury. While millions of dollars have gone into diagnosis, more needs to be done to advance treatment for individuals currently living with CTE-like symptoms. Even decades after their playing career is over, it is well-documented that repeated head trauma may lead to changes in behavior, mood, attention, executive function, emotion and may even progress to neurodegenerative disorders.

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Recently, a Functional Medicine clinic in Charlotte, NC, Carolina HealthSpan Institute, joined forces with ten other clinics nationwide to bring help to former NFL players with declining brain function. If they qualify, former players will have the opportunity to receive a new treatment that can potentially improve brain function and reduce concussion related symptoms. The treatment is a specialized form of Neurofeedback, and it uses each player's own brainwaves to exercise the brain directly, helping it to reorganize and rebalance. Think about it like fitness training for the brain. This new treatment was highly effective in a recent pilot study in Sarasota, FL of 9 former players who were having symptoms related to their concussion experience in the NFL.

The impact of multiple concussions can be evident in imaging called qEEG's or "Brain Maps" years or even decades later. Post-concussion symptoms can be correlated to abnormalities in the imaging and targeted treatment can be designed for each patient's unique pattern of injury. As treatment progresses, a patient's brain map should progressively move towards normal.

The study has been underway since September in Charlotte. Fox46 did a special about the treatment on November 23^rd focusing on a local Hall-Of-Fame player. Players involved in the study are already showing major signs of improvement. "Many of the former players are exhibiting classic symptoms of neurocognitive disorder such as memory impairment, sleep issues, difficulty with emotional control and difficulty with problem solving and executive function," said Dr. Ronald Brown, Chief Medical Officer of Carolina HealthSpan Institute. "We are not sure what the future of CTE research will bring, but we are not going to sit on the sidelines and watch the decline when we can intervene now to improve quality of life."

Please contact Carolina HealthSpan Institute at 704-333-4817 for more information.

Media Contact:     
Seth Conger
704-333-4817

SOURCE Carolina HealthSpan Institute