Ritalin as a possible treatment for TBI?

Traumatic brain injuries are all too common in today’s world, and they are most often caused by accidents involving cars, bicycles, pedestrians or motorcycles. In 2008, a study reported that 19% of returning United States military personal who had spent time in Afghanistan or Iraq may have sustained brain injuries while serving. Extensive research is currently being conducted on treatments for TBI, and recent studies on the effects of Ritalin on injuries to the brain’s frontal lobes have been promising.

TBI often results in damage to the brain’s frontal lobes. The frontal lobes can easily hit the inside of the skull when the front of the head suffers an impact. Since the brain is quite soft, approximately the same consistency as toothpaste, the frontal lobes can sustain significant injury even from a mild blow. When the point of impact is on the back of the head, the brain can bounce backwards and then forwards again, causing the frontal lobes to hit the front of the skull and often injuring the back of the brain, too.

Complicated brain functions like planning, judgment calls and decision making are the responsibilities of the frontal lobes. These functions are often referred to as “executive functions,” and when an individual’s frontal lobes are compromised by injury, he frequently has trouble making decisions and initiating activity. Emotions are also regulated and inhibited by the frontal lobes, so TBI survivors with damage to the frontal lobes can be impulsive, moody, short-tempered and poor at making decisions. This limited impulse-control and increased level of anxiety and frustration can make these individuals very vulnerable to problems with substance abuse.

TBI survivors with frontal lobe damage have some symptoms that overlap those of patients with Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder, including difficulty concentrating, trouble focusing and poor decision-making abilities. Popular treatments for ADHD include Ritalin and drugs similar to Ritalin that stimulate the frontal lobes of the brain. These drugs help those with ADHD control their impulsiveness and increase their abilities to plan and make careful decisions.

Because of similarities between the characteristics of ADHD and the symptoms seen in TBI survivors with frontal-lobe injuries, studies have been conducted to find out if medication used to treat ADHD can also help patients with TBI. These studies have found evidence that Ritalin can help some TBI survivors increase their levels of self-control and decrease their impulsiveness. Improvements in concentration and ability to focus have also been found in TBI survivors treated with Ritalin.

The University of Washington, which is one of the main centers for the treatment of TBI in the United States, is pioneering a study on the effects of Ritalin on short-term memory in TBI survivors. If this study supports previous research on the benefits of Ritalin for those with frontal lobe injuries, the medication could become a simple and cost-effective treatment that boosts the efficiency of traditional, rehabilitation-focused TBI treatment.

Tanning Beds Pose Greater Cancer Risk

For many, having a bronzed look is one of their favorite things about the summer season. They believe a nice tan makes you look healthier and more attractive. There is also an assumption that is made that being tan means you spend most of your time outside implying you could be active and fun. However, there has always been health risks associated with too much sun, including sun burn and skin cancer.  Worse off, the stigma associated with being tan has paved the way for tanning bed technology to spread rapidly, causing flocks of people to “fake bake” all year long.  The problem with this is that studies are linking an increase in the risk of developing cancer with the increased use of tanning beds.

Research has shown that using tanning beds presents you with a 74 percent higher risk of developing melanoma, otherwise known as skin cancer. The findings showed the risks went up even higher depending how many years someone used the beds, how many hours they used it, and how many sessions a week the person were under the lights. Studies are not exact, and it seems as though new research comes out constantly, but this research puts up a strong argument that tanning beds have a distinct link to a risk of skin cancer.

The study was conducted by having over 1,500 people who were diagnosed with melanoma fill out a questionnaire and be interviewed regarding their relationship to indoor tanning. How early did they start tanning, how many times a week they did it, and what was the intensity of the session were all question posed during the study. After doing this, researchers found that the risk for cancer increased with use and with intensity of the session showing a connection between the two.

This is alarming considering the popularity of tanning in America especially among America’s youth. Hopefully this study will help people think twice about fake sun tanning and bring more consideration to the risks involved with achieving a “look” at the expense of their health.