Folks who’ve suffered one or two concussions at some point shouldn’t worry about developing chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a new study has concluded. CTE is more common in people who experience many repeated head impacts, like the football players in whom the disorder was first identified, researchers recently reported in the Journal of Neuropathology & Experimental Neurology. In all, 7 out of 47 donated brains had CTE as confirmed by autopsy — and six of those donors had lifetime histories of extensive repetitive head impacts, researchers found. The seventh person had suffered two severe concussions in their medical history, but no known repetitive head impacts, researchers said. “Our study underscores that CTE is rare among individuals with lower amounts of repetitive head impact and in those with isolated traumatic brain injuries, and highlights why community-based research — beyond brain donation from select populations such as professional athletes — is crucial,” senior researcher Kristen Dams-O’Connor said in a news release. She’s director of the Brain Injury Research Center at Mount Sinai in New York City. People with CTE suffer from memory loss, problems with attention and concentration, violent mood swings, impulsive or erratic behavior and poor muscle concentration, according to Harvard Medical School. For the study, researchers analyzed brain tissue from 47 people donated between 2018 and 2024. The team also used medical records, autopsy reports…  read on >  read on >

Folks who’ve suffered one or two concussions at some point shouldn’t worry about developing chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a new study has concluded. CTE is more common in people who experience many repeated head impacts, like the football players in whom the disorder was first identified, researchers recently reported in the Journal of Neuropathology & Experimental Neurology. In all, 7 out of 47 donated brains had CTE as confirmed by autopsy — and six of those donors had lifetime histories of extensive repetitive head impacts, researchers found. The seventh person had suffered two severe concussions in their medical history, but no known repetitive head impacts, researchers said. “Our study underscores that CTE is rare among individuals with lower amounts of repetitive head impact and in those with isolated traumatic brain injuries, and highlights why community-based research — beyond brain donation from select populations such as professional athletes — is crucial,” senior researcher Kristen Dams-O’Connor said in a news release. She’s director of the Brain Injury Research Center at Mount Sinai in New York City. People with CTE suffer from memory loss, problems with attention and concentration, violent mood swings, impulsive or erratic behavior and poor muscle concentration, according to Harvard Medical School. For the study, researchers analyzed brain tissue from 47 people donated between 2018 and 2024. The team also used medical records, autopsy reports…  read on >  read on >

Reality TV star, actress and mom Kim Kardashian, 45, disclosed in the season premiere of “The Kardashians” that a small aneurysm was detected in her brain. An aneurysm occurs when a blood vessel wall weakens and stretches, creating a balloon or bubble. While aneurysms can appear anywhere, those in the brain, known as cerebral aneurysms, are likely more common than people realize, with estimates suggesting that 3% to 5% of Americans may have one, according to the American Heart Association (AHA). The vast majority are asymptomatic, meaning they cause no problems, and are often found during medical imaging tests like MRIs or CT scans for unrelated issues.   “A lot of the natural history studies may not actually know the full incidence rate of how many aneurysms there are because we don’t just screen everyone,” Dr. Nina Moore, a neurosurgeon at the Cleveland Clinic, told NBC News. Factors that can weaken arteries and lead to a brain aneurysm include high blood pressure, cigarette smoking and connective tissue disorders such as Marfan syndrome, according to a Brigham and Women’s Hospital primer. Family history may also play a role. Individuals can reduce their risk by managing their blood pressure, stopping smoking, controlling diabetes and losing weight. Brain aneurysms are more often seen in women, particularly after menopause, and among Black and Latino adults. They typically occur in…  read on >  read on >

Reality TV star, actress and mom Kim Kardashian, 45, disclosed in the season premiere of “The Kardashians” that a small aneurysm was detected in her brain. An aneurysm occurs when a blood vessel wall weakens and stretches, creating a balloon or bubble. While aneurysms can appear anywhere, those in the brain, known as cerebral aneurysms, are likely more common than people realize, with estimates suggesting that 3% to 5% of Americans may have one, according to the American Heart Association (AHA). The vast majority are asymptomatic, meaning they cause no problems, and are often found during medical imaging tests like MRIs or CT scans for unrelated issues.   “A lot of the natural history studies may not actually know the full incidence rate of how many aneurysms there are because we don’t just screen everyone,” Dr. Nina Moore, a neurosurgeon at the Cleveland Clinic, told NBC News. Factors that can weaken arteries and lead to a brain aneurysm include high blood pressure, cigarette smoking and connective tissue disorders such as Marfan syndrome, according to a Brigham and Women’s Hospital primer. Family history may also play a role. Individuals can reduce their risk by managing their blood pressure, stopping smoking, controlling diabetes and losing weight. Brain aneurysms are more often seen in women, particularly after menopause, and among Black and Latino adults. They typically occur in…  read on >  read on >

An advanced form of LASIK eye surgery that uses a virtual 3D model of a person’s eye appears to offer patients better vision, a new study says. About 98% of eyes treated with the “wavelight plus” form of LASIK gained improved vision, compared to 82% of eyes treated with a competing process called SMILE Pro, researchers reported Saturday in Orlando, Florida, at a meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology. “The wavelight plus results are particularly encouraging for the future of the field,” lead researcher Dr. John Kanellopoulos said in a news release. He’s a clinical professor of ophthalmology at NYU Grossman School of Medicine in New York City. To perform LASIK, doctors open a thin flap in the cornea, through which they use lasers to reshape the tissue beneath to correct a person’s vision, researchers said in background notes. The wavelight plus version of LASIK creates a 3-D digital model of the eye undergoing correction, based on more than 100,000 data points from each eye. This allows doctors to go into the procedure with a highly personalized plan of action. For the new study, researcher recruited 60 patients who got wavelight plus LASIK in one eye and SMILE Pro in the other. In SMILE Pro, doctors don’t have to open a flap in the cornea, which proponents say offers better structural integrity of the…  read on >  read on >

An advanced form of LASIK eye surgery that uses a virtual 3D model of a person’s eye appears to offer patients better vision, a new study says. About 98% of eyes treated with the “wavelight plus” form of LASIK gained improved vision, compared to 82% of eyes treated with a competing process called SMILE Pro, researchers reported Saturday in Orlando, Florida, at a meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology. “The wavelight plus results are particularly encouraging for the future of the field,” lead researcher Dr. John Kanellopoulos said in a news release. He’s a clinical professor of ophthalmology at NYU Grossman School of Medicine in New York City. To perform LASIK, doctors open a thin flap in the cornea, through which they use lasers to reshape the tissue beneath to correct a person’s vision, researchers said in background notes. The wavelight plus version of LASIK creates a 3-D digital model of the eye undergoing correction, based on more than 100,000 data points from each eye. This allows doctors to go into the procedure with a highly personalized plan of action. For the new study, researcher recruited 60 patients who got wavelight plus LASIK in one eye and SMILE Pro in the other. In SMILE Pro, doctors don’t have to open a flap in the cornea, which proponents say offers better structural integrity of the…  read on >  read on >

If you need another reason to brush and floss, here it is: Research suggests keeping your mouth healthy might also protect your brain and heart. Two new studies published Oct. 22 in Neurology Open Access linked gum disease and cavities to a higher risk of stroke and brain damage. In the first study, adults with gum disease were more likely to have white matter changes in their brains. “Gum disease is associated with a higher chance of inflammation, and inflammation has been tied to atherosclerosis as well as hardening of the small blood vessels, as we saw in this study,” study author Dr. Souvik Sen, a professor of neurology at the University of South Carolina, told CBS News. In the second study, Sen’s team found that people with both gum disease and cavities had an 86% higher risk of stroke compared to those with healthy teeth and gums. “If you have cavities on top of gum disease, it is double trouble. It means your risk of stroke or adverse heart event doubles,” Sen explained. The good news: Regular oral care can make a big difference. Brushing and flossing daily, along with routine dental visits, were linked to an 81% lower risk of stroke among participants who maintained those healthy oral habits, Sen said. While the research does not prove that poor oral health directly causes…  read on >  read on >

If you need another reason to brush and floss, here it is: Research suggests keeping your mouth healthy might also protect your brain and heart. Two new studies published Oct. 22 in Neurology Open Access linked gum disease and cavities to a higher risk of stroke and brain damage. In the first study, adults with gum disease were more likely to have white matter changes in their brains. “Gum disease is associated with a higher chance of inflammation, and inflammation has been tied to atherosclerosis as well as hardening of the small blood vessels, as we saw in this study,” study author Dr. Souvik Sen, a professor of neurology at the University of South Carolina, told CBS News. In the second study, Sen’s team found that people with both gum disease and cavities had an 86% higher risk of stroke compared to those with healthy teeth and gums. “If you have cavities on top of gum disease, it is double trouble. It means your risk of stroke or adverse heart event doubles,” Sen explained. The good news: Regular oral care can make a big difference. Brushing and flossing daily, along with routine dental visits, were linked to an 81% lower risk of stroke among participants who maintained those healthy oral habits, Sen said. While the research does not prove that poor oral health directly causes…  read on >  read on >