When the average person thinks about having a concussion, or mild traumatic brain injury, what comes to mind is being hit on the head hard enough to cause symptoms, with a brief loss of consciousness at most. Most people recover quickly, but it is still a structural injury to the brain that in some cases may have lifelong consequences. Now there is a growing body of research into subconcussive brain injury, a subtler phenomenon caused by repeated impacts to the head. One example of this would be heading the ball during soccer, where the player impacts their head but does not experience symptoms. The Montefiore-Einstein Soccer Study, led by Michael Lipton, MD, PhD, FACR, Medical Director of MRI services and attending radiologist at Montefiore, and Professor of Radiology at the Gruss Magnetic Resonance Research Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, is building our understanding of how these kinds of impacts to the head may lead to changes in the brain that accumulate over time, suggesting the development of a subclinical injury.

Dr. Lipton has conducted brain injury research for nearly two decades where his findings indicate that susceptibility to this type of cumulative injury varies based on gender, and may be greater in those with certain genetic profiles. "Protecting your brain doesn't necessarily mean giving up sports that have proven benefits for both your brain and overall health. Understanding more about concussion and subconcussive injury can help you make good decisions when it comes to avoiding or recovering from either," says Dr. Lipton.

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The Children's Hospital at Montefiore Craniofacial Center was designated an Approved Cross- Specialty Team by the American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association (ACPA). "Craniofacial patients need expertise from a broad range of disciplines including plastic surgery; neurosurgery; dentistry; speech and language pathology; ear, nose and throat; social work; and psychology," says Oren Tepper, MD, Director and Associate Professor, Craniofacial Surgery, Montefiore and Einstein. "I can confidently say that we owe this success to the efforts of various people—with particular recognition for Elyse Uppal, NP, our craniofacial nurse practitioner—who coordinated all of these specialists and raised our level of care to where it is today," he says.

The designation is based on six standards of care—including team composition, communication with families, cultural competence, psychological and social service, and outcomes assessments. "This designation recognizes the excellent collaborative care we provide, involving not only multiple providers, but also the families of our young patients," says Dr. Tepper.

Wear Blue Day kicked off Montefiore-Einstein's month-long campaign, the goal of which is to encourage the public and Montefiore associates to recognize the risks and prevent colon cancer. The Grand Hall at Moses was the scene of the event, with information and giveaways for the public provided by the departments of gastroenterology, radiology and oncology. Participants enjoyed nutrition talks, learned about colorectal cancer prevention, and had fun walking through the Rollin' Colon.

The third most commonly diagnosed cancer in the United States, colorectal cancer takes about 50,000 lives each year. The good news is that colorectal cancer is one of the few cancers considered highly preventable.

There is more to come during March as we work to build awareness about colorectal cancer. Keep your Colon Rolling, and visit www.montefiore.org/colorectalcancermonth for information about upcoming events.