"[ATVs]
are inherently unstable
and their use results
in numerous injuries
annually in the United
States," report Michael
Finn, MD, and Joel MacDonald,
MD, from the University
of Utah in Salt Lake
City. They point out
that the wheelbase on
an ATV is short relative
to the height of the
vehicle and rider.
 |
| All-terrain
vehicle injuries.
|
Although
some efforts have been
made to increase safety,
including a ban on 3-wheeled
vehicles, injuries and
deaths continue to increase.
State regulations on
ATV use vary considerably,
and there is currently
no national legislation.
This
new study, published
in the October issue
of Neurosurgery,
focuses on ATV injuries
in Utah. In this state,
children as young as
8 years are allowed
to operate such vehicles
on public land, and
there is no legal helmet
requirement. Using multiple
databases, the researchers
identified close to
1500 patients injured
in just 5 years.
here
are advances in stroke
rehabilitation which significantly
assist stroke patients
in gaining mobility and
independence.
According
to the American Heart
Association, a stroke
occurs when a blood vessel
that carries oxygen and
nutrients to the brain
cannot get the blood and
oxygen it needs, so it
starts to die.
When
a person suffers a stroke,
it usually means altered
facial expressions and
loss of function on one
side of the body and sometimes
speech impairement, depending
on the area of the brain
that is affected.
Until
recently, it was believed
that once the brain was
injured, as in the case
of a stroke, the damage
was permanent. However,
recent studies have demonstrated
the plasticity of the
brain and its ability
to "re wire" itself after
injury.
Most
of the studies have determined
that this "re wiring"
of the brain comes as
a result of re learning
the lost functions through
increased and repetitive
use.
