Head Cases: Horned Animals Damage Their Brains By Head-Butting Each Other Say Scientists

Scientists have found that horned animals like muskox or bighorn sheep that head-butt each other do not escape unharmed and can end up with concussion and other serious head traumas.

The results published in the journal Acta Neuropathologica may contradict the commonly-held belief that ramming animals do not suffer brain injuries and support the notion that studies on animals with brains evolutionarily similar to those of humans may help researchers understand and reduce traumatic brain injuries.

Scientists at Icahn Mount Sinai discovered hallmarks of TBI in muskox brains which had been treated with antibodies against phosphorylated tau protein. ( Hof lab, Icahn Mount Sinai, N.Y., N.Y./Zenger)