Recent investigations of the long-term effects of suffering concussions during sport injuries uncovered correlations between the injuries and the negative mental effects that occur later in life.
Brian Injury
Second only to automobile accidents, sports injuries are the most likely cause of brain injuries. Researchers estimate that as many as 3.8 million brain injuries per year occur in sports. Younger men and teenagers that play sports have the highest risk of suffering a brain injury. For those between the ages of ten to nineteen who play high school or college football, about 5% to 10% will suffer a concussion each year.
Research
The research was a done at the University of North Carolina and the John Wayne Cancer Institute. They studied retired professional football players who had a history of concussions while they were playing the sport. The players chosen for the study had been retired for more than twenty years.
The study examined the incidence of cognitive dysfunction in the retired players, such as memory loss, comprehensive mental problems, and the incidence of Alzheimer’s, to determine if there was any correlation between concussions that occurred during a professional football career and mental impairment later in life.
The conclusions by the researchers showed that those players who experienced amnesia from a concussion were more likely to have cognitive dysfunction later in life, when compared to those that lost consciousness from having a concussion. This correlation with amnesia is useful information to help sports medicine physicians and football trainers decide whether a player should return to the field after a concussion and continue to play.
Preventative Measures
Physicians from a clinic for sports medicine in New Haven recommend taking measures to prevent brain injuries and close monitoring of young men and teenagers who suffer concussions while playing sports.
The Sport Concussion Prevention organization notes that it is not possible to substantiate the current claims by some sport equipment manufacturers that equipment such as helmets, mouth guards, and headbands prevent concussions. A concussion is like a bruise on the brain. The brain rides in fluid inside the skull. When there is a sudden impact to the skull, the brain hits the walls of the skull, on the inside, causing a concussion. No exterior protection is able to prevent this.
Nevertheless, the CDC notes that wearing the correct equipment in the proper way reduces the impact, even though it may not totally prevent a brain injury. Changes in practice methods and game rules are helping to reduce the number of concussions.
Summary
It is important to consult with a physician who works with sports medicine in
click here Haven after someone experiences a sport-related concussion in order to understand the potential long-term effects.
Tammy Bruce 