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Concussions

Dillon Kelly

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The Issue• Advancements are continuing to develop within

neurology on the subject of concussions and athletic departments, coaches, nurses, etc. are being informed about concussions

• There still remains one LARGE issue that is not being addressed. The issue consists of not spreading concussion prevention and awareness to student-athletes.

The Issue Continued

Most student-athletes not well informed about concussions and their severity, unless a personal search is performed.

With technological advancements (especially television because young adults tend to watch a large portion of it) student-athletes should be getting necessary information on concussions.

Instead they are being shown commercials lacking any useful information for a student-athlete about concussions. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v

=m3iE6Jnh8jU&feature=related

For those who do not know….

Concussion is defined as a complex pathophysiological process affecting the brain, induced by traumatic biomechanical forces (Toledo).

Concussion may be caused either by a direct blow to the head, face, neck or elsewhere on the body with an “impulsive” force transmitted to the head (Toledo).

Symptoms may include: headache, vomiting, confusion, fatigue, dizziness, loss of consciousness etc.

Have You Ever Seen How Concussions may be

caused?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NNT8lhqbPw

The force behind each hit, can create serious brain injuries towards players.

Awareness of concussions is the key to safety amongst players within sports because they are the ones who can apply concussion preventive measures on the field.

So What’s the Big Deal?

Without proper treatment of concussions, these traumatic brain injuries may lead to more dangerous brain injuries Second Concussion Syndrome- results from not allowing a

first concussion to heal, and receiving another concussion. This can be fatal (Cobb and Battin).

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy is a degenerative brain disease that results in behaviors similar to Alzheimer’s disease (AD). http://www.sportsmd.com/articles/id/44.aspx

Also studies have shown a correlation between concussions and suicide due to the long-term mental cognitive damage inflicted through a concussion (Engberg and Teasdale)

Concussion Rates Increase among Young Adults

There are an estimated 1.6 and 3.8 million sports-related concussions in the United States every year.

At least one player sustains a mild concussion in nearly every American football game.

There are approximately 67,000 diagnosed concussions in high school football every year.9

According to research by The New York Times, at least 50 youth football players (high school or younger) from 20 different states have died or sustained serious head injuries on the field since 1997

http://www.momsteam.com/health-safety/concussion-rates-high-school-sports#ixzz2BbKydyZ2

Statistics

Concussion Rates Increase among Young Adults

Continued..

An example of young athletes is apparent in the following article, which reveals the horrific increase of concussions amongst the youth. http://www.boston.com/sports/football/2012/10/20/one-pop-warner-game-results-five-concussions/nkJydxoAsEGOF0jPjimtWK/story.html

Coaches and players must make a change in order to prevent future concussions and avoid any possible long-term brain damage that can be sustained from concussions.

Preventive Measures

Equipment Protective headgear and helmets decrease the

potential for severe TBI after a collision by reducing the acceleration of the head on impact, thereby decreasing the brain-skull collision and the sudden deceleration-induced axonal injury.

Helmets consist of absorbing foam on the inside, and mouthpieces are necessary as well.

Although the new advanced equipment may not prevent concussions completely, they help lower the chance of receiving a concussion.

Preventive Measure continued..

Playing Techniques Learning proper playing techniques

that emphasize "keeping the head out of the game" is the best defense.  Youth hockey and football camps around the country are beginning to teach these techniques in order to reduce the number of concussions.  Some high schools and colleges have eliminated contact practices several days a week or completely, saving potential head impacts for games.   

http://www.sportsconcussions.org/ibaseline/education/prevention.html

What to do if a concussion is sustained

Tests include- EEG, CT Scan, and MRI

Rest is the best medicine in concussion cases although the amount of res varies on the severity of the concussion Rest can last from one day to

weeks to months

Necessary Steps to Take

Coaches and athletic departments must sit down their players and discuss the severity of concussions in order to better protect the players and allow the players to have an opportunity to protect themselves.

With an increase in player’s knowledge of concussions, there will be a decrease in concussion rates among young adults.

Works Cited

All pictures contain hyperlinks, which will transfer to the website.

Toledo, Esteban et al. “The Young Brain and Concussion: Imaging as a Biomarker for Diagnosis and Prognosis.” Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews 36.6 (2012): 1510-1531. EBSCO Host. 29 September 2012.

Cobb, Sarah and Barbara Battin. “Second-Impact Syndrome.” The Journal of School Nursing

20.5 (2004): 262-267. EBSCO Host. 22 September 2012