In late April 2010, an NCAA panel recommended that all schools have a clear plan for what to do when a student athlete receives a head injury. The main issues are recognizing signs of mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI, also known as concussion), understanding the potential severity of every head injury, and deciding when the […]
Brain Injuries Plague College Football Read More »
Young athletes are suffering more and more sports injuries, everything from brain injury to broken feet. Of most concern is the increase in mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI), what used to be known as concussion. According to an article from the University of California, San Diego Health System: Sports concussions are especially problematic in those
Preventing Injuries in Young Athletes Read More »
According to a new report by the CDC, every year about 1.7 million people in the United States suffer traumatic brain injuries (TBI) every year, and more than 50,000 people die of their injuries. This study looked at injuries suffered during the 2002-2006 survey period. Compared to previous surveys, the incidence of TBI-related emergency hospital
More Brain Injuries Than Ever Read More »
University of Michigan researchers have reported that a simple test that measures reaction time can help detect and diagnose concussion in athletes. In the study, athletes were tested once at the beginning of their sport season—they had to catch a weighted cylinder dropped by their coach. Their reaction time was measured. Then, if one of
Is It Concussion? Simple Test Can Tell. Read More »
One of the world’s leading brain injury researchers recommends that children under age 18 should sit out of sports participation for three months after suffering a concussion. This statement was made by Dr. Bennet Omalu, co-founder of the Brain Injury Research Institute at West Virginia University, on February 1, 2010, while testifying at a House
Concussion Should Sideline Kids from Sports for 3 Months Read More »
On an early spring day not too many years ago, a friend was playing outfield in a corporate softball game. The ball was hit, and my friend scrambled backwards to snag it. He caught the ball, but lost his footing and fell backwards, hitting his head against the hard-packed earth. When he came to after
A Concussion by Any Other Name…is Dangerous Read More »
NFL football legend Scot Brantley took a lot of hard hits in his eight seasons as a star linebacker for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 1980s. Brantley is 51 now, and the hits are still coming—he believes his two strokes are the result of the concussion he suffered as a college senior. The NFL
Concussion Really is Traumatic Brain Injury Read More »
The debate regarding proper treatment and approach to concussions suffered by high school athletes rages on. The controversy concerns when it is appropriate to allow an athlete to return to the sport after suffering a concussion; some say the decision should be left to sports medicine specialists on the sideline, and others support a broad
Proper Treatment and Approach to Concussions Read More »
A recent international conference concluded that younger brains need restrictions on mental activity as well as physical activity to recover from concussion. The fact that teen brains are not fully developed may affect how quickly they recover. New protocols for concussion recovery stress “cognitive rest” that includes limits on schoolwork video games, and other mental
Young Brains Need Mental Rest to Recover from Concussion Read More »