Concussions
It’s part of the game...Until it’s you - Mario Manningham
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Can We Stop Caring About Concussions Yet?
Whether you are a professional athlete, weekend warrior, or something in between - a sports injury is likely to occur sometime in your lifetime. But without a doubt the biggest controversy in sport injuries, besides sudden death, drugs and spinal injuries is concussions. Just ask any parent with kids in contact sports. Then again, there's the NFL...
"Aren't we all sick of every sportswriter claiming that concussions and their effects mark an existential crisis for the NFL? Ennui is an existential crisis; grown men opting to play a game despite a risk to their health is existence. It's why we have ski slopes, sky-diving, bungee jumping, adult…
Resources
CONCUSSION INC.: The End of Football As We Know It
CONCUSSION INC. reveals the complete head injury saga as it coalesced into a sensational media narrative. Read about the NFL and WWE doctor who played fast and loose with the facts about the efficacy of the state-mandated concussion management system for high school football players. Discover that other highly touted solutions are also just self-serving cottage industries.
Think you have a concussion? The FDA says there's not an app for that.
All of the systems currently approved to help assess head injuries, like the imPACT test, which includes various cognitive and other tests performed on a tablet or computer, require the input of a medical professional.
C.T.E. Study Finds That Young Football Players Are Getting CTE
Wyatt was part of the first major study of chronic traumatic encephalopathy in athletes who died before turning 30. The findings present an uncomfortable truth for other football families: Even the young get C.T.E.
Concussion affects 1 in 10 youth athletes every year. Here’s what needs to change
Research has shown that rule changes, training strategies, equipment recommendations and legislation of evidence-informed management protocols can all help to prevent concussion and the recurrence of concussion in youth sport. Rule changes may be the low-hanging fruit in reducing the risk of concussion in youth sport.
Concussions make lasting changes to the brain, even after you feel fine
“The problem is those tests don’t seem to be very sensitive in the long run,” says study author Ravi Menon, director of the Centre for Functional and Metabolic Mapping at Western’s Robarts Research Institute in Ontario. “They return to normal quickly, but the MRI data shows the brain is still healing.”
Kids With Concussions Can Phase In Exercise, Screen Time Sooner Than Before
Their physician was following what, for almost a decade, has been the conventional wisdom on treating childhood concussions: Keep kids at home, keep them in a dark room with no screens and minimal stimulation, and ban any sort of physical exertion. But in light of recent research, this month the American Academy of Pediatrics updated its guideline for treating mild brain trauma, urging physicians and parents to let kids return to school sooner, and allow them to use electronics and ease back into physical activity after just a couple of days of rest.
My Concussion Taught Me Everything We Don't Know About Concussions
My head is broken—and the system is, too.
The Concussion Gender Gap: Why Girls Suffer More Head Injuries
Who is more likely to suffer a concussion playing high school sports, a female soccer player or a male football player? A new study, published in the journal Pediatrics, found that girls who play high school soccer are at nearly the same risk for traumatic brain injuries as boys who play high school football. In fact, concussion rates were higher among girls than boys in every high school sport. Despite the indisputable statistics, controversy still surrounds the exact reasons that girls suffer more concussions than boys.
This Helmet Will Save Football. Actually, Probably Not
At Stanford, David Camarillo chases the dream of a helmet that can prevent brain disease related to playing football. It’s filled with water. Really. Brain experts say he’s wasting his time.
Youth tackle football will be considered unthinkable 50 years from now
I would know — I’m a CTE expert and former college football player.
How to Save Football Players’ Brains
One simple rule change would solve much of the problem: Require the linemen to stand up.
Hits to the Head May Result in Immediate Brain Damage
When a teenager is hit in the head, his brain can begin to show signs, within days, of the kind of damage associated with degenerative brain disease, according to an unsettling new study of young men and head injuries. The findings, which also involve tests with animals, indicate that this damage can occur even if the hit does not result in a full-blown concussion.
Should I be worried about how many concussions I've had?
Assuming that we’re talking about your average concussion (as opposed to one that causes a long period of unconsciousness), the good news is that an isolated incident isn't likely to haunt you for life. With the right treatment, most will recover from a single concussion in anywhere from two to four weeks. But that doesn’t necessarily mean there are no longterm effects.
The 2-Minute Concussion Test Anyone Can Do
Fortunately, a new concussion test that takes just two minutes to perform can help. According to researchers at NYU Langone Medical Center, the King-Devick test is quick, simple and can be administered by any parent or coach. The study published in the Journal of Neuro-Ophthalmology was conducted on 243 athletes under age 17 (as well as 89 NCAA athletes).
The NFL's Helmet Tests Are Brainless
Opinion: Current testing on helmets ignores the kinds of impacts that cause most of the concussions. It’s time for football to wise up.
There's Still No Surefire Way to Diagnose a Concussion
Doctors can't even agree on what it is.
What a lifetime of playing football can do to the human brain
Doctors have learned a tremendous amount about concussions and chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, a degenerative brain condition believed to be caused by repeated hits to the head, since the first former NFL player was diagnosed with CTE in the early 2000s.
Wrap Your Head Around This
If you are not willing to run these risks for you or your child, then avoid contact sports.
A Stunning Hit
Josh Begley’s short film “Concussion Protocol” will change the way you watch football forever.
Concussion
Will Smith stars in Concussion, a dramatic thriller based on the incredible true David vs. Goliath story of American immigrant Dr. Bennet Omalu, the brilliant forensic neuropathologist who made the first discovery of CTE, a football-related brain trauma, in a pro player and fought for the truth to be known. Omalu’s emotional quest puts him at dangerous odds with one of the most powerful institutions in the world.
Concussion researchers spark hope with a new tool to diagnose brain damage
The stakes for this science are high. CTE is an incurable neurodegenerative disease that has been associated with everything from depression, anxiety, and aggression to progressive, Alzheimer’s-like dementia. So a diagnosis is not something to take lightly — and could be disastrous if gotten wrong.
Concussion Watch
FRONTLINE tracks officially reported head injuries in the NFL.
Concussion – the Invisible Injury
Concussions are difficult injuries for many reasons. Concussion is, to all intents and purposes, an invisible injury. Athletes have no obvious signs of being injured when recovering from a concussion, unlike a broken leg or a dislocated shoulder.
Concussion: doctor who fought NFL says 'no equipment can prevent' such injuries
With the release of a film telling his story, Bennet Omalu describes the process of discovery that led to clashes with the league – and how his own encounters with depression helped enhance his understanding.
Concussions and Sports: Can We Have One Without the Other?
Anybody can sustain a concussion, but those who engage in contact sports have an increased risk of repeated and serious concussions that can manifest as dementia in later life.
Concussions tied to more school problems than other injuries
High school and college students who get concussions may struggle more with academics than their peers who get other types of sports injuries, a small U.S. study suggests.
Concussions, Octopi and Sharks - Oh My!
Research points toward the early onset of dementia, CTE and other major health risks with repeated hits to the head. Just ask any former professional football player!
Effective Concussion Treatment Remains Frustratingly Elusive, Despite a Booming Industry
A growing industry has developed around concussions, with entrepreneurs, academic institutions and doctors scrambling to find ways to detect, prevent and treat head injuries. An estimated 1.7 million Americans are treated every year after suffering concussions from falls, car accidents, sports injuries and other causes.
Helmet Laboratory Testing Performance Results
The NFL, in collaboration with the NFLPA—through their respective biomechanical experts—coordinated laboratory testing on helmets that could be worn by NFL players...
High Schools Seek A Safer Path Back From Concussion
Nearly half of all reported sports concussions occur during a high school football game or practice. And even when injured bodies are ready to get back on the field, injured brains might not be ready to return to class. But how long should these student athletes be out of school?
League of Denial: The NFL's Concussion Crisis
FRONTLINE reveals the hidden story of the NFL and brain injuries.
Mamas, Don't Let Your Babies Grow up to be a Cowboy or a Canuck
Football is an exciting, violent sport. And, no offense to the Aussies and Canadians, so is rugby and hockey. Head related injuries have always been part of the game. But do they need to?
New sports concussion mantra: 'If in doubt, sit them out'
In a sign that experts are taking sports concussions more seriously, new guidelines released today suggest that players be pulled from games even if there is only a suspicion that there’s been a head injury. Further, updated American Academy of Neurology guidelines state that an athlete shouldn’t be allowed to return to play until a specialist gives the OK.
Rethinking the Next-Generation Helmet
Some of the cutting-edge ideas in the works to help reduce the risk of head-related injuries.
Revolutionary new ZERO1 football helmet may help NFL players reduce concussions
For more than half a century, football helmets have done a great job of preventing skull fractures, but they’ve been ineffective when it came to preventing concussions and protecting the brain. They just weren’t meant to do that.
Should My Child Play Football?
Life is filled with risks. It is the nature of the social enterprise. Football for youngsters may present many more risks than alternative activities, but when conducted in a manner that minimizes unnecessary risks, it should be consider a viable choice. Otherwise, we risk raising a generation weaned only on computer games and the Internet.
Simple Blood Tests for Rapid Concussion Diagnosis
Physicians need more than the question: “How many fingers am I holding up?”
Sports Culture Must Change to Reduce Head Injuries
Based on our research, we know that prevention is possible. We've made youth sports concussion one of our focus areas, but we can't solve this issue alone. All of us play a role in creating a culture of concussion safety.
The NFL Concussion Settlement Is Pure Evil
The story goes that the NFL concussion settlement is a historic victory for the players, but the facts show that the NFL is pulling off a historic con.
The Perilous Aftermath of a Simple Concussion
Susan Pinker on how a concussion was both a personal struggle for her and a catalyst to study a phenomenon still only partly understood.
The Science of Concussion and Brain Injury
How medicine, sports and society are trying to heal and protect the brains of millions amidst the growing awareness of the long-lasting effects of traumatic head injury.
Think Concussions Just Happen to Kids Playing Contact Sports? Think Again
It’s important for parents to understand that concussion risk is not limited to the boundaries of a playing field.
Thinking and Reading About Football and Head Injuries
Fourth Down and Inches is another example of the kind of book the Common Core State Standards want students to read. It is well-crafted, provocative, well-researched, and lays out the facts of the consequences and probability of brain injury vs the love of the game.
Three's A Charm - Aaron Rodgers
The National Institutes of Health has declared that we are in the midst of a "national epidemic" of concussions and head injuries involving both professional and amateur contact sports.
Welcome to the Concussion Industrial Complex
A public desperate for an answer to football's concussion crisis has become easy prey for the profiteers selling them snake oil.
Diary of a Concussion
It’s hard to understand a brain injury until you have one.
20% of Teens Report Having Had a Concussion
Those most likely to have a concussion were males in older grades who said they took part in competitive sports. While the study did not determine how the kids got their concussions, the authors report that about a third of teens participating in contact sports had been diagnosed with a concussion at some point.
Football helmets don’t prevent concussions. What can?
It's not exactly a secret that they make head injuries worse.
How to Fix Sports' Concussion Crisis
Once considered nothing more than boo-boos to spittle-spewing coaches everywhere, concussions are finally being acknowledged for what they are: contact sports' nastiest byproducts. The long-term effects of head injuries, particularly in retired football players, are proving to be absolutely terrifying.
Multiple Concussions May Have Sped Hemingway’s Demise, a Psychiatrist Argues
The troubled author may have suffered from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, the disease that plagues modern football players.
Playing With a Concussion Doubles Recovery Time
High school athletes who kept playing in the minutes after a concussion took nearly twice as long to recover as those who left the game immediately after the head trauma, a new study shows.
SL Interview: Dr. Robert Cantu Speaks Out About Concussions in Youth Sports
I think the number-one most serious misconception is that you have to be rendered unconscious to have suffered a concussion. More than 90 percent of athletic concussions occur without any loss of consciousness. There are 26 symptoms associated with concussions, and loss of consciousness is only one of those.
When to worry about a concussion
When it comes to concussions, most people don’t have to worry about the worst case scenario. Powerful head injuries and chronic blackouts from repeated pummeling or sports injuries inevitably lead to serious brain damage, yes, but most manage to avoid such constant concussions. But what about just one fist to the head? Or two helmet-denting tackles? When is it that cumulative concussions start to cause long-term trouble? It’s that line—or the lack of one—that makes parents, and even kids, nervous.
Can We Stop Caring About Concussions Yet?
Aren't we all sick of every sportswriter claiming that concussions and their effects mark an existential crisis for the NFL?
The Invisible Injury
My struggle to receive the proper care is the driving force behind this blog. Since it's launch, I've connected with hundreds of people with eerily similar experiences; too many people are fighting this battle when they don't have to be. I've shared my story with the hope that some of my experiences will help others struggling to understand their own injuries. While undergoing my own recovery I also co-founded a non-profit, Headway Foundation, with two of my peers to further educate and support individuals suffering from concussion, post-concussion syndrome and whiplash.
Complete Concussions
Complete Concussions is a global network of trained and experienced concussion clinicians here to help you get back to the things you love. Whether you need baseline concussion testing, a return to school, work, or sport strategy, or treatment for ongoing symptoms, we’re here to help.
Concussion Legacy Foundation
Solving the concussion crisis by advancing the study, treatment, and prevention of the effects of brain trauma in athletes and other at-risk groups.
Heads Up
Keeping children and teens healthy and safe is always a top priority. Whether you are a parent, youth sports coach, high school coach, school professional, or health care provider, this site will help you recognize, respond to, and minimize the risk of concussion or other serious brain injury.
Healing Heads
A teenager's journey through concussion recovery.
PINK Concussions
PINK Concussions is the FIRST EVER non-profit organization with a highly personal and urgent mission to improve the pre-injury education and post-injury medical care for women and girls challenged by brain injury including concussion incurred from sport, violence, accidents or military service. We are #pinkTBI.
Sports Concussion Resources
The American Academy of Neurology provides resources related to sports concussions for physicians, coaches, parents, and athletes.
SportsConcussion.com
To raise awareness that concussions are brain injuries and need to be taken seriously. The Brain Injury Alliance of New Jersey continues to be the leading source of accurate, current information about concussion and a system of support for those navigating through the concussion recovery process.
The Concussion Blog
An education and communication outpost from an athletic trainer's perspective.
My Post Concussion Syndrome
Hi, I'm Kate. I have had symptoms of post concussion syndrome since June 7, 2009. I'm trying to track my symptoms and vent at the same time. It has helped me to gain a better focus and understanding of what I'm going through. I really appreciate any advice or fellowship.
Parachute
General recommendations for concussion recovery include a short period of rest, followed by a gradual return to activity under the supervision of a medical professional. Caring for a concussion can involve a variety of treatments to manage symptoms and a team of health professionals, depending on the symptoms and how a person’s condition improves.
American Association of Neurological Surgeons
Even mild concussions should not be taken lightly. Neurosurgeons and other brain-injury experts emphasize that although some concussions are less serious than others, there is no such thing as a "minor concussion." In most cases, a single concussion should not cause permanent damage. A second concussion soon after the first one, however, does not have to be very strong for its effects to be deadly or permanently disabling.
Brain Injury Research Institute
At the Brain Injury Research Institute, our purpose is to study the short and long-term impact of brain injury in general, and specifically in concussions. We focus our attention on the development of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), and the physiological effects of this condition on the lives of CTE victims and their families.
BrainLine
In a nutshell, a concussion is a blow or jolt to the head that can change the way your brain normally works. Also called a mild traumatic brain injury, a concussion can result from a car crash, a sports injury, or from a seemingly innocuous fall. Concussion recovery times can vary greatly.
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