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HWN Suggests

The Forgotten History of Head Injuries in Sports

Today, C.T.E. is the subject of furious controversy. Some of the debate has been stoked by researchers affiliated with the sports industry, who argue that we still don’t know for sure that head blows in football, hockey, soccer, or rugby can lead, decades later, to the dramatic mood problems, the personality changes, and the cognitive deterioration associated with C.T.E. These experts maintain that, before we rethink our relationship with these sports, we need scientific inquiries that meet highly rigorous standards—including longitudinal studies that would take fifty to seventy years or more to complete. In the meantime, millions of children and high-school, college, and pro athletes would…

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 Contact sports can contribute to chronic brain trauma. It’s time to face to up to it and address the risks

We are at the crossroads when it comes to addressing the issue of brain trauma in sport. Increasing numbers of athletes and their families are revealing their daily struggles resulting from a history of repetitive hits to their brains. Studies showing long-term impairments are also escalating concern in the community. Consequently, our major sports have responded, implementing and refining concussion protocols, cracking down on head-high hits and resting players for 11 to 12 days. Sports are now resolute in their mission to show the public that this issue is sorted. Done and dusted. Nothing to see here now. Let the games continue.

 Contact sports can contribute to chronic brain trauma. It’s time to face to up to it and address the risks

We are at the crossroads when it comes to addressing the issue of brain trauma in sport. Increasing numbers of athletes and their families are revealing their daily struggles resulting from a history of repetitive hits to their brains. Studies showing long-term impairments are also escalating concern in the community. Consequently, our major sports have responded, implementing and refining concussion protocols, cracking down on head-high hits and resting players for 11 to 12 days. Sports are now resolute in their mission to show the public that this issue is sorted. Done and dusted. Nothing to see here now. Let the games continue.

Articles of Interest

After Concussions, Athletes Are More Injury-Prone

College athletes were nearly twice as likely to suffer a serious knee, ankle or lower limb injury up to a year after a concussion compared with the previous 12 months, according to a study in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise.

An Introduction to Sports Concussions

Concussions are a major public health issue, and particularly so in the setting of sports. Millions of athletes of all ages may face the risks of concussion and repeat concussion.

Concussion and head trauma in contact sports to be examined by parliamentary inquiry

A federal parliamentary committee will examine concussion and repeated head trauma in contact sports, following unanimous support for the inquiry when it was tabled by Greens Senator Lidia Thorpe on Thursday. The push follows growing concern about chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, the neurodegenerative disease associated with repeated head trauma and concussion that has been increasingly linked to contact and collision sports.

Contact Sports, Brain Health, and Concussions: Answers to Parents' Top Questions.

All contact sports include the risk of concussion, from basketball to volleyball. In middle and high schools, concussions occur most frequently in football, soccer, and hockey.

CTE: The Hidden Risk of Playing Contact Sports

When playing sports, we focus on competition rather than the impact of repetitive injuries. Physical sports, like football, hockey, and boxing, have all been associated with CTE.

How Students' Brains Are in Danger on the Field

Recent research makes clear the drastic effects of head injuries on young athletes, and advocates are asking states and schools to do more.

International concussion guidelines must protect all athletes’ brains, not just professionals’

Imagine that you are the parent of an 11-year-old soccer player who dreams of competing in the Women’s World Cup one day. You want to support her love for the sport while keeping her safe from harm. You are particularly concerned about brain injuries in youth sports, so you look up information about concussion protocols online.

It’s Not Just Contact Sports: Youth Concussions Result from Broad Range of Activities

While the majority of concussions were related to sports and recreational activity (70 percent), 30 percent were due to non-sports and non-recreational mechanisms. Of importance, only 40 percent of all concussions were from contact sports.