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Concussion inquiry essay
Issue of concussions
What are the effects of brain injury and concussions in sport
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A traumatic brain injury can be described as any blow to the head that disrupts the normal function of the brain. The most common type of mild traumatic brain injury is a concussion and is one of the leading injuries among athletes. A concussion is defined as several common presenting symptoms that incorporate clinical, pathological and biomechanical aspects.1 Signs and symptoms of a concussion include physical symptoms such as nausea, headache, vomiting, balance problems, dizziness, visual problems and hypersensitivity to light and noise. Cognitive symptoms commonly include increased concentration issues and feeling mentally foggy, forgetful, confused. Emotional symptoms include irritability, sadness and increased anxiety. Sleep symptoms …show more content…
Inclusion criteria in my study include male and female athletes with a minimum age of 14-15 (must be at least in high school). There will not be a maximum age, gender, sport or geographic limitation. Exclusion criteria include athletes that are younger than 14 years of age and people that have received a concussion not related to sports. I have chosen these specific criteria and topic as I have a personal, vested interest in this topic. In my senior season of collegiate soccer, I sustained a concussion which ended the season for me. I also experienced several short-term side effects which I believe I’ve properly recovered from. However, I’ve known many teammates that continued playing after receiving multiple concussions. Studies show that 5% to 10% percent of all athletes will suffer from a concussion while playing sports and for a female playing soccer the chance is 50%.1 These alarming statistics coupled with my personal experiences have inspired me to research sport induced concussions among both male and female …show more content…
developed a clinically relevant closed-head injury model using mice that paralleled the many signs, symptoms and long-term effects seen in athletes that suffer from concussions. Important components in this study included the presence of astrogliosis, neural injury and the long-term cognitive and pathological effects that were observed post-mortem. Increased immunoreactivity of p-tau 6 months after injury and a positive correlation of hyperphosphorylation and the pathological aggregation of tau in these rodent’s brains were also important findings. This correlation is significant because it is indicative of axonal injury which is a common feature of many neurodegenerative diseases. 6 CREB which is a cellular transcription factor that has been proven to have many implications in the long-term effects of receiving a concussion was also analyzed in this study. Mice that received multiple head injuries displayed reduced phosphorylation of CREB which ultimately promotes decreased neuronal survival, memory and cognitive functioning.” 6
Daneshvar et al. analyzed the characteristics and long-term effects of post-concussion syndrome, as well as concussions and their effects on behavior. They also studied contraindications to returning to play and their correlation with degenerative and motor neuron disease. This article used the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) which is the standard diagnostic tool used for epidemiology, health management and clinical studies
A concussion is defined as temporary unconsciousness caused by a blow to the head or a violent shock from a heavy blow. The force transmitted to the head causes the brain to hit the skull, which causes the brain to swell. The symptoms of a concussion can appear immediately after contact or they may subtle and may not appear right away. The symptoms of a concussion can vary in length. There are many different symptoms to a concussion: "Common symptoms after a concussive traumatic brain injury are headache, loss of memory (amnesia) and confusion" (Mayo). Other symptoms that may be involved with a concussion include loss of consciousness, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, slurred speech, and fatigue. There are also symptoms that may not occur immediately, but may be delayed hours or days after. These symptoms include difficulty concentrating, sensitivity to light, and sleep disturbances. An athlete should ...
Moser, R. S., Schatz, P., & Jordan, B. D. (2005). Prolonged effects of concussion in high school athletes. Neurosurgery, 57(2), 300-306.
Head trauma can lead to brain disorders and mental health issues. One in three former NFL players have had five or more concussions and three in four still suffer symptoms today (Jenkins and Maese, 6). A study shows that NFL football players who have sustained three or more concussions are five times more likely to develop mild cognitive impairment- a condition connected to neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s (Hadhazy, 1). NFL football players who were surveyed who had sustained three or more concussions were three times more likely to develop clinical depression compared to other players who had not suffered concussions (Hadhazy, 1). Nine in ten former NFL players reported suffering from concussions during their career, six in ten players reported having three or more concussions, and two in three of the former players who had concussions said they...
McKee, A.C., Cantu, R.C.,Nowinski, C.J., Hedley-Whyte, T., Gavett, B.E., Budson, A.E., Santini, V.E., Lee, H.S., Kubilus, C.A., Stern, R.A. Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy in Athletes: Progressive Tauopathy After Repetitive Head Injury. 2009. Boston, MA: Neuropathology Neurol.
Not many sports are as physically demanding on the human body as football. The physical toll that football players pay is almost impossible to comprehend unless one has actually played the sport for a significant amount of time. However, until recently any connection between the hits taken by football players and their health down the road was largely ignored. A common, yet difficult injury to detect in football is a concussion, the most common traumatic brain injury (Pearce). A concussion is defined as “a brain injury that is caused by a sudden blow to the head or the body. The blow shakes the brain inside the skull, which temporarily prevents the brain from working normally” (Heiner pa.5). Reports and studies have surfaced shedding light on just how much damage is inflicted upon the brain due to crippling hits. These studies suggest that NFL athletes who received concussions suffered lasting damage to the brain, which opens the gate to a multitude of other health issues such as dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and clinical depression (Pearce). This is an aspect of the game that not many are aware of and it is a serous issue that needs to be dealt with sooner rather than later. There have been too many heartbreaking stories such as that of Justin Strzelcyk who heard voices and died in a crash while fleeing police or that of Andre Waters who shot himself in the head after struggles with depression (Zarda pa.1). Many current and former players are suffering in silence; this shouldn’t be the case. The National Football League needs to extend a hand to former players debilitated by head injuries. The problem of concussions and other head injuries in the NFL is one that needs to be tackled head on.
Herring, Stanley A., and Kathleen R. Bell. "Youth Sports Concussions, An Issue of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Clinics." Google Books. Ed. George H. Kraft, MD,MS. Elsevier Health Sciences., Nov. 2011. Web. 08 May 2014. .
According to The Mayo Clinic, “the most common symptoms of a concussion are headache or pressure in the head, confusion or feeling foggy, appearing dazed, fatigue and delayed response to questions.”
Football is America’s favorite sport. It is a fast-paced, hard-hitting game. Every week thousands of men and boys all across the country take part in football and every week these men and boys receive violent hits during the game. Frequently, as a result of these violent hits, the player receives a concussion. However, the long-term effects of concussions on players are not fully understood. New research shows that even a slight concussion in a football game can have lasting effects on a player. As a result of this research, children under the age of fourteen should not play tackle football.
Recreational athletes, competitive athletes, high school athletes, college athletes, and professional athletes all have one thing in common: the risk of a concussion. It's impossible to go a season without one athlete from a team receiving a concussion. The more that these concussions are studied, the more we learn about them, such as their detrimental effects on athletes. Because of the risk of health issues and death that come with concussions, doctors, coaches, athletic trainers, and lawmakers are stepping in to protect athletes of all levels from receiving concussions. Concussions occur time after time throughout different sporting events and many are familiar with the word concussion, but what really is a concussion?
"A concussion is a type of brain injury. It 's the most minor form. Technically, a concussion is ashore loss of brain function in response to a head injury” (Concussion). Concussions are the least severe of all brain injuries. In addition, a concussion is a temporary loss of brain function because of the impact to the head. This injury could happen anywhere all that would be needed is an impact to the head. More often than not, people think that concussion only happen in sports. However, these injuries could occur in real life situations such as: "A concussion is a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), often sustained in sports, falls, motor vehicle accidents, assault, and other incidents. Concussion cannot be seen on CT or MRI scans, but it’s a very real brain injury” (Cornell). Concussions are a moderately traumatic brain injury. This injury often happens during sports, falling, and car accidents.
Through sports or through everyday life, concussions tend to happen. An estimated 300 000 sport-related traumatic brain injuries, predominantly concussions, occur annually in the United States. Sports are second only to motor vehicle crashes as the leading cause of traumatic brain injury among people aged 15 to 24 years. (U.S National Library of Medicine). Coaches and parents often do not go through the right procedures or protocols when dealing with a teenager who has received a blow to the head. The usual questions that are asked when there is a head injury are, “what day is it, what’s the score, and how many fingers am I holding up?” Now these are not poor questions, but these questions alone cannot determine if a person has suffered a concussion. The correct method, which they are now implementing in most professional sports leagues, is for anyone with a head injury to take a legitimate concussion test performed by the team doctor. (WebbMD) At present the symptoms can be hit or miss. After receiving a concussion, research shows that an “estimated 80 to 90% of concussions heal spontaneously in the first 7 to 10 days”. (Barton Straus) But, it is important to remember not to return until all symptoms are
There are many theories regarding the mechanism of concussion but the precise mechanism is still not clear-cut. It is known that concussion is a clinical syndrome of neurological impairment that results from traumatic biomechanical forces transmitted to the brain that can occur either directly to the brain or indirectly to the brain. (5) To further explain the term concussion, it is important to know that it is a change in brain function following a force to the head, which may be accompanied by temporary loss of consciousness but is identified in conscious individuals with measures of neurologic and cognitive dysfunction. (6)
The majority of teens who had encounter a concussion are due to sports. A concussion is a pathophysiological process that impacts the brain, typically caused by a trauma to the brain. Concussions are mainly caused by bumps, falls which makes the head move rapidly back and forth, or by a jolt. The brain is a 3 pound organ floating inside the skull. It’s surrounded by a cerebrospinal fluid, which shocks when its impacted. When the brains starts to move rapidly inside the skull, a concussion has taken place. One common cause is a direct hit to the head. The force makes the brain hit the inside of the skull. When the brain starts to slow down, it hits the other side of the inner skull. The other common scenario is a rotational concussion. This happens when the brain rotates from one side to another. As a result, the brain tissues are strained and sheared. In both cases, fragile neural pathways can be damaged, creating neurological disruption. Scientists suggest if an athlete has already experienced a concussion before, they’re 1-2 times more likely to have a second; 2-4 to have a third; and 3-9 to have a fourth. Surprisingly, research has shown females are more likely to have a concussion, and experience more symptoms compared to males. In addition, women take longer to recover than men. Concussions have shortterm and longterm consequences, or in some cases death.
Concussions and the effect they have on people ranging from the young to the old has become a very popular discussion in recent years. Generally people watch sports for entertainment and then there are those who engage in high impact sports from a very young age on. The people at home know how fun playing in a sport is, however they may not know the brutal consequences for some participating in that sport. Injuries to the brain are a main concern among those in the world of high impact sports. Football, soccer, wrestling, lacrosse, and rugby are among sports that athletes receive injuries in. The injuries vary from sprains, to fractures, to torn MCL or ACL, and bruised organs. Concussions are a severe type of injury endured by athletes in the sports world and this life changing injury is one that people are becoming more aware of.
In light of the recent fights I have seen in the boxing world, MMA and UFC, I decided to take a more in depth look into brain injuries in these types of sports. I see these sports as very dangerous ones and cannot even begin to comprehend how many people are willing to put their bodies through such torture. It has always been held that the brain is a very delicate and complex tissue of the body. From there departs all instructions that regulate the functions of the organism. More so it contains the chemical processes that make up our intelligence which in tail constitutes our personality. How can humans be so irrational as to develop a sport that consists in literally damaging the miracle organ that is the brain!