A new study has found much higher rates of dementia in retired NFL players. Here is the link to the NY Times report on it: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/30/sports/football/30dementia.html?_r=1&th&emc=th
Evidence has been accumulating on this issue for several years, it will be interesting to see how it is handled by the NFL. Prior studies have also linked concussion to depression. This study was done by a pretty reputable group (Univ of Mich Institute for Social Research).
Of course this has implications for many children and adults who are injured in sports and other activities. I've heard from many school nurses who find that injuries on the field are being taken much more seriously than they had been previously.
Unfortunately I've also heard stories of children being knocked out (and not responsive) on the field who go back in to play after injury rather than going to be evaluated medically. It seems coaches, athletes, and parents need better education about the risks of 'playing through' an injury. Particularly given this new evidence.
The idea that football which already has a host of protective gear in use including helmets, has this problem is troublesome. How will we protect children and adult athletes from these injuries?
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The key to further injury prevention is coaching and parenting education about the risks of concussions in sports. It is recognizing symptoms of concussions the first time and immediately pulling our athletes out of the competition. Concussion prevention and awareness should become part of yearly coaching licensure programs, addressed at team meetings with parents regarding safety, and be included in team “no play” contracts. If you are a parent and are concerned about your child, as an athlete whose athletic career ended the day of my 6th major concussion, the best advice is have your child wear a mouth guard, doesn’t matter watch sport baseball, basketball and soccer, hockey or football. Mouth guards have only been shown to reduce the severity of concussions. There is no research to date that has shown professionally fitted dental mouth guards to be better, than hot water formed mouth guards, but often children who own mouth guards still get concussions because they are not wearing their mouth guards. The #1 reason for not wearing a water formed mouth guard is because it doesn’t fit properly. If your children are really into sports it is worth investing in a professionally fitted mouth guard, usually run $80-$150 without insurance, depending on your dentist.
ReplyDeleteLast piece of advice for coaches and parents, see new CDC website with lots of free information, DVDs, handouts, etc for information about concussion prevention in sports:
http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/tbi/CGtoolKit/Coaches_Guide.htm
Thanks for that information Hannah. I was curious, how do mouth guards help to reduce concussions?
ReplyDeleteHow Do Mouth Guards Help Reduce Concussions:
ReplyDelete"Forces delivered to the jaw bones will be transmitted on to the skull bones that surround a person's brain, thus producing the potential for concussion. A mouthguard can buffer these transmissions by way of partially absorbing and then also dispersing them. The theory is that this effect can lessen the intensity of the forces of the blow and therefore the likelihood that concussion will occur". http://www.animated-teeth.com/mouthguards/a1-mouth-guards.htm
See link to American Academy of Pediatric Denistry info about mouth guards, gives info about concussions, and a list of sports that should use them:
http://library.thinkquest.org/5029/guard.htm