For generations our parents have been telling us to “just walk it off” or “rub some dirt in it”. However, recent studies have suggested that this may not be the best motto to go by for people today. With many competitive sports injuries and situations related to those injuries occurring, research is being conducted to explore what those injuries could mean for people in the future. The latest data has shown that concussions and brain injuries athletes in football and boxing have obtained have many of the same characteristics of Alzheimer’s Disease and other neurodegenerative diseases. In fact some of the same genetics that make people prone to developing Alzheimer’s Disease has been shown to increase the damage done and recovery time for the brain in athletes with similar genetics.
What does this mean for athletes in the future? Will more athletes need to be genetically tested to continue to play? As of right now, high school, college, and professional level sports have regulations in place for athletes when a concussion or other injuries occur. However, many times people overlook concussions or players feel so much pressure that they attempt to hide their injury in order to continue playing or get back to playing sooner. This competitiveness to play down injury, such as a concussion, could be the reason that many athletes continue to suffer mentally and emotionally after they are done playing a sport. However, is this not what we have been taught from a young age, to stop being a “baby” and get back into the game? Yet, the brain is such a delicate part of our bodies that needs time to heal. The complication in brain injury is it is less noticeable. You do not see swelling, bruising, or lacerations, like you do in other injuries. This makes brain injuries harder to detect and diagnose.
Yet, how does a concussion occur? A concussion can occur from a force hitting the body so hard as to cause the brain to slam into the walls of bones that make up the skull. As a result people have many cognitive signs and symptoms that show the physical damage the brain has undergone. Victims begin having troubles focusing, as well as performing academically, and have troubles with short-term memory retention. Repeated injuries can eventually cause the membrane that protects the brain, the blood brain barrier, to loose its protective ability. These injuries also cause the cell membranes of neurons to allow the transport of particles, ions, and so forth across without regulation. The crossing of these particles results in overexcitation of the neurons of the brain, increased risk of further brain damage, and sometimes neuronal death. As the neurons become compromised by the injuries sustained, similar characteristics found in neurodegenerative diseases, such as plaque build up and neuronal degeneration begin to appear.
Does this threat than have enough of an influence to change the way we play contact sports such as boxing or even eliminate them? At what point does enough become enough and we need to realize our limitations? These are many of the questions that athletic committees have to address and inform athletes of when deciding on rules and regulations for games. In fact the World Medical Association (WMA) suggested banning the sport of boxing altogether.
If we are increasing our risks of brain disease by participating in a sport, is that worth the pain and suffering it could potentially cause in the future? Do we simply continue to teach coaches, players, and family to understand the signs and symptoms of concussions and brain injury, while informing them of the consequences of not allowing the brain to fully heal? As our sports become more competitive and physical only time can tell what will happen to our athletes. Yet, we should look into the effects before it is too late. With so many health organizations pointing out the effects of such sport injuries, it becomes the responsibility of the athlete, as well as their family and coaching staff to become informed of the risk factors involved with each successive brain injury and determine the risk and benefit of continuing on.
Resources:
Blennow, K.; Hardy, J.; Zetterberg, H. The Neuropathology and Neurobiology of Traumatic Brain Injury. Elsevier Inc. Cell Press, 2012 Vol. 76, pp. 886-900.
The Deadly Truth About Concussions
