Cobbers on the Brain – Page 184 – Student Commentary on the Neurological Sciences

The Ups and Downs of Bipolar Disorder Treatments

Posted on November 11, 2012 by / 7 Comments

Are the costs of bipolar disorder treatment outweighing the benefits? The current treatment methods involve Lithium drugs for these psychoactive treatments. They have been found to suppress the extreme swings in mood involved in bipolar disorder, and lessen the emotional suffering in patients as well. At the same time, scientists are not even completely sure what is the root cause of bipolar disorder and what is neurologically occurring in the brain. Lithium psychoactives activate a huge range of pathways in your brain, one of which involves treating bipolar disorder. The long-term deficits of these drugs involve extreme amounts of weight gain in a rapid timeframe, with other effects still being investigated. Do these effects outweigh their treatment benefits?
This week we saw a great deal of discussion on the symptoms of bipolar disorder and what current treatments have to offer. Bipolar disorder is defined as a psychological disorder contrasting between periods of deep depression and manic excitement. While most manic episodes, patients deny having symptoms and experiencing problems, the suffering in depressive episodes is clear and more detrimental. Any treatment of depressive symptoms is typically viewed as a huge improvement and of extreme benefit. Patients experience fewer depressive episodes and they are less severe. This is also true of the manic episodes. Treatments involve therapy and psychoactives in combination or isolation. Therapy alone does not typically help enough so drugs are used additionally. Psychoactives drugs like Lithium have been fairly effective in treatment of the disorder itself, but scientists still don’t know what it is affecting in the brain, and this is where the trouble in treatments comes along.
The malefic of drug treatment options is disconcerting because, aside from suppressing swings, no one knows what else will go wrong in your brain and cause long-term side effects. The most well understood side effect of psychoactives is weight gain. I looked more specifically into it this week and found that psychoactive drugs activate a histamine receptor in your brain. This activation creates a lot more AMPK than normal, leading to a huge increase in desire to eat. As a result, patients are consuming much more food than normal; weight gain in young patients was as much as 18 pounds in 11 weeks worth of time. This is a shocking amount to consider when you realize that most patients will be on these drugs for the rest of their lives, and they will be gaining weight at these rates for their life. Effects of this weight gain include type II diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, etc associated with obesity. Now, the drugs that are supposed to improve your mood and overall quality of life are causing you to eat more than ever before and lead to a much shorter life span due to such huge, no pun intended, weight gains. The current question patients must ask themselves is whether or not they are willing to gain 50 pounds and shorten their life expectancy to lead a normal life, or suffer emotionally while maintaining a normal body weight. The answer is not clear or evident in the least. The tradeoffs of each are significant and raise the question of quantity of life or quality of life. If you were a patient, you must ask yourself, do the effects of treatment outweigh their benefits?

Health/Hot topics

Concussions and Advances in safer Helmets

Posted on November 6, 2012 by / 1 Comment

This past week in class we discussed the neurological complications of concussions. The most common occurrences of concussions occur in sports, specifically football and soccer. In fact, last year during the preseason and regular season of the NFL a total number of 217 concussions occurred. Add into this fact the numerous concussions which arise in high school and college sports the number of concussions is drastically high. Concussions are caused by a blunt impact to the head. This blunt impact interrupts the brain’s “wiring” so to speak. A concussion disturbs the normal function of neurons.
First, it is important to note that in order for a signal to be sent from the brain there must be an action potential. Action potential is the sudden rise or fall of charge within the membrane of a neuron. Now it might sound odd to say that there is charge within our cells but this charge is not like static electricity. This charge is present in the form of metal ions such as calcium or potassium inside and outside the cell. A concussion causes a depolarization of the neurons, which means that the charge housed in the cell is higher than its natural state. This causes a massive influx of calcium into the neuron. The overabundance of calcium causes potassium to be pumped outside the neuron. Due to the exchange of these ions from the outside and inside of the neuron, signaling is interrupted by a concussion.
A major complication with concussion is the state of hypoglycolysis it induces. Hypoglycolysis is a state in which cells are deprived of sugar, glucose. Without an adequate supply of energy, glucose, cells begin to die. This apoptosis of neurons is the cause of permanent damage that can result from concussions. Another complication is restricted blood flow to the brain or specific parts of the brain. This is also known ischemia, which can result in unconsciousness, stroke, and cell death.
Because of the risks associated with concussions there has been numerous research studies on improving helmets for sports and recreation. I recall the 2010 NFL season when Aaron Rodgers received multiple concussions and he appeared games later with a new helmet. That got me thinking if helmet technology alone would be enough to prevent concussions. The only problem with improving the strengths of helmets is that they can become dangerous weapons for football players. Football players could obtain the notion that, because they have an impermeable helmet, they themselves are invincible and will have less regard for the safety of their heads. Therefore, I think alternatives to helmet research would be a viable options.

One example of this alternative helmet is the invisible bicycle helmet. This “helmet” was developed by a company called Hövding. There research developed an inflatable “helmet” which is hidden in a collar which looks like a scarf. Upon a bicycling accident, such as hitting a curb and flipping your bike, the collar would activate and releases the airbag like helmet. The helmet bursts out of the collar and balloons around your head creating a protective cocoon. Although they developed the invisible bike helmet for use with bicycles only, I’m confident that sometime in the future this technology can be expanded beyond bicycles and can be applied to contact sports.
Here is a link to the Hövding website:
http://www.hovding.com/en/how
Here are two videos: One explaining Hövding and their development of the Invisible Bike Helmet and the other shows a demonstration of the helmet on a crash test dummy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3S62ZtyiRg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tn65Bows0Ws
References:
http://theconcussionblog.com/2012/01/10/2011-concussion-report-end-of-regular-season/
Pictures courtesy of Google Images

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Concussions: a Silent Killer

Posted on November 5, 2012 by / 0 Comment

In full contact sports around the world, there is one word that can strike fear into the minds of hopeful athletes, concussion. Having hearing the phrase “You have a concussion” the average athlete will probably be overcome with sadness as this means they should sit out for a game or two. When it comes to the science behind concussions, what really is happening?
Concussions first start with a blow to the head causing stretching of the brain cells. Once this happens, the neurons start a release of neurotransmitters which will signal for a release of potassium from the cell. In a normal cell, the potassium concentration is much greater on the inside, so after the concussion, the cell tries to reestablish this norm and consumes a great amount of energy bringing the potassium back into the cell. Because the cell uses so much energy, it tries to counter that by increasing metabolism in your body to replenish it which will eventually lead to lactate accumulation, calcium influx, and cell death.
As stated before, concussions are a large problem in sports. Athletes will often receive minor concussions and continue to play even though if they get injured again they could undergo even more serious side effects. The question then becomes, should we have federal regulations as to how long a player has to sit out after a concussion? Although this may seem like a harsh rule, I believe it should be followed, at least until we have developed a better treatment for concussions. Before you get mad, hear me out. Although professional football players may have a relatively short recovery time compared to a high school or college athlete, I feel they should still have to sit out the same amount of time. This is attributed to the fact that most lower level sports players idolize the professionals and will want to take after them in every way they can. This is not a good thing in this case as the younger players are still in a brain development state and if they return to play too early, there could be serious consequences. This regulation would also eliminate any “gray area” and require everyone to sit out the same amount of time. In my opinion, this would be the best solution to the problem. People don’t realize this severity of a concussion and I feel that this minor regulation would allow for more people to open their eyes to this problem.
Another possible solution to the concussion problem would be to have greater emphasis and training before the season starts to make people aware of concussions. One big problem is people don’t realize how severe these can be and just a little team meeting before the season with a “scare tactics” video may make players more aware of the problem and perhaps fix two things. One, they would be aware of the severity and perhaps be more willing to sit out after an injury and two, they would be more aware and perhaps play less violently and lower the number of cases around the nation.
As you can see, concussions are attributed to major blows to the head which can cause serious brain issues in your life. In sports, many players shrug off concussions and go right back to play. I feel that the enforcement of a minor regulation on sports leagues would help people open their eyes to concussions allowing them to play safer and if they do get a concussion, be more willing to sit out for a game or two.

Health/Hot topics

Concussions Are Sort of a Big Deal. We Should Do Something About Those.

Posted on November 5, 2012 by / 0 Comment

Concussions are fairly common and inexpensive with the treatments we currently use (some good old rest and relaxation); as a result, it is often hard to see them as a serious injury. A broken bone causes a lot of pain and hubbub, having to get a cast and waiting months for it to heal – it’s a very apparent injury with constant reminders that something’s damaged. Considering the attention it demands, most people would probably consider a broken bone much more severe than a concussion. Although brain damage via concussion is much less apparent, it is a very serious matter, possibly resulting in decreased cognitive capacity or, in extreme cases, death. The brain is the most sensitive and vital organ we have, so the importance of its health and protection makes all others pale in comparison, even though the bills for other injuries might suggest otherwise. The question then becomes: how do we best spend our efforts to deal with injuries like concussions – in prevention or treatment?

I’ve always thought that a concussion was just bruising of the brain (which is actually a contusion), but there’s a lot more to it than some burst capillaries. Immediately following the hit to the head in a concussion, a number of things happen rapidly to offset homeostasis in the brain. Neuronal membranes are disrupted, causing the opening of K⁺ channels, depolarizing the neuron. Depolarization causes a random release of glutamate which binds to NMDA receptors that allow Ca²⁺ to flow into the cell and more K⁺ to flow out of the cell, depolarizing it even more. At this point there is a major imbalance in K⁺ concentration, which is far from homeostasis; to counter this, ion pumps in the membrane are activated to pump Na⁺ and K⁺ back into the cell. This requires energy, however, so glycolysis goes into overdrive to convert glucose to ATP to power the pumps. After brain trauma, oxidative metabolism performed by the mitochondria is also impaired, leading to reduced ATP production, calling for an increase in glycolysis. All of this glycolysis is producing a giant amount of lactate, which can induce increased cellular acidity, membrane damage, altered blood brain barrier permeability, and cerebral swelling, all leading to neuronal dysfunction and possible cell death, all characteristic of concussion.
Looking at the prospect of treatment, not only would the treatment have to be administered within minutes of occurrence, some very influential processes would have to be altered, which always worries me – either glycolysis would have to be shut off (and considering its importance to all life processes, this is likely not a great option) or the ion channels controlling K⁺ and Ca²⁺ flow would have to be blocked. Ion channel blockers have been identified and used, but they have produced mixed results and many, if not all, of them have a list of possible negative side effects as long as my arm, ranging from headaches to death. At that point, I’d rather take my chances with the concussion.

Now imagine each of these mug shots is a side effect. That’s a lot of side effects.

Prevention of concussion would solve the problem right then and there. Most of the concussion incidents in our society are due to sports, a setting that can be regulated to greatly control its occurrence. The issue here is that the game would be altered to such a degree that some would question whether it’s worth playing anymore. The point of competition is to give your all against the other team and whoever comes out on top had more to give and was therefore the better competitor. Forcing people to hold back would destroy the point, although the importance of health versus a game seems like an obvious choice. I guess the bottom line is, people still know the risks and put their health on the line anyway; who’s to tell them they can’t?
To choose sides, I tend toward treatment, but with a twist; I think researchers should focus on developing reliable methods for diagnosing concussions so people can know their risks with repeated injury, and any available treatment can be administered to an appropriate degree for the extent of the concussion. Overtreatment with ion channels can be an issue because homeostasis is usually the goal, so going too much in the opposite direction can swing one’s system into an equally problematic state. However, in the end, each option is complicated and has its positive and negative aspects – there may be no ideal answer. What do you think is the best route?

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Head Shot: Football and Concussions

Posted on November 5, 2012 by / 1 Comment

The paper we read for this week takes us down to the basic mechanism of concussions, and by investigating the neurometabolic changes the authors try to find the relationship between these changes and sports related issues. Since I have no personal experiences with concussions, I decided to seek help from the internet in order to find some Inspirations to write this blog. And luckily, one of my favorite TV programs, Sport Science by ESPN, did a sector on the topic, NFL Concussions and helmet to helmet collisions. Although this video was filmed over two years ago, I find it still fits perfectly with the recent controversial topic of sports and concussions, especially in the NFL.
Earlier in the year, some former NFL players filed lawsuits against the league for repeated traumatic injuries to their heads. As of today, the number of the total players (both recent and former) in these lawsuits has snowballed to nearly 3000. Although personally I do not believe they have a strong case, but since I am a science student not an expert in law, it is more appropriate for me to just dive into the science part of the issue.
After a traumatic head impact, the excitatory amino acids (EAAs) are accidentally released from the pre-synaptic neurons, which then bind to the NMDA receptors located on the post- synaptic neurons. Upon the activation of the NMDA receptors, the efflux of potassium and inﬂux of calcium leads to neuronal depolarization. And since our body would like to restore the normal cell potential, the ATP requiring sodium potassium pumps in the cell will work overtime causing the “hypermetabolism” and eventually an energy crisis. The researchers suggest that the energy crisis is a likely mechanism for postconcussive vulnerability, making the brain less able to respond sufficiently to a second injury and potentially leading to longer-lasting deﬁcits such as impaired coordination, attention, memory, and cognition. According to the Sport Science video, over 100,000 concussions occur at all levels of football field alone every year, and 60% of these results from head to head collisions. In the NFL, the average speed of the collision is 20 miles per hour, and a player’s head could experience nearly 190Gs of force in just 0.015 seconds. Even with improved technology, helmets could only reduce an 80G collision in half, which is still more than enough to cause a concussion.
All these facts only suggest that concussions and physical sports such as football go hand in hand. With proper care, most concussive patients are able to fully recover from mild concussions. But most people (including the players) sometimes underestimate the damages of repeated concussions and therefore result in permanent damages. After all, no matter what the outcomes of the lawsuits turn out to be, I believe the lawsuits themselves are positive. Because they have successfully raised the awareness of the importance of concussion care of the general public, and more importantly, the youth and adolescent players who see the NFL players as idols.

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Concussions: What are they and why are they so dangerous?

Posted on November 5, 2012 by / 0 Comment

Crash! Bang! “What a hit!” On Sunday every weekend during the fall, football catches our attentions with big, powerful hits between opposing teams. On occasion, players are assisted off the field under suspicion of suffering a head injury from such a hit. More often than not, the announcer informs you that the player will not be returning to the game due to concussion-like symptoms. In the case of my grandpa, this generally prompts an angry outburst followed by a comment about how “in the old days” men use to play through such injuries. I do agree with my grandpa that it does seem like there was less concern about concussions in the past than today. So why are concussions such a hot topic in football today? Why are players not allowed to return to finish the game?
Before I begin to answer these questions, it is best to understand what a concussion is. Concussions are a type of traumatic injury caused by a hit to the head or body, a fall, or another injury which results in jarring or shaking of the brain inside the skull.¹Some common symptoms include confusion, disorientation, dizziness, headaches, unsteadiness, and vision problems.² Concussions are generally associated with sports, but they can occur in daily activities as well. You are probably saying, “but why are they so dangerous?”
First, we need to understand what happens to the brain immediately following a concussion. After receiving a concussion, there is an increased concentration of calcium ions due to increased signaling in the brain, leading to stress on the neurons. Increased calcium concentrations can lead to stress on neurons as a result of calcium accumulation. One downside of calcium accumulation is that it slows down energy production by interfering with mitochondria in the cells. Additionally, when a concussion occurs, there is a disruption in the brain’s ability to regulate potassium ions inside and outside the cell. Normally potassium ions have a high concentration in the nerve cells so after a concussion the brain tries to restore this concentration gradient by causing the ion pumps in the brain to work overtime. Therefore, the brain requires extra energy (ATP) to run these pumps longer, leading to an energy shortage. The increased potassium and calcium ion concentrations greatly limit the body’s ability to produce enough energy to support the brain cells. It takes many days until these ions return to their normal concentrations.
If enough time is given for the brain to return to normal, there seems to be little or no lasting neurological conditions from concussions. However, the lasting effects from concussions appear to occur when someone gets another concussion before the first one is fully healed. According to the research paper, the brain is most vulnerable to lasting damage when it is working overtime producing energy to recover from the first injury. When there is a second concussion, the brain may not be able to produce enough energy to support the repair process for both the first and second concussions. The result is irreversible damage to the brain. Therefore, the injured NFL players are not allowed to return to the game because the NFL is trying to protect the players from a second concussion and thus permanent brain damage.

Sources:
1) http://www.webmd.com/brain/tc/traumatic-brain-injury-concussion-overview
2) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC155411/pdf/attr_36_03_0228.pdf

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Concussion Repercussions

Posted on November 4, 2012 by / 0 Comment

“You are supposed to be tough. You are supposed to play through pain. You are not supposed to cry. We are taught that early on in the game as kids. Tough sport. Brutal sport. It’s like the gladiator. People want to see the big hits. They wind up on Sports Center. And as a player, you don’t want to admit you are injured.” -Hall of Fame running back Eric Dickerson
American football is one of most watched sports in the United States. One might even say it is a symbol of the country. I know it is my favorite sport to watch. I love the intensity of the game, the competitiveness, the strength and courage of the players, and I too love the “big hits”. But I am just a spectator. I am not the player. Although I might cringe when I see a big hit, my life is not affected by its outcome. What are the outcomes? Sometimes it’s a minor injury, while other times it’s a serious one. And sometimes it’s a concussion.
Strong impact to the brain jolts the brain from position and causes the brain to experience a blunt force at the sight of impact and an opposing force on the other side of the head. The sudden force causes the axon of the neurons in the brain to stretch. Ultimately, a concussion results from an increase in activity of excitatory amino acids (glutamate) as well as an influx of calcium ions and efflux of potassium in the neuron. This shift leads to changes in neuronal physiology. Na+-K+ pumps need to work over time in order to restore calcium and potassium concentrations back to normal. The Na+-K+ pump requires energy to function (in the form of ATP), which is obtained through the metabolism of glucose. Thus, when a Na+-K+ pump needs to work harder to restore ion concentrations, the pump demands more energy, and glucose metabolism is increased. Hypermetabolism puts the cell in an energy crisis, which makes the cell vulnerable to a second injury and increases the time necessary for full recovery. Allowing time to recover is imperative for a concussed brain to heal. In fact, repeated injuries occurring within a time frame that doesn’t allow for the brain to recover leads to larger anatomical and behavioral impairments in the brain in the long run.
As scientists have become more aware of the dangers that concussions present to players, ethical questions are raised. Should players be allowed to participate in a sport that has the potential of being so detrimental? Is it a person’s right to participate in activities that have proven to be risky? Are parents putting their children in danger by enrolling them in activities where concussions are common? What duty does a medical doctor or athletic trainer have in limiting play for a player who has obtained a concussion?
In my opinion, the last question is one of the most difficult questions to answer. It is imperative that a player allows time for their brain to heal after they experience a concussion, as two repeated concussions are far worse than two isolated concussions. But have you ever talked to a football player before, during, or after a game? Their passion for the game and competitiveness to win often determines whether or not they can play rather than their awareness of what their body actually needs. It is not uncommon for a player to ignore concussive symptoms (as well as other injuries) so they can continue playing the game. Besides, aren’t football players SUPPOSED to be tough? As running back Erik Dickerson said, players are “supposed” to be strong, to endure pain, to push themselves beyond their limits.
Therefore, it is a combination of competitiveness and pride that pushes players to return to the game before they are ready. And unfortunately, there are not many quantitative, concrete ways for doctors and trainers to assess a concussion, especially in the first, critical assessment on the field. Instead, they rely on the player to be honest and assess their abilities themselves.
Personally, I couldn’t imagine life without sports (especially football). Sports are important for a person’s health as well as teaching them teamwork, accountability, perseverance, sportsmanship, hard work, and so much more. To avoid the potential dangers of concussions, I feel that education is one of the most important things we can do to avoid the repercussions that might occur in repeated concussions. By informing players of the seriousness that these repercussions could have in the long run, players might become more willing to allow themselves to heal before returning to play. Hopefully, this would also dissipate the negative stigma that follows players who DO allow themselves to heal properly.
I do believe people have a right to participate in dangerous activities and do not think it would be reasonable to take such activities away. Think of all the worldly activities people participate in that have the potential to be dangerous! However, I also feel that players have a responsibility to themselves (as well as their friends and families) to be aware of what their body needs, and this includes allowing time for their brains to heal after a concussion.

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Concussions: The Elusive Injury

Posted on November 4, 2012 by / 0 Comment

Last week we talked about concussions in our class. Namely, what they are and what causes them. The latter question is easy enough to answer, turn on any high contact sport and odds are you will likely see an athlete receive a concussion. Yes this massive deceleration that is experienced by our brains within our skulls creates enormous stress on the nerve cells within the brain. Basically what happens is that after the brain suffers an injury, the nerve cells within our brains lose their polarization. This polarization is necessary for bodily function as signals are carried most effectively by electrical impulses which are enabled by said polarization. Now in order to counteract this depolarization the cells use a pump on their outer surfaces which allow the transfer of charged ions to into the cell. The only problem with this is that they need energy in order to function, and after the brain suffers a collision blood flow into the brain is significantly reduced. This means that nutrients normally being carried into the brain in sufficient amounts are no longer going to where they need to go, so now our pumps which are trying to restore the natural state are using up resources which are becoming more scarce as time goes on. Eventually, we reach a point our brain cells undergo a cellular energy crisis where we see a depressed state of metabolism in the cell. This crisis is especially dangerous when we take into account the threat of subsequent concussions as in this state the brain cells are in worse shape to counteract the injury. Now once again this is a very basic overview of what happens during a concussion. In truth we also see the generation of lactic acid, decreased magnesium level in the cell, free radical production, inflammatory responses, and altered neurotransmissions playing a role in concussions.
In our discussions for this week we mostly stayed on the topic of concussions and contact sports. Namely, these types of injuries are so easily misdiagnosed or so easy to cover up by the players that a second more serious injury is very likely to occur. We talked about many different ways that one might go about trying to address these two issues as there are many factors involved. For example, we still do not know very much about concussions, namely what specific forces on the brain cause a concussion. Scientist use sensors in the helmets of the players in order to monitor the kinds of forces acting on them and as such we are making progress in this area. Another important topic that was brought up is that athletes are only getting stronger and faster as time goes on due to better training methods, so the odds that we will see more players dealt concussions in the future are pretty good. Lastly and possibly most important is simply the players themselves. If they are not educated about the symptoms of concussions they are putting themselves in danger, more to the point if they simply ignore their symptoms after they receive a concussion and decide that it is not worth getting barred from their normal training for 7 days.
I thought that we had an enlightening discussion this week and it just goes to show that sometimes there really aren’t any easy answers to a problem that is as complicated and multifaceted as this.

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Concussions Are More Dangerous Then We Think

Posted on November 4, 2012 by / 0 Comment

Over the recent decades we have seen a great increase in the intensity of sports and along with it more seem to be getting concussions. Concussions can be very dangerous brain injuries possibly causing high levels of cognitive impairment in the individual’s future. Athletes still are well-educated on the subject and are unaware of such dangers. Professional athletes have nonchalant attitudes towards concussions as they are back in the game or training as early as a day later. Young children, high schools students, and even college athletes look up to the professional players and mimic their actions and attitudes putting themselves at great risk for further damage to their brains. There needs to be an increase in awareness for concussions on what types of damage they can really cause and what can happen if an athlete is not fully healed and gets another concussion.
What is a concussion? Concussions are types of brain injuries caused by trauma to the head usually induced by a blow to the head or body, a hard fall, or some other injury causing the brain to be shaken or jarred. Despite the absence of bruises or scratches on the face there can be a great amount of internal damage. Our brains do not fully fill out our skull and have a bit of room to move around. When the body is hit there is a sudden change of direction of movement by the skull while the brain continues to move until it smashes into the skull and bounces back to hit the other side. This collision causes a complex cascade of ionic, metabolic, and physiological events. Hypometabolism occurs slowing the brain’s ability to communicate and process information. This is followed by chronic alterations in neurotransmission resulting in neuronal dysfunction causing symptoms such as impaired coordination, memory, attention, and cognition.
It is often thought that once a concussion occurs the athlete needs only a few days to recover before getting back into the game. This is untrue. It has been shown that it can take 10 or more days for metabolism in the brain to return to its normal functioning. Even if the metabolism returns to normal in that amount of time the athlete may still have new or persisting symptoms. This has been termed as postconcussive syndrome:

“Changes in your ability to think, concentrate, or remember.
Headaches or blurry vision.
Changes in your sleep patterns, such as not being able to sleep or sleeping all the time.
Changes in your personality such as becoming angry or anxious for no clear reason.
Lack of interest in your usual activities.
Changes in your sex drive.
Dizziness, lightheadedness, or unsteadiness that makes standing or walking difficult.”

(http://www.webmd.com/brain/tc/traumatic-brain-injury-concussion-overview?page=2)
In some cases concussions can cause very serious problems. This happens when an athlete receives a concussion and returns to play. This initial concussion need not be major but if there is another hit on the player inducing another concussion there can be serious consequences. During the 10 days after getting a concussion the brain is very vulnerable and is in a weakened state. Another blow can induce a major traumatic brain injury. This results in either long-term problems with basic movement, learning, and even speaking. Protecting the brain in this vulnerable state is crucial for recovery and prevention of very serious long-term problems.
A concussion is serious traumatic brain injuries and the awareness of its symptoms needs to be heightened. Professional and nonprofessional athletes such as college and high school athletes need to be more educated on the effects of such injuries to prevent serious problems. Parents also need to be educated to protect their children from impairment of cognitive potential as a repeated concussion can cause serious problems for the developing brain.

Disease/Health

Brain Tackles: Concussions in Football

Posted on November 3, 2012 by / 0 Comment

How do you differentiate between the mild and spicy salsas at a Mexican restaurant? It’s obvious: one has a jalapeno and one doesn’t, or one tastes clearly spicier than the other. When it comes to the severity of a concussion, however, the ability to differentiate between a severe injury and a mild one is much more unclear. How the brain will be affected by an injury and develop a concussion is impossible to observe at the time. Due to this, there is a growing concern in the sports world about how the best way to regulate and prevent repeat concussive injuries in players.
Currently, if you’re diagnosed with a concussion, you are removed from play for only a week, in football. For players, a week seems like a death sentence for their careers. For your brain, a week is the bare minimum amount of time necessary to repair itself for most concussions. But when even a doctor can’t tell you how bad your concussion really is or how long it will need to completely return to its normal state, how long should players be pulled off of the field? Fans and players will not want them off of the field longer than necessary, or at all. No one wants players to get injured, but they also don’t want miss a single game with their star players. There is an ethical question of whether it is up to the players here to decide to risk their brain’s health in order to keep playing, or not and maintain proper brain health. An obvious choice would be to improve safety equipment or to implement stricter regulations when a player is allowed to return to play after injuries.
Plenty of time and money is invested annually into the best helmets and equipment for players to keep them as safe as possible in play, but the players themselves have to be responsible enough to own up to their injuries. An injury to the body is obvious and if a player can’t walk, they can’t walk. An injury to the brain is not something you can look at and assess, even if you saw the tackle that caused it. The only way to assess whether players have a brain injury that’s severe is to ask them post-tackle and to ask them. Unfortunately, a player is at liberty to be honest and say he’s experiencing neck pain, or lie, say they’re feeling completely fine, and return to the field and further risk their brain to injury. Most players at the end of their career would not have their children exposed to the same risks of brain injury, leading most to interpret that this game can have some serious long-term problems with the way football is going right now. A change is necessary, and in order to prevent repeat concussions and long term brain damage, it’s time to choose whether it’s better to be safe than sorry or not. To be safe, any player with trauma to the brain, whether the player is experiencing pain or not, should be pulled out of games for a week or two to ensure that they are healed totally and completely. The risks of returning too soon would be impaired memory, thinking ability, and motor ability. If a player is willing to risk how well he can think for the rest of his life, just to play twenty more minutes of a game before getting another injury, then that’s the poor choice they choose to make.