concussions
New technology aids athletic trainers in monitoring concussions
A new technology is helping high school athletic trainers in Minnesota monitor concussions. Sway utilizes smartphones to establish an athlete’s baselines before the season, which trainer Jonathan Murillo said is used to compare their condition... more »
Study: a mild concussion will not lead to long-term cognitive decline
According to a recent study, a single, mild concussion while playing athletics does not lead to long-term cognitive decline. The conclusion from this study, entitled 'Sports-related Concussion Not Associated with Long-Term Cognitive or Behavioral Deficits,'... more »
West Virginia holds ‘concussion discussion’ in wake of middle schooler’s death
Following the untimely death of a middle school football player, West Virginia coaches, administrators, and parents gathered late last week to discuss concussion prevention and other steps the state can take to improve player safety... more »
Death of players sparks safety in youth football debate
The death of two young football players in late August sparked yet another conversation about the safety of youth football. A 13-year-old middle school player died from brain trauma during a practice, but his father,... more »
Sway App could change the way concussions are evaluated and tracked
A new app may change the way concussions are evaluated for athletes at all levels. The Sway App helps identify athletes in need of medical care for concussions, facilitating better recovery and safer returns to... more »
Are you more likely to suffer a concussion on grass or artificial turf?
Are concussions more likely to occur on grass fields or artificial turf? A recent study of Texas middle and high school football players sought to answer that very question. The study found that football athletes... more »
Nutritional considerations for concussion recovery
Many injuries can sideline athletes. Proper rest, rehabilitation, and nutrition all play a factor in recovery no matter the injury. And for concussions, nutrition may have a bigger role than meets the eye. Understanding both... more »
Make baseline testing a requirement to help prevent concussions
Take every bit of technology, every ounce of knowledge, and enact every piece of legislation. You're still not going to prevent concussions. That doesn't mean we should stop trying to diminish the number of head... more »
Study suggests mental health struggles prolong concussion recovery time
Researchers from the Minds Matter Concussion Program at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) found that youth with pre-existing mental health diagnoses experienced a greater burden from emotional symptoms after concussion, as well as a prolonged time to... more »
Research shows effects of head impacts on the brain
Dalhousie University neuroscience researchers are investigating how head impacts lead to injuries in football players. Preliminary findings show that the intensity of a single hit doesn't have as much of an impact as the accumulation... more »
Preliminary findings from college sports concussions study revealed
The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center's O'Donnell Brain Institute began studying how college sports resulting sports-related concussions impact brain wellness later in life back in 2022. The preliminary findings from that two-year study from... more »
Study: Adolescents with concussion may benefit from early activity
Researchers at Nationwide Children's Hospital have found that when it comes to concussion recovery, activity type matters. In a study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, researchers found that limiting screen time and... more »
New study suggests brain changes in football players who are subject to head impacts
A study published recently in the JAMA Network Open involving MRI research that adolescent football players are susceptible to a variety of brain changes due to head impacts from playing. Researchers reviewed findings from structural... more »
Study reveals longer term impact of sports-related brain injuries
Almost half of people who suffer a sports-related traumatic brain injury are still experiencing physical symptoms after six months, a new study by the University of Stirling has found. Researchers also found that certain sports... more »
New study to further explore connection between the brain and body
A new Western-led study will further explore the relationship between physical and cognitive health. Adrian Owen, a world-renowned neuroscientist, will be driving the study through a pioneering series of online brain games. A recent story... more »
Illinois med student helping bridge the gap in concussion research for high schoolers
New research from the Carle Illinois College of Medicine suggests there are new ways to improve detecting concussions in high school student-athletes. A recent story from WCIA.com detailed the research being done at the Carle... more »
WCU teams up with Penn State on concussion impact research
In the spring of 2021, Clayton Bardall approached Martin Tanaka, a professor in WCU’s College of Engineering and Technology, about a project to use instrumented mouthguards to record head impacts with the hope of making... more »
Get proactive about student-athlete concussions
Most people have seen the headlines about concussions as a common sports injury—and, naturally, parents of athletes may have concerns. A large misconception in sports is that previous concussions are to be blamed for ongoing... more »
NHL Rule 48 helped lower rate of concussions, hits to side of head
The incidence and proportion of concussions suffered by NHL players following hits to the lateral side of the head reduced substantially following the implementation of the league's Rule 48, according to a study led by... more »
University of Michigan Concussion Center helps athletes with head injuries
High school cheerleaders, like Catherine Vick from Paw Paw High School in Michigan, are among the most likely student-athletes to suffer a concussion. Vick suffered a concussion as a 10th-grader, and after telling her coaches,... more »
Study says CTE may be overdiagnosed in living football players
Former pro football players with symptoms of depression or anxiety are far more likely to receive an unverifiable diagnosis of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) than players without those mental health conditions, a new study reports.... more »
Minnesota HS football team to wear Guardian Caps during games
A Minnesota high school football will be the first in the state—and maybe the country—to play a game while wearing Guardian Caps, a protective shell that goes over helmets. The Park Cottage Grove head football... more »
BU study suggests CTE may strike at younger ages
New research from Boston University on chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) suggests the degenerative brain disease may strike at younger ages than previously thought. The troubling finding was discovered during the brain autopsies of 152 athletes.... more »
WVU Neuroscience Institute to offer free in-state concussion testing
The WVU Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute (RNI) will offer free statewide concussion testing as part of the Rockefeller Concussion Network. The RNI outreach program will provide West Virginia youth access to baseline and post-injury ImPACT testing for all... more »
Delta Dental donates mouthguards to IHSA schools
Delta Dental of Illinois is partnering with the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) during the 2023-2024 school year and helping protect high school student-athletes by donating mouthguards to 40 schools throughout the state. “Student-athlete safety... more »
Researchers find new link between sleep and concussions
A new study led by Flinders University points to the importance of sleep quality in the aftermath and recovery process of sports-related concussions, a common form of mild traumatic brain injury. Results from a study... more »
Study suggests headers in soccer not as harmful as originally thought
A new study suggests soccer 'headers' may not cause irrevocable harm damage — as long as the technique is properly taught. The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) studied the repetitive impacts of headers by athletes... more »
Study: Effects of repetitive head trauma on symptoms of sports-related concussion
In an effort to understand the effects of repetitive sport-related head injuries, researchers from the Department of Neurosurgery at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City evaluated a large multicenter... more »
New coalition to implement EAP training for high schools
The National Football League announced the launch of The Smart Heart Sports Coalition, a collaboration among the NFL, NBA, MLB, MLS, NHL, NCAA, the American Heart Association, American Red Cross, Korey Stringer Institute, National Athletic... more »
Cincinnati researchers find helmets don’t protect back of head
A University of Cincinnati Biomedical Engineering professor is imploring football helmet manufacturers to go back to the drawing board in terms of protecting the back of the head. Eric Nauman tested a variety of helmets... more »
