Concussions are one of the most concerning injuries in sports today, with around 3.8 million occurring each year. A concussion happens when an athlete is hit on the head or body, causing the head and brain to move around inside the skull. Concussions can occur in any sport, but are most common in football, hockey, soccer, rugby, and boxing. Sports-related concussions are serious and need to be properly evaluated and treated to prevent long-term health consequences.
Symptoms and Effects
Symptoms of a concussion can show up quite soon after the injury or may develop over the next few days or weeks. Common symptoms include headache, dizziness, confusion, memory problems, nausea, and loss of consciousness. Many athletes try to hide or downplay their symptoms so they can return to play faster. However, concussions have been linked to long-term cognitive, physical, sleep, and emotional symptoms that may persist for months or years post-injury.
Post-concussion syndrome is a set of symptoms that linger for weeks or months after the initial blow. The effects of multiple concussions appear to be cumulative and can cause permanent brain damage over time. Repeated blows increase the likelihood of long-term neurological issues.
Cognitive Testing
Cognitive testing is an important tool for properly evaluating and managing sports-related concussions. Baseline cognitive testing establishes an athlete’s normal functioning before injury ever occurs. When a concussion is suspected, follow-up cognitive testing can be used to compare back to the athlete’s own personal baseline.
Testing areas such as memory, concentration, processing speed, and reaction time gives medical professionals quantifiable data to evaluate the concussion’s severity and track recovery progress. Cognitive assessment results help inform decisions about removing athletes from play, return-to-play timelines, and academic accommodations for student athletes.
Long-Term Dangers
Concussions have been linked to chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain disease caused by repeated head impacts. CTE can lead to cognitive, mood, and behavior changes including memory loss, impaired judgment, impulse control issues, aggression, depression, and progressive dementia. CTE can develop years or decades after injuries occur. In a study of former NFL players, 91.7% were diagnosed with CTE.
There is also evidence showing a connection between concussion and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and ALS later in life. The risks seem to increase with the number of concussions sustained. Sports leagues and players need to understand the potential long-term consequences that come with brain trauma.
Prevention and Safe Return-to-Play
While concussions will likely always be an inherent injury risk in contact sports, leagues can take steps to enhance prevention, management, and player safety. Improving education, instituting protocols, modifying rules to limit dangerous plays, and advancing helmet technology can all help lower concussion rates.
When concussions do occur, following gradual return-to-play protocols and not rushing back too soon is vital for the athlete’s long-term health. Baseline testing, honest symptom reporting, and cognitive screening provides the objective data doctors need to make safe return-to-play decisions. While many factors contribute to sports-related concussions, being proactive and prioritizing player safety is key to reducing their frequency and impact.
