Back to school and back to sport could add up to trouble
Not so long ago it was estimated that about 300,000 concussions occurred each year. Today that number is between 2 and 3 million. The numbers are growing so rapidly because the diagnosis of what constitutes a concussion has broadened considerably.
The definition of a concussion
is a trauma that causes a mental status change or some type of symptom that suggests brain injury.
According to Matt Silvis, M.D.
, “We used to think the concussion was defined by loss of consciousness and now we know that that only happens in about 10% of concussions. So we were missing 90% of concussion just based on a definition. So, when the definition was changed, the numbers really started to increase.”
Sixteen year old Jonathan has had five recent concussions playing hockey; a sport he loves that isn't loving him back. His symptoms are common; headache, dizziness, fatigue, poor concentration, poor memory and moodiness to name a few, but unlike the majority other patients who recover within 7 to 10 days Jonathan is in the 10 to 15% who have ongoing problems but problems or not he still wants to get back in the game.
Though the numbers are increasing much of what the experts know about what happens to the brain during a concussion remains a mystery.
It's the later on down the road subjects that Dr. Robert Harbaugh
is researching for the National Football League. He was chosen by the NFL to head a committee set up to figure out what causes long-term neurological dysfunction in some pro players.
He and his team hope to collect data on every NFL player and follow them throughout their careers and into retirement. There's no doubt that the information gained from the long-term study will benefit just about everyone who plays sports at any level because the stakes are high and the numbers are nothing to fool around with and information gleaned from better imaging will help as well. Scientists, doctors and researchers at Penn State Hershey are working to improve MRI scans of the brain to give them a better picture of what happens during a concussion. That technology is evolving. For today though there is the big picture to keep in mind and decisions to be made, tough ones; to play or not to play?