Sports concussions worry neurologists; risk of Alzheimer's and dementia

The American Academy of Neurology (AAN) released on Monday broad recommendations on how sports can deal with the issue of concussions. The AAN stated that sports where athletes have concussion risks should have a qualified athletic trainer on the playing area at all times - even for children's games and for practices. Currently, only 40% of high schools in the United States have certified trainers and many younger-aged programs do not have certified trainers at all. The AAN recommends avoiding contact sports entirely in your school if a certified trainer cannot be hired. However, the Academy recognizes that this is merely a golden standard to strive towards and may not be feasible. Rick Bowden, the assistant executive director of the Kansas State High School Activities Association, called the AAN's recommendations "a laudable goal" but added that "there is no way that could happen."

We understand completely that is undoable in today's environment, but we think that is a correct way to organize our priorities -- Dr. Jeffrey Kutcher, chair of the AAN's sports neurology section

 The group said that an athlete with concussion symptoms should be evaluated by a specialist and should not take the field until medically cleared. Concussion symptoms include unconsciousness, unsteadiness, memory or concentration problems, dizziness and headaches. College football and professional football leagues have already taken greater measures towards dealing with concussed players even before this announcement by the AAN. This season, professional players - in particular quarterbacks - must pass a set of test before even being allowed to practice. The NFL has also increased fines and suspension time for helmet-to-helmet hits which often cause concussions. These changes are in the face of overwhelming evidence that concussions have long-term ramifications to the health of athletes. Research has shown that repeated concussions on NFL players may increase the likelihood of dementia and Alzheimer's. Kutcher pointed out various long-term consequences of concussions such as decreased mental ability, depression, anxiety, and personality changes. Last week, a 17-year-old football player from Kansas collapsed on the sidelines and later died. While his cause of death has not been found, the boy had not been cleared to play by a doctor after suffering a concussion earlier in the season. In March, the National Hockey League banned shoulder hits to the head from the blind side.


It has long been known that repeated head blows can cause brain degeneration in boxers however more information is coming in on concussions in other contact sports such as football and hockey. Kutcher believes that standards for dealing with concussions will improve as society changes and that the new rules in the NFL and NHL are a good head start which will hopefully transcend down the the younger players.

Source: NPR

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