In a study, recently presented but not yet published, researchers followed a North Carolina High School football team through a single season to measure brain changes which occurred during play. Multiple pre and post brain imaging techniques were used as well as impact and acceleration helmet sensors and other measurements during the season to determine levels of injury or concussion in the adolescents. Not one member of the team sustained a concussion all season long. But this is not the interesting news…
Even without a single diagnosed concussion, the condition of the brain’s white matter and physiologic function showed changes after a season of play. And the changes seemed to increase with the force and frequency of the impacts.
As the article in the LA times states, “Mounting evidence already suggests that sustaining multiple concussions puts a person at higher risk of later depression, memory loss and other neuropsychiatric problems. But researchers suspect that even when they don’t result in a concussion diagnosis, repeated blows to the head may be harmful as well.”
If you are concerned with protecting yourself or someone you love who participates in contact sports, the best thing you can do at the moment is obtain a baseline measurement of brain function, and measure against that baseline at the end of the season or if a concussion occurs. Having the proper measurement will allow for more accurate diagnosis, rest and treatment of the injury. The brain is extremely resilient and will get back to balance, if given the appropriate time to recover. But if you don’t know what balance is, how do you know when full recovery has occurred? Find out more about our testing services here.