Damage caused by concussion can be detected many months later, when the patient is perfectly well, according to a study published in the pages of Neurology.
Concussion (commonly, but incorrectly called “concussion”) is a common consequence of a head injury. A common symptom is post-traumatic loss of consciousness, usually lasting less than an hour. Concussion injuries often happen in boxing, rugby or American football.
A blow to the head makes the brain in motion bump against the walls of the skull, inside which it “floats” in the cerebrospinal fluid. It may cause bleeding, damage to nerve cells or swelling. Research shows that repeated concussions increase the risk of memory loss, poor concentration and prolonged headaches.
The team of Dr. Andrew Mayer from the University of New Mexico conducted brain studies of 50 athletes who had suffered a mild concussion a few months earlier and 50 healthy people. Memory problems, headaches and dizziness subsided after a few weeks, but four months after the injury, abnormalities in the flow of the cerebrospinal fluid were noticeable.
This suggests that the recovery process takes longer. Dr. Mayer likens a concussion to a burn where the pain subsides long before the healing process is complete.
According to the authors of the study, athletes may return to action too quickly (usually after a week or 10 in the US), and the concussion itself is not taken seriously enough. “While the player has a three-month break after a knee injury, after a head injury, he often returns to the field soon after regaining consciousness, as soon as he can count down to ten backwards” – notes prof. John Hardy from University College London.
Professor Hardy is an advocate of eliminating boxing because repetitive injuries in boxers are linked to the development of dementia later in life. Many small injuries in a short time can have more serious consequences than one larger one. (PAP)