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The Importance Of Concussions In Sports

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Although the common belief is hits and bumps to the head are not a big deal if they don’t induce symptoms of concussion. Two recent studies conducted on high school athletes in football and hockey, however, concluded this is “not true” and the accumulation of smaller hits to the head is the actual, serious concern. Brain scans were taken on the athletes before, during and after the season, to help assess any damage done. During the study one athlete (hockey) was diagnosed with a concussion while all showed changes in the white matter of the brain. In the second study (football) six athletes were diagnosed with concussions, and 17 others showed changes in their brain. It was estimated that each athlete in the study experienced 200-1900 blows to the head during the season, with each hit ranging from 20-300gs of force. It was suggested that in bulk small blows to the head are a more serious problem for the brain then concussions are.
“This research is of special concern with younger athletes whose brains are still forming as well as life-long athletes in any high-impact sport. These athletes are at risk of incurring lifelong neurological effects and/or developing chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a progressive degenerative …show more content…
No symptoms of brain injury were experienced, they were unaffected by the changes happening in their head. Furthermore, these small changes do not disrupt the normal function of the brain. The brain can easily adapt around the minor damage and function normally, unlike a concussion. With a concussion the brain can not adapt around the destruction done. The operation of the brain is permanently damaged, with symptoms that can persist for over a year, as well as the risk of developing diseases to the brain. Even with damage occurring after many small hits, the brain can adapt and function normally while with a concussion the brain is forever

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