What's New in Sports-Related Concussions?



In This Issue
The Latest Concussion Research
Helpful Resources
 Concussion in the News

Star Telegram
December 1, 2015

The new Will Smith movie, Concussion, is coming out on Christmas day, bringing to light the severe effects of concussions on football players in the NFL.  Based on a true story, Nigerian pathologist Bennet Omalu, played by Will Smith, seeks to expose the negative effects football has on the brain after he performs an autopsy on a football player who had committed suicide.  Omalu discovers that the football player's brain had a severe case of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), and he embarks on a battle with the NFL to inform people of the dangers of this sport.
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As winter sports begin, those of us working at  The Philadelphia Concussion Center at Magee Rehabilitation  would like to bring you up-to-date on the latest concussion research and news.  Below you will find links to articles about developments in concussion-related diagnosis, prevention and testing.

 

The more we know about concussion, the more we can do to protect our athletes from long-term head injury. We hope you will continue to turn to  The Philadelphia Concussion Center at Magee Rehabilitation  to keep you informed.  Please feel free to contact us for any of your concussion needs.
The Latest Concussion Research
PT in Motion
October 7, 2015

A new study has ranked NCAA sports with regard to which sports have the highest rate of sports-related concussions (SRC's).  Men's wrestling was ranked highest, with men's ice hockey and men's football following close behind.  In terms of sheer numbers, men's football remains on top for the number of athletes who experience SRC.  Researchers also noted that in sports played by both genders, women show higher rates of sports-related concussions.  SRC rates also seem to be increasing, but this may be the result of more concussions actually being reported.

 
Newsday
October 7, 2015

In a study on Long Island, researchers found that not every high school football team provides helmets that will adequately protect students from concussions.  The helmets observed were rated on a 5-star system.  Five stars meant the helmet had the best ability to reduce risk of concussion.  After taking inventory from 108 schools, it was noted that there were 60 schools with helmets in their inventory that were rated only one or two stars.  Schools in Long Island are working towards getting only four or five-star rated helmets available to their football teams.

New Technology that Tracks Patients' Eye Movements May Accurately Measure Brain Injury
News Medical
August 7, 2015
 
According to news-medical.net, Dr. Uzma Samadani, along with researchers at the Steven and Alexandra Cohen Veterans Center at NYU Langone Medical Center, have developed a technology that can serve as a biomarker for concussions by tracking a person's eye movements while watching music videos.  This will ultimately help with diagnosing a person's injury and help doctors to classify the injury or concussion.  This new technology will also serve as an accurate way to measure a patient's progress on their road to recovery.

PT in Motion
July 15, 2015

Researchers analyzed the electronic medical records of 44 concussed and 58 non concussed college athletes.  They found that those who suffered from concussions were up to two times more likely to suffer from acute leg injuries up to 180 days after the concussion than those who have never suffered a concussion before.    Previous studies have suggested that the brain may be unable to effectively coordinate movements following a concussion, emphasizing the need to examine a person's movement and control in post-concussion injury assessments.

 

Helpful Resources

Concussion Toolkit

American Academy of Neurology

 

Whether you are a parent, coach, or medical professional, the American Academy of Neurology has put together a "toolkit" with free resources on concussion prevention and management. 
Learn More
If we can be of service for post-concussion assessment, baseline testing, or educational presentations, please contact  The Philadelphia Concussion Center at Magee Rehabilitation  at 855-587-BRAIN (2724).