This week a research article was published by the European Society in Medicine calling for better brain health awareness in sport.
In short the neurosurgeon author discussed the inherent vulnerability of the brain to repeated subconcussive impact, its ties to dementia and CTE and the need for better education in sport about this blunt reality along with baseline and follow up neuropsychological testing to help make informed decisions on withdrawal of sport.
The full article, titled Dementia in Sport: Causation, Management and Prevention, can be found here and below is the abstract:
ABSTRACT
Dementia in sport emerged as a problem at the beginning of the 20th
century, when “punch drunk syndrome” was diagnosed in boxers. This
diagnosis was soon refined to dementia pugilistica and later to chronic
traumatic encephalopathy. Since then dementia has appeared in other
sports, particularly those involving violent collisions and/or head
injuries. The problem continues in boxing, but during the 21st century
dementia has become a significant problem in American Football,
football in the United Kingdom (soccer) and rugby. For example, a
recent study from Boston found evidence of chronic traumatic
encephalopathy in >90% of former American Football players, and
a controlled study of >7,000 soccer players found that the former
footballers were 3.5 times more likely to die from dementia or other
neuro-degenerative diseases than the controls, the increased risk being
related to playing position and length of playing career, thus
establishing a dose-response relationship. The emerging consensus is
that dementia in sport is caused by repetitive subconcussive head
injuries occurring over a long-playing career.
The author asserts that the brain’s vulnerability to repeated minor
blows to the head is due to its inherent fragility and evidence is
provided to support this view. For effective prevention and
management three steps are outlined. The first is recognition and
acceptance of the brain’s vulnerability and fragility and mounting a
public health initiative to educate the public and the sporting world.
Second, all players at risk should have baseline cognitive tests which
must be repeated regularly; if this show deterioration early retirement
from the sport must be considered. The third recommendation is that
all the sports regulatory bodies must explore with urgency how brain
injuries in their specific field can be reduced and eliminated.
Combat Sports Law 