Adding to this site’s combat sports safety study summaries, a recent study was published in the Journal of Sports Medicine reviewing MMA fighter brain volume measurements and their association with sparring frequency. In the article, titled Sparring and the Brain: The Associations between Sparring and Regional Brain Volumes in Professional Mixed Martial Arts Fighters, the … More Study – MMA Fighter Brain Volume Not Decreased Based on Self Reported Sparring Frequency

An interesting article was published this month in Frontiers of Neuroscience exploring the possible connection between the delayed (and progressive) symptoms of CTE and micro trauma from the normal beating of the heart. There is ample evidence that CTE is caused by repeated brain trauma from external forces (think repeated hits in combat or contact … More Do Years Of Heartbeat “Pulse Trauma” Explain Delayed Onset of CTE Symptoms?

Headgear does not prevent concussions or other brain injuries. Nor does it stop the progressive disease CTE which is linked to repeated concussive and sub concussive impacts. Despite this many athletes don’t understand the limitations of headgear. Because of this some observe that athletes take more hits to the head with headgear on. A recent … More Study – Fighters Take “Statistically Significant” More Head Shots When Wearing Headgear

In the latest brain health safety study research was recently published in The Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation noting that various speech patterns could be used as an “effective” tool for screening combat sports athletes who are likely struggling with cognitive decline due to repeated brain trauma. In the study, titled Articulation Rate, Pauses, and … More Study – Speech Patterns Could Be Good Marker For Cognitive Decline in Combat Sports Athletes

In the latest research diving into long term consequences of serial head injury a study was published in the Journal of Neurotrauma finding that “Three or more mTBI associated with significant cognitive deficits“. In the study, titled “Lifetime Traumatic Brain Injury and Cognitive Domain Deficits in Late Life: The PROTECT-TBI Cohort Study” the authors had … More Study – 3 Or More Concussions Linked With “Significant Cognitive Deficits” Later in Life

Adding to this site’s data base of safety research summaries, a recent study was published in Research in Sports Medicine finding brain injury severity was worse in individual sports vs teams sports suggesting better brain health education is needed. In the study, titled Traumatic brain injuries in paediatric patients: individual vs team sports-related hospitalizations, the … More Study Calls For More Brain Health Education in Youth Individual Sports

It is well documented that many athletes in contact and combat sports suffer long term cognitive problems. CTE is real. Its link to repeated head hits is now so well established that both the CDC and NIH admit that it is ’caused’ be repeated concussive and sub concussive blows. Despite knowledge of CTE (or ‘punch … More “Minimal Evidence” Alcohol (As Opposed To Repeated Brain Trauma) Responsible For Athlete Cognitive Problems

Adding to this site’s data base of combat sports safety studies, a recent study was published in the Journal of Facial Plastic Surgery and Aesthetic Medicine documenting the facial injury rate in a decade of UFC bouts. The study, titled Characteristics of Facial Trauma in Professional Mixed Martial Arts, reviewed 10 years worth of medical records from UFC … More Study Documents Facial Injuries In Decade of UFC Bouts