Academic effects of concussions on student-athletes in HS
Absolutely fabulous piece on NPR.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=126985088
We all only pay attention to the athletic effects of a concussion, but this study exposes the serious impact concussions have on their academic performances. Kudos to NPR for tackling this difficult topic and not just recycling the old OMG Myron Rolle OMG.
So keep this in mind the next time you snicker at some "jock" for not clearing a test that you cleared when you were in eight grade. I know a lot of parents who push their kids into contact sports in hopes of earning a college schollie but this really will be a sobering wake up call to all those pushy parents and even pushier coaches and most of all the teens who think they are indestructible.
The good news:
The House Committee on Education and Labor will hold a Capitol Hill hearing Thursday about sports concussions and high school athletes.
So apparently washington took some time off from discussing "important" topics like the BCS and thought they would give this a look.
I suffered two concussions in high school, one in gym and one playing football, that resulted in short-term memory loss. I never experienced any long-term problems, did well in high school, got into Michigan, did reasonably well at UM in the process. Not summa cum laude, but that wasn't going to happen, concussions or not. I've since suffered two more concussions, one riding a motorcycle and one ice skating, also resulting in temporary memory loss. Again, without any apparent long-term effects. What's in store for me down the road is a question, since there's evidence that repeated concussions can lead to Alzheimers, but so far no real problems (although my wife sometimes has her doubts, and maybe those who read my comments here do too, but I can just plead general idiocy...)
My hunch is that the real problems show up in repeated concussions over a short span of time, like the girl profiled in the NPR piece. Mine were much more spread out over time.
XYZ cause ABC 100% of the time. Even exposure to asbestos and its link to cancer isn't 100%. And as you noted..the jury is still out on long-term effects on you....so take care and keep a sharp eye out for problems.
This is pretty silly. "It isn't 100% causal so we shouldn't jump to conclusions". You realize that getting shot in the face point blank doesn't always kill you, falling out of a plane from 30,000 feet doesn't always kill you, and if you wanted to get christian on it dieing doesn't even always kill you. Everything to do with people is a monstrously dynamic environment. Waiting for 100%s would be preposterous. Pointing out that we don't have them yet is also preposterous.
making exactly the same point you are making?
It strikes me that he did not realize that.
The more studies like this come out, the more parents will stop letting their kids play football, and the more likely that football gets regulated by Congress. I'm not letting my son play a sport which could lead to him having memory loss or Alzheimer's later in life. Yes, other things could also lead to those problems, but it's better to avoid obvious causes like this.
I think the increased knowledge about inherent health risks of banging into another human 80 - 100 times a day with a helmet on is leading many kids into other sports like baseball, basketball and soccer, and leading to the incredibly increased popularity of lacrosse.
I've been concussed several times playing lacrosse. I don't think it's any safer than football.
This thread is what makes education oabout concussions so important. They do not just happen to the "big, dumb, football" players. Any sport where there is the potential for contact between two players or contact with a fixed object (e.g., gymnastics) ups the chance for concussions.
Will people stop playing sports for fear of concussions? Well, some parents may keep their kids out, but generally, no, people will not stop playing sports. Therefore, it is critical that people understand the impact of concussions on day to day life and force anyone with a concussion to take time away from school until the individual can focus properly and to take at least two weeks away from the sport (with a cascading effect depending on the severity of the concussion and the number of concussions that person has had in the past).
but soccer isn't a safer alternative. Curling, yes. Soccer, no.
Tell that to this guy.
playing basketball because i banged my head while chasing a loose ball. people get concussions in basketball and soccer all the time. just because you don't wear a helmet to play a sport doesn't mean there's a lesser concussion risk
It may not be due to the presence or absence of the helmet, but every epidemidological study I've seen on this lists football and hockey as having much higher incidences of concussion than basketball and soccer. Interestingly, rugby is high too, suggesting that it isn't the helmet but the rules of the game.
I probably should've worn a helmet when I tried backflipping on the trampoline as a kid... but that was my first concussion.
My sisted had seven concussions between 10th grade and junio year of college. She played both soccer and hockey at the D-III level until she had a concussion during a soccer game her junior year and was told by the AD that she was no longer allowed to play varsity sports because of the dangers. As you can expect, this did not sit well with her. That was until she was at a concert, got more or less tapped on the head, and doesn't remember anything the rest of the night (no drugs and no alcohol were involved).
My sister doesn't show any long term effects at this point, but I have my fingers crossed that nothing serious shows up in the future. Actually, the one long term effect she does have is that she will not play pick-up soccer or hockey games the rest of her life due to the ease of her being concussed.
I don't mean to frighten you with this, but please read this about an English soccer player:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Astle
This in particular:
On 19 January 2002 Astle collapsed at his daughter's home and was taken to Queen's Hospital Burton upon Trent, where he died, aged 59.[3] The cause of death was a degenerative brain disease; failing mental ability had first become apparent as much as five years earlier. He had been an exceptional header of the ball, and the coroner found that the repeated minor trauma had been the cause of his death. (It should be noted that the leather footballs used in Astle's playing days were considerably heavier than the plastic ones of today, especially when wet). A verdict of death by industrial injury was recorded.
and my best to your sister.
I never thought about heading in soccer being dangerous, but I guess if you are practicing 4 hours a day every day...it could add up.
They end up going to OSU don't they?
and OSU is a pretty darn good school (take this coming from a UM Engr grad). If you want to make fun of academics, look to MSU. That school down south may have classless fans but I don't think the quality of their academics is that much lesser than UM.
I agree with you somewhat. OSU's academics are better than MSU's but are not on the same level as UM's, especially in terms of engineering. Not a terrible school, but not a great one (like ours).
7 people left with concussions in my bocce ball league play last night.
Same deal in my bow hunting league. People need to wait for the "Clear!"
I guess it's good that that House committee is holding a hearing, but what can it realistically do? Pass a resolution saying that concussions are bad?