Researchers Look at Long-Term Effects of Concussions in Student Athletes
The recent rise in sports concussions, both on the professional and student levels, have raised a lot of concerns over the long-term effects these injuries will have on players. Students who have suffered several concussions through sports report slight differences when performing daily tasks. Now, doctors and researchers are asking the question, “If you have slight differences when you’re in high school, if you continue along this road, what are you going to be like when you’re 40 or 50?”
That question has risen to prominence in the National Football League. Brain tissue from deceased athletes has revealed links from repeated head trauma to depression, and to conditions such as dementia and Alzheimer’s. Additionally, concussions have become a dominant issue in the National Hockey League, where star Sidney Crosby was forced to withdraw from last weekend’s all-star festivities with a concussion.