News & Studies

Improving Concussion Safety in High School Football: Promising Developments, But A Long Way To Go

It has been a good two weeks for parents looking to make high school football safer, with a number of promising developments. But it is not time to declare victory, and many questions remain to be answered.

The last two full weeks of April 2013 have been a good one for parents looking to make high school football safer, but it is not time to declare victory, and many questions remain to be answered,

High Initial Concussion Symptom Score Suggests Longer Recovery, Study Says

What factors predict which athletes recover quickly from concussion and which will take longer has proved to be a vexing question. A new study suggests an elegantly simple and intuitive answer: the athletes who take longer to recover report the most severe symptoms right after injury; the more severe the initial symptoms, the more likely a longer recovery.

NFL's Goodell Speaks At UNC About Concussion Safety

On March 6, 2013, National Football League commissioner Roger Goodell spoke about concussion safety at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He was there at the invitation of a leading concussion expert, Kevin Guskiewicz, PhD, ATC, Kenan Distinguished Professor and Director of the Matthew Gfeller Sport-Related Traumatic Brain Injury Research Center at UNC.

In a wide-ranging speech (see video below), Commissioner Goodell indicated that the NFL "stand[s] ready" to  "share any of our research with any other league," and expressed the belief that "we should all be working to make youth sports safer." 

We at MomsTEAM couldn't agree more. 

Concussion Education For High School Soccer Players Lacking, Survey Finds

A survey of high school athletic directors, coaches, and certified athletic trainers in Michigan finds that, while concussion education is very common in football, less than half of girls' soccer players received such education.

Stronger Necks May Reduce Concussion Risk: Study

A growing number of concussion experts, strength and conditioning trainers, and physical therapists believe that one important way the risk of sport-related concussion can be reduced is to strengthen the neck, the theory being that stronger neck muscles will help cushion against the forces that cause concussion.

King-Devick: New Screening Tool May Dramatically Improve Concussion Detection Rate on Sports Sideline

A new study provides additional evidence that the King-Devick Test, a simple two-minute test of rapid eye movement, is an accurate "remove-from-play" sideline concussion assessment tool which can accurately identify athletes with concussion, even when they neither display obvious concussion signs nor report any symptoms.

Are Concussed Athletes Being Returned To Play While Still Cognitively Impaired?

A significant number of concussed student-athletes may be cleared to return to play despite being cognitively impaired, finds an important new study, which recommends adding post-exertion computerized neurocognitive testing to the return-to-play protocol.

Risk Factors for Concussion and Prolonged Recovery

History of prior concussion, collision sports, female sex, and women's soccer are the strongest known risk factors for concussion, while symptoms such as persistent headaches, migraines, amnesia, and multiple symptoms appear to be associated with prolonged recovery, says a new study.

Women Hockey Players Sustain More Heavy Hits Than Previously Thought

There are a many more hits in women's college hockey of the kind that can lead to concussion than previously believed, new Canadian research finds.

Number and Type of Symptoms Linked To Prolonged Concussion Recovery, Study Says

High school athletes reporting four or more symptoms of concussion at the time of injury are twice as likely to experience symptoms lasting a week or more, says a 2013 study.
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