The reason as to why I believe this article is important to Division three Athletic Trainers, Athletes and Coaches is because it seems to be the common belief that the only issue with football is that one hit that gives you a concussion. However it is important that Athletic Trainers, Athletes and Coaches realize that the multiple impact forces that the athletes are experiencing on a day to day basis are having a huge impact on the athletes overall health. The forces can and are making small differences in the athletes neural pathways within the brain. This research has opened the doors to the development of different helmet types, designed around the athletes position. This in turn could help decrease the impact force experienced by the brain.
It is interesting to me because both linemen and linebackers are stated to be the athletes that sustain the greatest amounts of hits during the season, however when we are watching football on Sundays as viewers we tend to only see concussions within the position of either the quarterback or running backs. This is because they are the positions which research has found to sustain the hardest hits during the season. These hard hits lead the athletes to experience the symptoms associated with a concussion. The interesting point though, as the article states, is that the linemen and the linebackers are the ones who sustain the most hits throughout the season. Just because the hits aren't hard enough to necessarily cause a concussion, they are still hard enough to cause damage that is affecting these players later on in life.
As an Athletic Training student, I believe that it is important that I know how impact forces can affect an athlete. Just because they don't have a concussion, does not mean that there in not some sort of alteration occurring within the athletes neurological system. It is very important that this research continues in order to continue the development of different helmet styles based on the positions. This will help in the prevention of life long affects of the impact forces.
If you would like to view the original article from the New York Times, click here.
This is a very interesting and relevant article regarding football players in college. The important factor to realize is not just that concussions affect football players, but the constant hits they take as well. A linemen or linebacker may not have a higher instance of concussions compared to a quarterback or running back, but they do receive more hits. They receive more constant hits that can affect how nerve pathways are laid down in their brains. Boston University has been researching how multiple concussions affect athletes. They have discovered a link between multiple concussions and Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy. CTE is a progressive, degenerative brain disease that can cause memory loss, confusion, impaired judgment, paranoia, impulse control problems, aggression, depression, and, eventually, progressive dementia. These problems can occur right after retirement or quitting or later in life. This is a very interesting and relevant article regarding football players in college. The important factor to realize is not just that concussions affect football players, but the constant hits they take as well. A linemen or linebacker may not have a higher instance of concussions compared to a quarterback or running back, but they do receive more hits. They receive more constant hits that can affect how nerve pathways are laid down in their brains. Boston University has been researching how multiple concussions affect athletes. They have discovered a link between multiple concussions and Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy. CTE is a progressive, degenerative brain disease that can cause memory loss, confusion, impaired judgment, paranoia, impulse control problems, aggression, depression, and, eventually, progressive dementia. These problems can occur right after retirement or quitting or later in life. http://www.bu.edu/alzresearch/cste/#3. These dramatic affects might not just be caused by multiple concussions, but multiple concussions in conjunction with constant hits taken. So those who have taken many hits over their football career might also have issues very similar to TCE and not understand why.
ReplyDeleteAnother important issue that could affect this topic is the reporting of concussions to athletic trainers and health professionals. Some football players are reluctant to notify others of problems due to a concussion for fear that they will be made to sit out.
IT is important to take this topic and learn more about it because if at a college or high school, we are responsible for a football team, we must be aware of how constant hitting can affect our athletes. These dramatic affects might not just be caused by multiple concussions, but multiple concussions in conjunction with constant hits taken. So those who have taken many hits over their football career might also have issues very similar to TCE and not understand why.
Another important issue that could affect this topic is the reporting of concussions to athletic trainers and health professionals. Some football players are reluctant to notify others of problems due to a concussion for fear that they will be made to sit out.
IT is important to take this topic and learn more about it because if at a college or high school, we are responsible for a football team, we must be aware of how constant hitting can affect our athletes.
Great topic Cara, if I may say so myself. I have the opportunity to work in this study at Brown and I too found this article very interesting. Every day we look at the data that the computer spits out after practice, but it is impossible to get anything useful out of it. It depends on who had more reps, who happened to get hit the hardest, and has very little to do with their position. Seeing the analysis of 3 years of information from multiple schools drastically expands the sample size and is a much more useful way of looking at it. Before I saw this article I assumed the only information that they were tracking was magnitude and direction of the impacts; however, having read this I now have a better understanding of the study that I am helping out with, and when the athletes ask questions about the data (which they often do) I am able to provide a more accurate response.
ReplyDeleteCara -
ReplyDeletevery timely and 'hot' topic at this point in time. It will be interesting to see how all of the rule changes, etc. will end up with the different levels of sport and sport associations.