Researchers Explore the Mysteries Related to Concussions

Many athletes involved in contact sports receive concussions. Consequently, concussions are common experiences seen by sports physiotherapists. In light of the fact that concussions are always concerns for athletes who love playing football, hockey and similar types of contact games, the topic has been brought up more than once.

What do Researchers Know About Concussions?

In the United States, approximately 3.2 million people suffer from concussions every year. One definition that is widely accepted is as follows:

“A complex pathophysiological process affecting the brain,
induced by traumatic biomechanical forces (Aubry et al. 2001)”

Recovery Times are not Always Predictable

Prolonged recovery is associated with symptoms related to migraine headaches and sleep disorders. (Iverson, 2007; Lau et al., 2009; Lau et al., 2011). In addition, research shows that concussions resulting in lower cognitive abilities are possibly due to prolonged recovery periods.

Athletes want to Recover Quickly

An article written by Lau et al. (2011) seeks to classify symptoms that foretell recovery occurring after 21 days as opposed to less than seven days. The five-year study followed 107 athletes after they received concussions.

However, the researchers lost contact with some of the participants. Sports medicine therapists examined the athletes immediately after the incidents. The therapists noted the following symptoms:

Confusion
Migraine headaches
Complete loss of consciousness
Retrograde amnesia
Problems with balance
Vision problems
Altered personality traits
Sleepiness
Abnormal sensitivity to light
Feelings of numbness
Nausea and vomiting

Researchers wanted to know how much time athletes needed before they could return to play. Concussion specialists gave the athletes return to play clearance when all the known protocols were established. In essence, the clearance procedure included total restoration of all symptoms including restored cognitive abilities as measured by the Post Concussion Symptom Scale and the Immediate Post Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Test (ImPACT).

Dizziness and Protracted Recovery Time

The main question focuses on which symptoms are related to a prolonged recovery. Dizziness is the number one factor associated with the time it takes to recover from a concussion. People who reported that they felt dizzy were 6.34 times more likely to experience prolonged recoveries.

Known Flaws in the Study

However, the study has a few shortcomings:

The study only included male athletes attending high school
Approximately one-third of the participants dropped out of the study
The study did involve athletes who had experienced lengthy comatose periods
The examinations were brief

Indications of the Study

Dizziness after a concussion may indicate a prolonged recover time
A protracted return to play is not connected with other symptoms
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