Why is it so important to detect concussions as soon as possible after they occur?
With the worldwide increase in participation in organized sports, there has also been an increased incidence of sports related concussions (SRCs). Research studies have shown that there is an incomplete understanding of sport concussions among the main individuals that they affect the most: athletes, parents, coaches, and medical personnel.
The average person may be familiar with the classic symptoms of concussions, such as headache, amnesia, and confusion. Other concussion symptoms vary widely and can be attributed to other common medical conditions, making it difficult to use them to diagnose a concussion. Imaging methods such as MRI or CT scans will not reveal brain injuries resulting from minor concussions.
The main treatment for SRCs consists of mental and physical rest until symptoms cease. Returning to a normal level of physical activity should be done through several stages of increasing physical activity, monitoring each stage to ensure that no symptoms return before moving onto the next. Other diseases can arise following a concussion, such as postconcussion syndrome (PCS), prolonged PCS, chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), mild cognitive impairment, and dementia pugilistica.
Postconcussion syndrome occurs when concussion symptoms are experienced for weeks or months after the initial injury. Similarly to concussions, there are a variety of symptoms including headache, dizziness, insomnia, irritability, anxiety, memory loss, concentration problems, fatigue, and photophobia. There is no apparent correlation between the severity of the injury and the occurrence of PCS. However, it has been found in a study that a history of mood disorders in children can increase their risk of developing prolonged symptoms after a mild head injury. Another study of children with PCS found a small increase in depression following a the head injury.
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy is another condition associated with repetitive concussions in sports. There is a characteristic latent period of 8 years before symptoms begin appearing after the last trauma. Symptoms include deteriorating social and cognitive functioning, mood and behavioural disorders, deterioration in interpersonal relationships, violent behaviour, substance abuse, headaches and body aches. The symptoms can become so severe that they often lead to CTE patients committing suicide.
Second-impact syndrome (SIS) is another complication that can follow a concussion, occurring when a repeat injury occurs when a person returns to play before they have fully recovered from a previous concussion. During SIS, the blood supply to the brain is not regulated properly, causing the brain to swell and often resulting in coma or death. Apart from SIS, a person returning to play too early into their recovery increases their risk of sustaining a more serious repeat injury due to a decreased reaction time and cognitive ability, causing them to have trouble responding as fast as they need to during sports.
Prevention remains the best strategy in protecting athletes against the potentially devastating and long-lasting effects of head impacts. However, when they cannot be prevented, the risk of long-term complications such as second-impact syndrome can be significantly reduced by beginning a treatment plan immediately. Since self-reporting of symptoms is currently the main way to indicate the occurrence of a concussion, harnessing technology to detect of head impacts would ensure that fewer head injuries are overlooked.
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