A study published in Neurology® found that brain changes can persist up to a year after college athletes are cleared to play post-concussion. The findings highlight concerns about the long-term impact of sports-related concussions.
A significant study has found that brain changes can remain visible in college athletes’ brain scans up to a year after they are cleared to return to play following a concussion. Published in Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology (AAN), the research emphasizes the prolonged impact of concussions on brain health.
“Concussion can have long-term effects on brain health, and there is growing evidence that brain recovery may persist months to years, even after symptoms like headache, fatigue and balance problems resolve,” Nathan Churchill of St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto said in a news release.
The study tracked 187 college athletes, with 25 suffering concussions during regular season play. These athletes, involved in sports like basketball, football, hockey, lacrosse, rugby, soccer and volleyball, were compared to 27 non-concussed athletes matched for factors such as sex and sport.
Key to the research were the brain scans performed at multiple intervals: pre-season, approximately five days post-concussion, when cleared to return to play, one to three months post-return, and one year post-return.
The results were compelling and troubling. Athletes with concussions exhibited significant changes in brain function compared to both their pre-injury scans and the scans of the healthy athletes.
Specifically, researchers noted a marked decrease in blood flow to the fronto-insular cortex — a brain region crucial for functions such as thinking, memory, emotion and social behavior. The average decrease in blood flow was 9 milliliters (mL) per 100 grams of blood per minute when the athletes returned to play, escalating to 11 mL per 100 grams of blood per minute one year later.
Moreover, analysis of water molecule movement in the brain’s white matter suggested ongoing signs of brain injury.
“The presence of significant, long-lasting brain changes after injury reinforces concerns about the consequences of repeated concussions, and to what extent these effects accumulate over time,” Churchill added. “More studies are needed in larger groups of people to further investigate the long-term effects to the brain.”
The study has profound implications not only for athletes but also for their trainers, medical professionals and policymakers in sports. With growing recognition of concussions’ potential long-term impact, it may prompt more rigorous protocols for managing and treating these injuries.
The research, supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Canadian Institute for Military and Veterans Health Research, and Siemens Healthineers Canada, underscores the necessity for continued exploration into concussion effects across different demographics and age groups.
Source: American Academy of Neurology