According to a study by the Laureate Institute of Brain Research in Tulsa, Oklahoma, years of playing football and sustaining concussions are correlated with a certain area of the brain becoming smaller as well as slower reaction times. The results of the study, which examined University of Tulsa football players, were published on May 14, 2014 in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).
Even Mild Blows Can Cause Injuries, According to Latest Brain Injury Research
The brain injury research study examined 75 TU students, including 50 football players, half of whom had a history of repeated concussions. Researchers found that the athletes had smaller hippocampi than those who were not athletes, and those with a history of repeated concussions had the smallest hippocampal volume. The hippocampus is the portion of the brain responsible for memory. Smaller hippocampi are associated with diseases such as major depressive disorder, dementia and Alzheimer’s.
The brain injury research found that Oklahoma football players with a history of concussion had a 24 percent smaller hippocampi, and those without a history of concussion had 14 percent smaller hippocampi. According to the director of cognitive neuroscience at LIBR, this difference is much larger than initially believed. Years of playing football were inversely related to reaction time and hippocampal volume.
The assistant director of athletics for student health and performance at TU stated that it is important to increase awareness regarding the dangers of concussions and that more people should be involved in concussion research, as these injuries affect thousands of kids in Oklahoma every day. Scientists report that the next brain injury research step is to study younger athletes, including those in high school, as further information is needed.
However, until then, the results from the brain injury research study suggest that players and their families should handle possible traumatic brain injuries and concussions conservatively and request medical treatment from experienced professionals rather than attempting to make a diagnosis on their own.
Injured? Attorney Group for Oklahoma Can Help
Have you or someone you love suffered head trauma, a concussion or a traumatic brain injury due to the fault of another individual? If you feel your condition was caused by someone else’s negligence, you may be able to recover damages for your injuries. Contact Attorney Group for Oklahoma to learn more about pursuing a claim.
We can evaluate your case and connect you with an affiliated attorney who can help seek damages to which you may be entitled for emotional distress, temporary or permanent injuries, medical bills and expenses and loss of past or future income or wages. The time to file a lawsuit is often limited, so it is important to seek legal counsel as soon as you feel you may have a case.
