Oklahoma High School Football

mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) occurs quite often in high school and college athletics. Cognitive impairment is often seen in athletes who have had multiple concussions.

Young athletes Getting slower

Athletes in many colleges and high schools participated in a recent study comparing the prior knowledge and a concussion after. Concussions were defined by loss of consciousness and the length of time needed for changes in mental status improved significantly. Study results showed that college athletes had lost consciousness at a higher rate than their counterparts of high school athlete. Twenty-four hours after the accident, the athletes with concussion and control subjects had significant differences in memory. However, injured athletes secondary struggled more memory than the collegiate injured. The researchers hypothesized that the less mature brain are more vulnerable to head injuries and recovery slower.

The girls more vulnerable to TBI

Another recent study found that girls appear to have higher rates than boys concussion in sports played by boys and girls.

The researchers examined the athletes' injuries among U.S. high school youth participating in the following sports: boys soccer, basketball, soccer, wrestling, baseball, women's soccer, volleyball, basketball and softball . They concluded that, during the academic year 2005-06, the school athletes suffered concussions about 135,901.

The young women participating in soccer had a rate of 68 percent more concussion than men participating in a sport. In basketball, the girls were an amazing 200 percent more likely than their male counterparts to be injured with a concussion.

No Gain to play through pain

The researchers expressed surprise at the huge disparity in injury rates, and hypothesized that the boys of the neck muscles could be used to better absorb shock and prevent injury. They also alluded to the socio-cultural reasons for the different injury rates. Boys are taught not to let others know when they are in pain and usually continue to play while injured unless stunned.

Playing through the pain of a concussion is one of the worst mistakes an athlete can do, which leads to potentially debilitating injuries for life.