Conde Library: Issues in Sport 2024: Concussions and Injuries

Clearinghouse Sport

Sports Concussion and Head Trauma
Sport related concussion can affect athletes participating in many sports and at all levels, from grassroots to elite. In recent years, there has been increasing concern about the long term health impacts of concussion and the potential under-reporting of incidents, which may lead to athletes being undiagnosed, untreated, and potentially suffering greater long-term impacts on their health and wellbeing

Journal Articles

Speech error rates after a sports-related concussion.
Alterations in speech have long been identified as indicators of various neurologic conditions including traumatic brain injury, neurodegenerative diseases, and stroke. The extent to which speech errors occur in milder brain injuries, such as sports-related concussions, is unknown. The present study examined speech error rates in student athletes after a sports-related concussion compared to pre-injury speech performance in order to determine the presence and relevant characteristics of changes in speech production in this less easily detected neurologic condition.
Long-term postural control in elite athletes following mild traumatic brain injury
Traumas to the head and neck are common in sports and often affects otherwise healthy young individuals. Sports-related concussions (SRC), defined as a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), may inflict persistent neck and shoulder pain, and headache, but also more complex symptoms, such as imbalance, dizziness, and visual disturbances. These more complex symptoms are difficult to identify with standard health care diagnostic procedures.
Sport-related concussion disclosure in women's rugby—A social identity approach
Sport-related concussion (SRC) is a risk of collision sports such as women's rugby. To support appropriate SRC diagnosis and management, an understanding of the factors that encourage SRC disclosure is necessary. To date, research has focused on ascertaining individual player knowledge and attitudes towards SRC disclosure.

Audio/ Visual

Websites and Media

Concussion in Sport Australia
Concussion affects athletes at all levels of sport from the part-time recreational athlete through to the full-time professional
Mind, Body and Sport: How being injured affects mental health
Injuries, while hopefully infrequent, are often an unavoidable part of sport participation. While most injuries can be managed with little to no disruption in sport participation and other activities of daily living, some impose a substantial physical and mental burden. For some student-athletes, the psychological response to injury can trigger or unmask serious mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, disordered eating, and substance use or abuse.
A Neurosurgeon Explains: Sports-related Head Injury
There are an estimated 1.7 to 3.8 million traumatic brain injuries each year in the United States, according to the CDC, of which 10 percent arise due to sports and recreational activities. Amongst American children and adolescents, sports and recreational activities contribute to over 21 percent of all traumatic brain injuries.
Concussions in Sports
Concussions are a surprisingly common occurrence in sports. High school athletes suffer thousands of concussions every year, most often in football, ice hockey, and soccer. Concussions do not always involve being "knocked out" or a loss of consciousness. A concussion occurs whenever a child's mental status changes as a result of trauma (usually a blow to the head). A child who shows signs of mental confusion or is "dinged" by a blow to the head has suffered a concussion.
NeuroSport: Dedicated to Concussion in Athlete
The University of Michigan is one of only a handful of comprehensive programs in the country dedicated to the neurological concerns of athletes through its multidisciplinary NeuroSport program. The mission of U-M NeuroSport is to provide individualized care for athletes of all levels with an emphasis on acute concussion care and potential long-term consequences of mild head trauma. Visit the NeuroSport page to learn more about NeuroSport services and the Sports Neurology Fellowship and research.