By Kira Kunzman. This article was initially published in the 4/11/24 edition of our Concussion Update newsletter; please consider subscribing. Ronda Rousey, a former MMA fighter, tells her story of her life-long experience with concussions and lasting health impacts in a recent interview with The Guardian. Reporter Donald McRae highlights Rousey’s remarkable accomplishments–her title as the “world’s most dominant athlete” (Sports Illustrated) and her achievement as the first woman to be signed by UFC. The article also focuses on the consequences of Rhonda participatin ..read more

By Chelsea Ryan. This article was initially published in the 4/11/24 edition of our Concussion Update newsletter; please consider subscribing. In a cohort study published in JAMA Network Open, Dupont et al. focused on the initial three months following concussion in young children (6-72 months). The research team unveiled significant results, finding that children who experienced an early childhood concussion displayed a higher incidence of post-concussion symptoms compared to uninjured children and those with orthopedic injuries. The authors conclude that “These findings ..read more

By Ike Smalley. This article was initially published in the 4/11/24 edition of our Concussion Update newsletter; please consider subscribing. Researchers at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) recently published a study in Sports Health examining the relationship between pre-injury mental health diagnoses and post-concussion emotional symptom burden (and recovery time) in youth. The study analyzed the electronic health record data of 3,105 patients ages 5 to 18 years who visited a concussion care program after their injuries and followed their clinical reco ..read more

By Zoe Heart. This article was initially published in the 4/11/24 edition of our Concussion Update newsletter; please consider subscribing. A study conducted by Matthew Smith et al. and published in The Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine found that, in adolescent athletes, cooling therapy was associated with a significant decrease in post-concussion symptoms. Additionally, Smith et al. found that hypothermic therapy was not associated with severe adverse events in patients, indicating that the Pro2cool device used in the study is a safe tool. The study involved repeat ..read more

By Josh Wu. This article was initially published in the 4/11/24 edition of our Concussion Update newsletter; please consider subscribing. The journal Neurochemistry International recently published a review that details the role of mitochondria in traumatic brain injury (TBI). Maintaining healthy mitochondria, known as mitostasis, is crucial for brain health due to the brain's high energy demands and reliance on mitochondria for energy production. Authors Hubbard et al. found that TBIs disrupt the natural balance of mitochondria function in the brain, leading to secon ..read more

By Camila Smith-Donald. This article was initially published in the 4/11/24 edition of our Concussion Update newsletter; please consider subscribing. As reported in a recent study, a massive open online course (MOOC) developed by Laval University (Quebec, Canada) offering education on concussion was found to have considerable success, suggesting courses like this could be an important tool for spreading concussion prevention and treatment information in the future. Authors Fremont et al. write that MOOCs are ideal for disseminating widely relevant public health information with mini ..read more

By Nancy Cullen. This article was initially published in the 8/24/23 edition of our Concussion Update newsletter; please consider subscribing. While the Women’s World Cup has just ended, there was a new introduction to the state of play for the tournament: concussion spotters. An article by Daniel Walker in The Conversation explains that concussion spotters are certified athletic trainers not tied to any specific team––in this World Cup, the concussion spotters worked remotely. Their purpose is to identify potential concussions that have gone unnoticed by officials. T ..read more

By Sravya Valiveti. This article was initially published in the 8/24/23 edition of our Concussion Update newsletter; please consider subscribing. Researchers Joel M. Garrett et al. conducted a systematic review to understand the relationship between neck strength and future incidence of a sports-related concussion in athletes participating in team sports.  Their review, published in the Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy, focused on studies of team sports and those that reported measures of neck strength and sports-related concussion incidence. The research team co ..read more

By Fadhil Hussain. This article was initially published in the 8/24/23 edition of our Concussion Update newsletter; please consider subscribing. Cannabis use is becoming more common in athletics as cannabis legalization increases and restrictions loosen in sports leagues. Kalbfell et al. aimed to discover whether chronic cannabis use would protect the brain from acute subconcussive head impacts or worsen their effects. The key findings showed that players who used cannabis regularly had better eye focus ability and lower levels of brain inflammation compared to the non-cannabis grou ..read more

By Keya Mockencherry. This article was initially published in the 8/24/23 edition of our Concussion Update newsletter; please consider subscribing. A study published in JAMA Network Neurology found that “repetitive heading during a professional soccer career is associated with an increased risk of cognitive impairment later in life” and self-reported dementias in retired male professional soccer players. Authors Espahbodi et al. note that previous research provides evidence that repeated subconcussive trauma caused by heading a soccer ball has a cumulative damagi ..read more