Long Term Effects Of Repetitive Head Injury

It has long been suspected that repetitive head injury can have consequences well into the future

. Studies that have focused on athletes, in particular, have found correlation between repetitive head injury and brain disease occurring years later, long after their athletic careers are over.

Head injury is a term used to describe any trauma to the head, particularly to the brain. Head injuries may be caused by either penetrating or blunt trauma. Penetrating injuries, as the term implies, result when an object penetrates the skull. Bullets, knives and other sharp objects may cause this type of head injury. Blunt trauma occurs from a direct blow to the head or as a result of a decelerating force.

The symptoms of head injury vary, ranging from mild and transient effects to immediate death. Mild concussion often results from a fall or blunt trauma. Symptoms of a concussion may include a brief loss of conscience, nausea and vomiting, and blurred vision. Occasionally, concussions cause long term effects such as insomnia, difficulty with concentration or memory and irritability. Several studies have focused on post-concussion syndrome in athletes.

Now there is new evidence published in the Journal of Neuropathology and Experimental Neurology linking repetitive head injury with the development of Lou Gehrigs disease, also known as ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis). ALS is a progressive, usually fatal neurodegenerative disease affecting motor neurons. People who have ALS experience progressive weakening of their muscles, including muscles of the chest wall which eventually impedes breathing and causes death from asphyxiation.

The study focused on ten deceased former athletes, all of whom had sustained multiple concussions. Three of the athletes had been diagnosed with ALS. After studying the brains and spinal cords of the subjects, it was found that the three athletes who had ALS had proteins associated with ALS in both their spinal cords and brains. Previous studies have found that people who have never suffered a concussion do not have this protein in either their brain or spinal cord. In addition, this protein is not present in the spinal cords of people with ALS. The fact that the deceased athletes had this protein in both structures (brain and spinal cord) led researchers to conclude that the athletes had a condition similar to ALS, and that repetitive head injury was the likely cause of this condition.

The study was a small one, but the researchers involved in the study felt that the evidence was highly suggestive of a link between repetitive head injury and an ALS-like disease. More evidence is needed to strengthen the data.

Other studies have shown links between ALS and being a soccer player, football player or a military veteran, prompting interest in finding the reason why ALS occurs more frequently in these groups. This current study strengthens the idea that ALS, or an ALS-like condition, may be the result of head injury that is repetitive.

by: Mack Wilson

POST COMMENT

The Economic Impact Of Spinal Cord Injuries The Effects Of Brain Injury On Behavior Kids Injury Compensation Lawyers For Proper Representation Rental Trucks Amid High Fuel Prices Still Best Moving Value Adjusting to Life with Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Know What To Do To Avoid Damaging Your Personal Injury Claim Laser Hair Removal Injury Rural Drinking Water Safety Audit Findings Violent Three Issues 4 Reasons Victims Too Often Neglect To Hire A Personal Injury Lawyer Consumerinjurylawyers : Accutane Lawyers: Accutane Lawsuits Car Accidents Are Definitely Decreasing, But More Needs To Be Done Tool And Die: Injury Attorney Straight Talk A Money Making Scheme Of A Personal Injury Lawyer