The Detrimental Cognitive Effects of Concussions on College Athletes
Sports for high school students have remained an integral part of American culture. Rightfully so, as sports have many mental, physical, and social benefits. Many studies have supported the positive correlation between school performance and sports participation. According to a study called the National Education Longitudinal Study (NELS), they found that “participation in school-sponsored athletics is associated with a 2 percent increase in math and science test scores,” in addition to finding that “club participation is associated with a 1 percent increase in math test scores,” and “involvement in either in sports or clubs is associated with a 5 percent increase in Bachelor’s degree attainment expectations.” In addition, high school students that participate in sports tend to feel a sense of belonging more than those who don’t, according to the National Federation of State High School Associations. Although there are definite positives to participation in high school and college sports, there are detrimental mental and physical ailments associated with rigorous sports activity as well, especially in football, due to the high risk of concussions.
Concussions are alarmingly normalized in high-impact high school and college sports, such as football. Considered a mild brain injury, concussions are caused by a hard blow to the head, causing significant cognitive impairments. Despite the worrisome symptoms of vomiting, dizziness, and temporary lack of consciousness, there is no immediate cure. Football athletes at a more serious level, such as in high school and college, can acquire a concussion due to excessive tackling, violent falls, and so on due to the violent nature of the sport. According to the Brain Injury Research Institute, football athletes obtain brain injuries every 1 out of 5.5 games, and 10% to 20% of athletes get brain injuries throughout their high school career. These are jarring statistics since the number of concussion cases in the ER has increased by 200% for kids as young as 8 to 13 years old, as reported by the American Academy of Pediatrics. What makes concussions so detrimental for the youth is the devastating physical and mental effects it has.
The cognitive effects of concussions are harmful, not only due to the short-term immediate effects of brain injuries, but also due to the gradual long-term effects. Most youth that experience the immediate effects of concussion don’t pursue further medical treatment and this can be due to a multitude of factors. One consequence from concussions is the time-off required from school. According to the Journal of Pediatrics, 80% of high school athletes can recover from a single concussion in 3 weeks, and although this may seem like a short amount of time, having doctors’ orders to stay home from school can impede on in-class learning. Research on the long-term physical effects of mild brain injuries on the developing brain includes impaired memory and learning processes. According to the research presented in the Journal of Neuroma, entitled, “Repetitive Mild Traumatic Brain Injury in the Developing Brain: Effects on Long-Term Functional Outcome and Neuropathology,” their research corresponds with these notions, claiming that “Our data, however, show that deficits in memory retention and fear learning—that is not confounded by increased anxiety or risk-taking behavior—occur at adulthood after experiencing rmTBI during development.” Furthermore, although developing brains are able to recover “faster,” the continual brain damage caused by high-impact sports has a detrimental effect on learning pathways in the brain.
In conclusion, the cognitive ailments that are caused by concussions acquired in high-impact high school and college sports are devastatingly negative on the developing brain. Although a single concussion may not be fatal, the effects of continual damage to youths’ brains are harmful to their performance in and out of school. The significance of these findings is to try and decrease the inevitable damage from sports-related concussions, as there is still no direct cure for mild brain injuries. As of right now, doctors require patients with concussions to rest. As Dr. Mark Burns states, “it is good news that the brain can recover from a hit if given enough time to rest and recover. But on the flip side, we find that the brain does not undertake this rebalancing when impacts come too close together.” Physical and cognitive rest allows brain plasticity, which essentially means cognitive healing. Without such rest the Journal of Pediatrics states that “engaging in activities requiring high levels of physical exertion after a concussion is associated with greater impairment on neurocognitive testing and higher symptom endorsement.”
References:
Emin Fidan, Jesse Lewis, Anthony E. Kline, Robert H. Garman, Henry Alexander, Jeffrey P. Cheng, Corina O. Bondi, Robert S.B. Clark, Cameron Dezfulian, Patrick M. Kochanek, Valerian E. Kagan, and Hülya Bayır.Journal of Neurotrauma.Apr 2016.641-651. http://doi.org/10.1089/neu.2015.3958
Fox, Claudia K. et al. “Physical Activity and Sports Team Participation: Associations with Academic Outcomes in Middle and High School Students.” Journal of School Health 80.1 (2010): 31‐37.
Newman, Tim. “Rest After Concussion To Avoid 'Sustained Brain Damage'.” Medical News Today, MediLexicon International, 5 Feb. 2016, www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/306082.
Moser, Rosemarie Scolaro et al. Efficacy of Immediate and Delayed Cognitive and Physical Rest for Treatment of Sports-Related Concussion. The Journal of Pediatrics, Volume 161, Issue 5, 922 - 926.
Rodrigo. “Sports Concussion Statistics.” HCC- Best Anti Concussion Helmets & Devices, HCC- Best Anti Concussion Helmets & Devices, 6 Jan. 2020, www.headcasecompany.com/concussion_info/stats_on_concussions_sports.
