Protect Your Head: New Research Regarding Sports-Related Concussions

The National Institute of Health discovered that more than one million mild traumatic brain injuries occur each year within the United States. Professionals take these cases seriously because the human brain is the command center of the body. Although it is surrounded by a protective, bony shell and fluid that has the ability to absorb impact, the brain is composed of soft, sensitive tissues. Of the one million mild traumatic brain injuries, more than half occur in children participating in organized athletic events.  Common symptoms of concussions, a form of mild traumatic brain injury, include: loss of consciousness, headaches, amnesia, nausea, dizziness, confusion, balance and memory impairment, and light sensitivity, along with many others. With a recent dramatic increase in diagnosed concussions in athletes, researchers have set out to understand the effects of repeated head trauma, while also discovering potential biomarkers to properly detect brain injury.