A Historical Perspective on Sports Concussion: Where We Have Been and Where We Are Going

Abstract

The approach to sports concussion diagnosis and management has been evolving at an unprecedented rate over the last several years. So much so, that committees at all level of sports have implemented concussion protocols and made adjustments to certain league rules in an effort to minimize the risk of head injury. With this newfound attention has come an even greater push by the scientific community to address the many questions that remain. The aim of this review article is to present the topic of sports concussion by means of discreet eras. It begins by introducing the very first mentions of concussion, dating back to ancient Greece, to present day, highlighting important periods along the way. It then goes on to review emerging scientific data, from biomarkers and serum studies, to imaging modalities, and brain networking. All of which will hopefully contribute to both the diagnostic and therapeutic approach to sports concussion.

White matter changes in patients with mild traumatic brain injury: MRI perspective

“…Concussion has recently attracted considerable attention because of the injuries suffered by high school, college and professional players [ 23 , 24 ], and military personnel [ 25 ]. Concussion is generally considered to be the mildest form of mTBI.…”

Pilot single-centre cross-sectional study to determine emergency physicians’ knowledge and management of sports concussion: an experience from Singapore

“…(22) Over the past decade, there have been considerable advances in the medical management of this condition and it continues to evolve. (23) To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study assessing the knowledge and management of concussion by EPs in Singapore. In total, 52 clinicians among 65 EPs contacted for the survey responded, giving a response rate of 80%.…”

Multimodal Imaging of Retired Professional Contact Sport Athletes Does Not Provide Evidence of Structural and Functional Brain Damage

“…Although the long-term consequences of sport-related head injuries have received much attention, 1, 2, 41 many questions remain to be elucidated. For example, Trembley et al 17 found that retired athletes with a history of concussions exhibited widespread damage along many major association, interhemispheric, and projection tracts, using TBSS-DTI analysis, which were associated with cognitive symptoms.…”