Athletes in Florida face the risk of concussions during play. Physicians have traditionally considered this type of brain trauma to be a short-term injury, but a study has shown long-term impacts. Researchers at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto compared MRI results between student athletes that had experienced a concussion and those who had not. Data collected from the 43 athletes indicated that the brain size and blood flow pattern had changed for concussion victims.
These negative effects appeared months and sometimes years later. The lead author of the study said that brain changes are expected immediately after a blow to the head. The brain scans, however, suggested that the changes can persist. According to the study, the athletes with a concussion history experienced a 10 percent to 20 percent loss of volume in the frontal lobe. This brain area manages problem solving, speech and decision making.
Other brain researchers have linked loss of brain volume to emotional volatility, difficulty with thinking and trouble walking. For a person who has already experienced a concussion, the lead author of the athlete brain study said that brain changes could increase the risks of depression, cognitive impairments or future brain injury.
In addition to the body blows that athletes experience, a brain injury could strike a person because of an anesthesia error or car accident. Traumatic brain injuries can lead to permanent disability. If a person has suffered such an outcome due to another person’s negligence, then an attorney could be of assistance in seeking compensation for the losses that have been incurred.