The Times West Virginian

Opinion

August 26, 2010

Head injuries must never be taken lightly at any level

For the Times West Virginian

FAIRMONT — It’s time for the lights to go on Friday night in stadiums across the state.

And we’re glad that the Secondary School Activities Commission is shedding some light on the risks of concussions, as well as taking some steps to make sure that student athletes are medically evaluated before returning to the field.

In years past, a blow to the head might “ring your bell” and mean a few minutes on the bench to recover. But we know so much more about the brain than we used to.

We know that repeated injuries can cause brain damage. Sometimes called “punch-drunk syndrome,” longterm symptoms of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) are cognitive impairment, dementia, depression and memory loss. The SSAC now requires that athletes suspected of suffering a head injury be evaluated immediately by a health professional. Executive Director Gary Ray said in the past concussions were treated as general injuries where athletes were removed from the field and often allowed to return to play. The former regulations only required that athletes be removed from play if they were unconscious or apparently unconscious.

Now a trained medical professional has to make the call, whether it be a medical doctor, osteopath, chiropractor, registered nurse practitioner, physician’s assistant or registered certified athletic trainer. And if none are available to evaluate the athlete, he cannot return to the game.

West Virginia University’s Center for Excellence in Disabilities is working with the SSAC to produce sideline cards and posters to help coaches and families identify the warning signs of concussions.

Each year across the country, high school football players suffer between 43,000 to 67,000 concussions. Returning to the field with a concussive injury can be fatal — neurologists say that the “second blow” is often the cause of death in athletic-related fatalities after an untreated injury. Physical and metal rest is the only “cure” for a concussion.

But as we saw after the December death of former West Virginia University standout and Cincinnati Bengals receiver Chris Henry, CTE can only be diagnosed posthumously, but the dangers are real.

“It’s not just about concussions,” said Dr. Bennet Omalu told Newsday earlier this week. “It’s about repeated blows to the head. Helmets do not prevent concussions or sub-concussions, because they don’t stop the brain from bumping around in the skull. We have to take the head out of the game.”

Omalu is a forensic neuropathologist who has studied the brains of nine former NFL players after their deaths. Some of that research has led the NFL to adopt an informational campaign for its players highlighting the risk of CTE.

Last week, the NFL announced that posters will be hung in all 32 locker rooms that warn players of the longterm risks of head trauma.

But it all starts on the fields of high school stadiums. We can’t continue to support a “put-me-in-coach” post-injury method. If we promote an environment where head injuries are taken seriously, we may one day see a decline in the occurrence of CTE.

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