HealthDay (3/13, Thompson ) reports a new study suggests that “concussed college athletes had brain changes that remained visible in brain scans up to a year after they’d been cleared to return to play.” Athletes participating in the study “had MRI scans taken before their seasons began, as well as five days, one to three months, and a year after returning to play following a concussion. Concussed players still showed signs of brain injury in MRI scans taken an average five days after concussion, when they’d been cleared to resume play, results show.” Researchers noted “those signs of brain injury lasted for up to one year later.” In addition, “players with concussion had significantly reduced blood flow in their brain’s fronto-insular cortex, a region that helps control thinking, memory, emotion and social behavior.” While researchers said “this lower blood flow diminished over time,” it was “still detectable a year after their concussion.” The study was published in Neurology.
Related Links:
— “Concussion Damage Lingers In Athletes’ Brains Up To A Year,” Dennis Thompson, HealthDay, March 13, 2025