Balance Error Scoring System

Head injuries, including concussions, particularly in the game of American football, have become a subject of deep concern, much study and even Congressional hearings in the United States.

Feeling dizzy or disoriented after any collision is typical and usually lasts for a few seconds before regaining balance. However, feeling dizzy after a hit to the head is a reason to stop practicing and to receive medical attention. It is typical of athletes to ignore a key sign of a concussion, like dizziness, because the symptom clears up in minutes. Many injured athletes do not know that even if the symptom is resolved after a few minutes, that damage to the brain could still be present. If athletes return to play after experiencing symptoms, they are putting themselves at risk for further brain swelling and nerve damage.

Some symptoms that lead to a diagnosed concussion, especially early on include: headaches, loss of consciousness, pressure in the head, dizziness, amnesia, confusion ("What are signs of a Concussion?", 2015). Other early signs of a concussion also include, nausea, vomiting, ringing in the ears, delayed response to questions, slurred speech, appearing dazed and fatigue ("What are signs of a Concussion?", 2015). Symptoms for concussions, seen hours or days after the initial injury can include; irritability and other personality changes, concentration and memory complaints, sensitivity to light and noise, psychological adjustment problems, depression, sleep disturbances, and disorders of taste and smell ("What are signs of a Concussion?", 2015). Athletes displaying these symptoms, make a diagnose for a medical professional easier, which allows for better treatment opportunities ("What are signs of a Concussion?", 2015). For medical professionals being able to recognize these symptoms not only helps to keep an athlete out of further harm, but also helps with that athlete’s treatment and ability to stay clear of any adverse effects for the rest of their life from sustaining a concussion ("What are signs of a Concussion?", 2015).

What is your name? How old are you? Do you know where you are? These simple questions can go unanswered to people who have suffered a concussion. A concussion is defined as, “a complex pathophysiological process affecting the brain induced by traumatic biomechanical forces” (qtd. in Rivera 1). Concussions are most commonly caused by direct force, or trauma, to the head. A concussion, “causes temporary loss of brain function leading to cognitive, physical and emotional symptoms, such as confusion, vomiting, headache, nausea, depression, disturbed sleep, moodiness, and amnesia” (Nordqvist 1). Concussions are common in all sports due to the competitiveness and physicalities that come with the game. College sports include some of the highest rates of concussions with so many competitive athletes in their programs. Concussions are a growing issue in all college sports due to their increasing prevalence, the negligence of severity from the NCAA and coaches, and the long-term mental damage college athletes face.

There are multiple symptoms associated with the receiving of a concussion, but there are three that are outstandingly common among the general population of victims of concussions. Those include sensory changes and deficits, emotional difficulties like depression, and an overall reduction in cognitive functioning. According to Moore, Broglio, and Hillman, a concussion is defined as “a complex pathophysiological process affecting the brain, induced by traumatic biomechanics forces.” Sport-Related Concussion and Sensory Function in Young Adults Simply stated, this means that a concussion is an injury that results from a traumatic blow to the brain. In recent years, concussions have been a popular topic in the media. Whether it be with regards

Many scientists, doctors, and institutions have been experimenting on head injuries such as concussions. The Stanford researchers have equipped football players, martial arts fighters, and local boxers with sensor-laden mouth guards**. Apparently, they have been designed to measure “rotational accelerations on the head, roll, pitch, and yawn”. This is a big advancement because now it may be a lot easier to analyze this brain injury due to the fact that the data will be more detailed. It is known that a concussion can affect the Corpus callosum. This structure manages one's ability to perceive objects. Just like alcohol impairs a person's visual judgement, concussions can do the same. Studies have proven that although a majority of concussions

A concussion is an mTBI that affects brain function and is caused by a single blow or violent shaking of the head or upper body (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2017). Most sport-related head injuries are minor and although the majority of athletes who suffer a concussion recover within a few days or weeks, a small number of individuals develop long-lasting or progressive symptoms. This is especially true in cases of repetitive concussion or mTBI in which at least 17% of individuals develop CTE (McKee et al., 2015). The incidence rates recorded thus far for concussions is highly likely to be a very conservative number and seriously under-estimates the true incidence. Reasons for this being that: a) reports by associations tend to only record athletes who experience a loss of consciousness (LOC) and b) players and coaches usually lack awareness of or minimize symptoms of

Numerous athletes have been found to sustain long term health issues after head trauma or in some cases have lost their lives due to the damage from an injury. Many different people play a role in the athlete’s decision to return to play, therefore resulting in these different parties potentially being liable for any future injuries if the athlete does not take the required amount of time off. Because of insufficient healing time, when concussion victims age, there is a noticeable deterioration in their health and overall ease of movement. As their lives go on, the symptoms they first experienced when they got the concussion seem minimal, because the effects may be worsening as the years pass. If a person continues to play in sports that requires constant physical contact even after receiving multiple concussions, or even just a single severe one, they will most likely experience life-long effects . Some of the effects that may occur long term post-concussion may include daily migraines, mild to severe memory loss and the inability to focus or attain information. These risks can have a major effect on one’s standard of living as they are lacking crucial ability to function in society. One of the leading Canadian cases of insufficient resting time resulting in serious injury

Concussions are a problem that nearly all athletes competing in a contact sport will go through. Whether it be boxers, hockey players, skateboarders, or football players, most can usually recognize a concussion. Some say they “See Lights,” or “Hear Ringing,” with over 3000,000 concussions happening in football yearly, concussions can also occur in sports such as gymnastics, cycling, and even martial arts. A concussion by definition is a traumatic brain injury caused by a blow to one’s head by either a fall, bump, or other injury that results in the shaking of the brain within the skull. It is important to understand what a concussion is, so you can prevent possible long term affects to one’s cognitive

Like all sports, the ability to think the game and mentally prepare is arguably the most important aspect. After suffering a concussion, players often explain to doctors and trainers feelings of cloudiness and the inability to think without distraction. As a result this can lead to a decrease in major areas that directly correlate to player performance.

Concussion diagnosis is assessed through a variety of subjective clinical assessment tools (ex: SCAT3, SAC, BESS, Symptom checklists).17 These clinical assessment tools are often subjective in nature and largely rely on the patients’ test performance. Researchers are currently seeking out appropriate advanced concussion assessment approaches that are more objective. The following essay will outline Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI), Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS), Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) and Electroencephalography (EEG) as advanced imaging tools that researchers have used to outline the effects of concussion on the brain.

Many private companies and researchers have taken the issue of concussions head on. Research has drastically increased throughout the 21st century. In the words of Mark Lovell PhD. founding director of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Sports Medicine Concussion Program, “90% of what we know about concussions we’ve learned in the past five years.” These private researchers have taken different approaches to solving the issue but they are all working to achieve one goal: the reduction of concussions and the prevention of their long-term effects.

The authors of the article called “Comparison of the Balance Accelerometer Measure and Balance Error Scoring System in Adolescent concussions in Sports” are known as Furman, G. R., Lin, C. C., Bellanca, J. L., Marchetti, G. F., Collins, M. W., & Whitney, S. L. According to this article there is an average of 1.4 million cases of brain injuries reported in the United States a year. Sport related concussion play a huge part in this concussion. According the international conference on concussions the most common aspects of a concussion to be tested are dizziness, headache, poor sleep and emotional problems. The most popular symptom to test for a concussion is for dizziness. This is because it helps determine if there is any balance problems. If there is any balance problems it can indicate that might be affecting the central nervous system or the inner ear mechanism.

It is also not uncommon for the athlete to not show any symptoms until hours or days after the initial incident (CDC).There are many recognizable signs that result from a concussion including; slurred speech, poor concentration, personality changes, inappropriate emotions and playing behavior, decreased playing ability, along with confusion and feeling disoriented (Children’s Memorial Hospital). The most observable symptoms are headaches that do not seem to get any better, pressure felt in the head, balance problems, dizziness, nausea, sensitivity to light and noise, hearing problems and ringing in the ears. The athlete may also feel “dinged”, “foggy”, or “dazed”, and may see stars, flashing lights, or have double vision. The list continues with vomiting, irritability, weakness in limbs, a vacant stare, a glassy-eyed stare, slow to answer questions or follow directions, sleep disturbances, and the most obvious, loss of consciousness (Children’s Memorial Hospital). It is important to keep in mind that an athlete may or may not have any or all of these symptoms. All athletes are different and it may take a while for some of these signs to become noticeable.

NHL players suffer concussions at a very high rate. In 1997, the number of concussions among NHL players suffered during games was reported at 559. This does not include incidences where the player didn’t inform the team physician of symptoms that he was having, which would have made this number a lot higher. Players actually lost consciousness in 18% of these cases. Fortunately, there has been a significant improvement in these numbers over the last several years. The rates that these injuries are occurring have