Concussions In Sports Psychology

Dr. Bennet Omalu is a Pathologist in Pittsburgh who studies the brain. While working here, Dr.Omalu discovered a new disorder that he named Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, also known as CTE. Omalu did not discover this disorder until he did an autopsy on a former NFL Pittsburgh Steeler Football player, Mike Webster, who died at the age of Fifty. Webster was living out of his car, he would tase himself with a taser just to go to sleep. He was suffering from severe back pain, dementia,depression, and amnesia. He became angry with his wife and was very confused about a lot of things, he could barely answer any questions because of the loss of memory. Dr.Omalu figured out that this was a normal brain and all he wanted to do was “fix this brain”.
Estimates regarding the chance of an athlete in contact sport experiencing a concussion may be as high as 19% per season. Common signs reported by athletes that has suffered from a concussion may include: headaches, nausea, dizziness, blurred vision, sensitivity to light or noise, and loss of memory. Acute evaluation continues with the assessment of concussions. First, the athlete should establish the presence of any loss or other alteration of consciousness (LOC). LOC is relatively rare. LOC can be very tricky. Athletes may lose consciousness very briefly and it may not be directed by others. LOC represents a state of brief coma in which the eyes are closed and the athlete is unresponsive. The most common is when the athlete makes no attempt to brace him or her from falling, due to a blow to the head. CT,MRI, and EEG tests are not useful in identifying the effects of a concussion. Usually the
Athletes who are not fully recovered from their first initial concussion are significantly vulnerable for a recurrent cumulative second concussion. (www.neurosurgery.pitt.edu/centers-excellence/brain-and-spine-injury/concussions). Concussions are graded as grade one (mild), grade two (moderate), and grade three (severe). With grade one, symptoms last about fifteen minutes and no loss of consciousness. Having a grade two concussion, symptoms last over fifteen minutes and if the athlete has a grade three concussion, they lose consciousness, just for a few seconds. The seriousness of a concussion dictates what type of medical attention the person should seek. Most people who have a concussion usually recovers after they get the proper medical attention.