An Evaluation of Concussions Research Paper

Introduction

The sporting culture is largely populated by young men and women. The youth have the anatomy and energy for such strenuous activities. Unfortunately, the pomp of the sporting culture comes with a certain amount of risk. The performance of athletes, for instance, is dependent on their health status. To this end, health hazards like concussions are some of the risks involved in a sporting activity. According to Buzzini and Guskiewicz (2006), there is an increase in the number of concussions cases among athletes. In this regard, the current proposal a research on current study is prompted by the numerous findings from various peer reviewed studies.

An article, appearing in the Journal of Neurosurgery illustrates that children as young as the high school age suffer from concussions due to their athletic activities (Lovell et al., 2003). In this regard, the study will describe concussions with respect to their. In addition, the study will illustrate some instances where young athletes account for a significant number of the reported concussion cases.

Topic

A concussion is an injury that affects the normal functioning of an individual’s brain. According to Patel et al. (2005), a concussion is brought about when an individual encounters a huge blow or impact to their head. In the case of athletes, concussions result when they hit a hard surface. Patel et al. (2005) point out that concussions can emerge in cases when one still has their consciousness. Such a situation requires serious attentions from the relevant sporting authorities.

As previously mentioned, concussions are common among sporting professionals. The study by Patel et al. (2005) supports this opinion. Patel et al. (2005) hold the view that sport related injuries, like concussions, are some of the most common clinical cases. Athletes of an adolescent age are at risk of failure in the neuro-cognitive development of their brains. Patel et al. (2005) argue that at the ages of 12-15 years, an individual is still undergoing brain development. To this end, an athlete of a similar age is at risk of brain damage due to concussions.

Context

Young athletes are in danger with respect to their neural health. There are a number of studies which illustrate a spike in the number of concussion cases reported among athletes, especially in the American Football sport. According to Lovell et al. (2003), mild concussions among high school children were found to be a contributing factor for their memory lapses. In this regard, the study will be evaluated based on the thesis statement that, “the rise of the concussions culture is brought about by institutional failures”.

Objectives and Research Questions

The major objective of this study will be to ascertain the fact that young athletes are the individuals most affected by concussions. The study Patel et al. (2005) outlines the need for proper healthcare management systems. In this regard, the specific objectives of the study will be as follows:

1. To establish the link between age and brain damage.
2. To establish the preventive initiatives among athletes
3. To outline the effects of concussions to young athletes
4. To recommend better healthcare management among athletes.

The objectives outlined will be a response to the following research questions:

1. What is a concussion?
2. Is there a link between age and concussion cases among athletes?
3. Are there mechanisms in place to prevent or minimize the effects of concussions among athletes?
4. What are the effects of concussions to a young athlete?
5. What are some of the ways in which concussion cases can be managed among athletes?

Research Method

The study will adopt an exploratory and descriptive research approach. An exploratory approach helps a study to add the necessary information around a subject. As previously mentioned, cases of concussions have been studied extensively. To this end, there is no need for a quantitative research design. A qualitative design will be adopted for this study to hasten the research process. The study will rely on secondary sources of data. In this regard, peer reviewed articles will be the major source of the secondary data.

Audience

The study will be evaluating concussions among young athletes. To this end, the target audience will be college administrators and athletes. Patel et al. (2005) argue that institutions are the best audience for similar studies. The same allows for comprehensive policy development.

Evidence

The literature review will act as an extension of the background information, in chapter one. The section will to respond to the research questions posed. As mentioned earlier, Patel et al. (2005) cites concussion cases among adolescents. The literature review will provide the necessary information required to address the objectives of the study.

Information Gathered So Far

Concussion

A concussion, as already mentioned, is a brain injury. According to Lovell et al. (2003), concussions have a direct impact on the health status of the brain. The study by Patel et al. (2005) found that concussions can lead to memory losses among young adolescent athletes. For instance, in the game of ice hockey, a player can get hit on the head with a puck. The resultant impact is transferred to the brain. Considering the delicate nature of the brain, physiological functions can be greatly impeded.

A concussion is similar to other clinical cases which can only be diagnosed by the symptoms that present themselves. According to McCrea et al. (2004), concussions can be difficult to diagnose since they can vary from person to person. McCrea et al. (2004) point out that, concussions can fail to be noticed several days after an injury. To this end, extreme medical care is necessary to help ascertain whether an individual has a concussion or not.

The study by Patridge and Hall (2014) evaluated some of the advancements being made with respect to the management of concussions. Patridge and Hall (2014) argue that the difficulty in diagnosing the medical condition calls for advanced techniques. A similar position was held by Patel et al. (2005). According to Patel et al. (2005), extensive brain analysis is needed to establish the damage caused by a concussion. In this regard, Patridge and Hall (2014) recommend the use of neuropsychological tests to diagnose concussions.

Some of the most common symptoms of a concussion include headaches, confusion and balance problems. The study by Lovell et al. (2003) found that a number of athletes who ended up being diagnosed with a concussion experienced blurry or double vision and sleep problems. Patel et al. (2005) found that some athletes ended up suffering from depression. In their study, Patel et al. (2005) found that nausea, memory loss, and a sluggish feeling were some of the symptoms that concussion patients exhibited.

Links between concussion and age among athletes

Various sporting fields require the presence of young athletes considering their physiological advantages. Lovell et al. (2003), while evaluating the diagnosis procedures on the patients, found that teenage athletes ended up developing mood swings and insomnia due to concussions. McCrea et al. (2004) observed that while teenagers were at risk from head injuries older athletes also exhibited the symptoms of concussions. However, a comparison between the two age groups found that younger athletes exhibited greater effects of concussions compared to the older athletes.

The age of an athlete determines the extent in which the effects of a concussion can occur. The study by Patel et al. (2005) supports this position. According to Patel et al. (2005), argues that an evaluation of diagnostic procedures for concussion are best realized by getting various age set. In the study, Patel et al. (2005) carry out an analysis of how the Neuropsychological performance compares to the usual test performance with respect to the diagnosis of concussions. The findings of the study indicate a severity of brain damage among adolescent athletes.

The brain of a young individual develops up to the time they get to the age of 15. According to McLeod et al. (2004), most athletes in hockey and football are teenagers. A survey carried out by Kent (and cited by Patel et al., 2005) found that adolescents experience the most injuries when hit on the head. Considering the developmental stages of their brains, adolescent athletes face the highest risk of facing concussions. In this regard McLeod et al. (2004) advocate for the use of a Balance Error Scoring System (BESS). Such a technique is crucial in repairing the damage done to young athletes in the event of a concussion.

Information to be Gathered

Healthcare for athletes

As previously mentioned, the performance of athletes is dependent on their respective healthcare conditions. For instance, the study by McLeod et al. (2004) points out that athletes deserve protective gear to minimize the chances of brain injury due to concussions. Unfortunately, there are some sporting associations that neglect such protective measures. The research initiative carried out by Patel et al. (2005) found that schools are not doing their best to manage the healthcare of their athletes.

There are various regulations for athletes when it comes to matters pertaining to their healthcare. According to Lovell et al. (2003), there is a limited literature on the subject of athletes’ healthcare. However, McLeod et al. (2004) points out various sporting agencies have put in place measures to address the healthcare of athletes. For instance, games where participants come into sharp contact with each other are required to put on protective gear. To this end, policy frameworks have been out in place to ensure that the safety of the athletes is given top priority.

Findings and Discussion

Proposed Findings

The study objectives are meant to evaluate concussions among young athletes. According to Patridge and Hall (2014), brain damage among athletes varies depending on an individual’s age. From the literature review, it is apparent that adolescents experience the most injuries when faced with a sever hit to the head. The study by Patel et al. (2005), adds more substance to the subject. Consequently, adolescent athletes are the individuals who are most at risk when it comes to suffering concussions. The findings will be subjected to a comparative analysis.

Discussion

The discussions are necessary in identifying the missing links of a study. To this end, the current proposal seeks information from past studies by reviewing their findings. The proposal will help add information needed to recommend formulation of policies touching on matters to do with athletes and injuries. According to McLeod et al. (2004), the study aims at expanding the existing knowledge on matters touching on concussions.

Conclusion

The proposed study will come up with a number of recommendations with respect to concussions among young athletes. The concluding section of the study will restate its objectives. McLeod et al. (2004) concluded their study with a reminder of the missing links that require more research. To this effect, the proposed study will evaluate the findings and argue out whether institutional failure is to blame for the rising cases of concussions among young or athletes.

References

Buzzini, S., & Guskiewicz, K. (2006). Sport-related concussion in the young athlete. Current Opinion in Pediatrics, 18(4), 376-382.

Lovell, M., Collins, M., Grant, I., Field, M., Maroon, J., Cantu, R.,…Fu, H. (2003). Recovery from mild concussion in high school athletes. Journal of Neurosurgery, 98(2), 296-301.

McCrea, M., Hammeke, T., Olsen, G., Leo, P., & Guskiewicz, K. (2004). Unreported concussion in high school football players: Implications for prevention. Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine, 14(1), 13-17.

McLeod, T., Perrin, D., Guskiewicz, K., Shultz, S., Diamond, R., & Gansneder, B. (2004). Serial administration for clinical concussion assessments and learning effects in healthy young athletes. Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine, 14, 287-295.

Patel, D., Vandashana, S., & Baker, R. (2005). Management of sports related concussion in young athletes. Sports Medicine, 35(8), 671-684.

Patridge, B., & Hall, W. (2014). Conflicts of interest in recommendations to use computerized neuropsychological tests to manage concussion in professional football codes. Neuroethics, 7(1), 63-74.