Late effects often due to head injuries in football

Long-term consequences of head injuries in football are underestimated

15/12/2014

Head injuries in football or other „Contact sports“ are not very rare. For sure, many people remember the final of the World Cup in Brazil when the German Christoph Kramer was knocked out of action. An expert advises to take such injuries more seriously.

Concussion in football
In football or other „Contact sports“ Concussions are a common injury. Such head injuries should be taken more seriously and the players should be given sufficient regeneration, brain researcher warn. Because with it late damage such as depression, memory disorders and memory weakness as well as premature mental degradation are brought to dementia in connection.

Damage can regress
Professor Peter Biberthaler, Head of the Department of Traumatology at the University Hospital on the right bank of the river Isar in Munich, explained to the „pharmacy magazine“ (12/2014 B): „Not only the extent of the violence seems to be problematic, but also its repetition frequency.“ Even though minor damage could basically recede, the time required for this is usually not kept in professional sports. „If it comes to a renewed injury, the brain will not recover at some point.“

Long-term health consequences
A study by the Universities of Marburg and Münster also came to the conclusion a few years ago that a concussion for those affected can result in long-term health consequences. The results showed that after six years the study participants showed moderate to severe impairments in various neuropsychological areas such as learning, memory or attention, but also in the so-called executive functions, such as making plans, setting goals or making decisions. (Ad)