Athletes with Concussions Are Being Sent Back into Games

June 29, 2024 TruthUSA

According to medical researchers, sideline concussion tests are often ineffective, sometimes resulting in false positives and, more critically, missed concussions.

One method of removing an opposing player from a football game involves initiating helmet-to-helmet contact and hoping that they fail their sideline concussion evaluation.

If a player fails the test, they will be taken out of the game and not allowed to return.

A recent study suggests that the standard concussion testing method is flawed, resulting in false positives for some athletes, while others with concussions are mistakenly deemed healthy.

Dr. Kimberly Harmon, the lead author of the study and a sports medicine professor at the University of Washington (UW) School of Medicine, noted, “If you don’t do well on the cognitive exam, it suggests you have a concussion. But many concussed people do fine on the exam. Some people weren’t concussed and they didn’t do well, so I thought we should study it.”

Dr. Harmon and her research team, who conduct sideline tests at UW football games, set out to determine the accuracy of the Sport Concussion Assessment Tool (SCAT), which includes tasks like recalling a list of words.

The initial step of the SCAT test involves athletes reporting 22 symptoms, such as headaches, blurred vision, and nausea, and answering basic questions about time and date to evaluate mental orientation.

A concussion is classified as a traumatic brain injury resulting from a forceful impact to the head, neck, or upper body, or sudden changes in head movement. Common symptoms include headaches, dizziness, ringing in the ears, and memory loss related to the injury incident. While symptoms can persist for days, most people fully recover over time.

The Study

The study on concussion testing included 92 athletes from Division 1 universities who underwent evaluation for concussion within 48 hours between July 13, 2020, and Dec. 31, 2022. The study also involved 92 teammates of the concussed athletes as control subjects. The athletes with concussions comprised individuals from various sports, with 48 men and 44 women as participants.

According to the NCAA, all athletes must undergo baseline concussion tests for comparison with post-injury assessments. The study revealed that recalling a list of words was not effective in diagnosing concussions, with nearly half of concussed athletes performing at or above their pre-injury word recall levels.

A Controversial Topic

The issue of brain injuries in sports is contentious due to the significant revenue generated by athletic programs at universities and professional sports leagues like the NFL and NHL. Athletes often rely on their health to continue their careers and accrue financial benefits from participation.

Assessments based on athletes’ self-reporting of symptoms and cognitive abilities may be influenced by the desire to return to play or external pressures to win.

Decisions regarding an athlete’s return to play should be guided by the team physician, as highlighted in a consensus statement authored by 16 physicians and published in May in the American College of Sports Medicine journal.

Dr. Margot Putukian, chief medical officer for Major League Soccer, emphasized the challenges of sideline concussion assessment in a 2017 literature review, stressing the importance of clinical judgment and familiarity with the athlete.

The Difficulty of Sideline Assessments

Accurately assessing concussions on the sidelines is complex due to the varying symptoms reported by athletes and the time-pressured environment for making decisions. Athletes may not disclose certain symptoms, making it challenging to distinguish between concussion-related issues and other causes.

Dr. Putukian recommended erring on the side of caution in sideline assessments, considering symptoms as concussion-related until further evaluation, and removing the athlete from play for a comprehensive assessment.

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