Issue link: https://tmcpulse.uberflip.com/i/778575
t m c » p u l s e | j a n / f e b 2 0 1 7 28 28 "We need to rethink how football is played at the younger levels. Should a high school player be playing both sides of the ball? How young can they start tackling?" Because the human brain is not fully devel- oped until an individual reaches age 25, children and teenagers take longer to recover from con- cussions than adults and are more vulnerable to serious, long-lasting brain injuries. Podell and his team use a cognitive assess- ment tool called Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT) at more than 350 schools and organizations across the greater Houston area. The test measures the severity of a concussion by analyzing the ath- lete's attention span, reaction time, memory and problem-solving abilities. The results of the test are compared to the student's pre-injury baseline test, administered prior to the start of the sports season, to determine the best course of treatment. "You really can't see a concussion, unlike a broken arm or something else that you can visually see and appreciate," said Margie Venus, Luke's mother. "You can't see the brain when it's My allegiance and my concern is for the health and well- being of my patients, presently and in the future. How that affects the continuation of the sport or the team, I really don't care. — KENNETH PODELL, PH.D. Director of the Houston Methodist Concussion Center and neuropsychological consultant for the Houston Texans, Houston Astros, Houston Dynamos, Houston Dash and Rice University Athletics REPEAT DAMAGE A common misconception is that a single concussion can cause life- altering or long-term permanent damage to the brain, said Kenneth Podell, Ph.D., director of the Houston Methodist Concussion Center. "We're not sure that's the case, though," Podell said. "In fact, the evi- dence suggests that most people over- whelmingly can recover from a single concussion without significant or noticeable effects." But the damage from repeated concussions takes an irreparable toll on the body. The 2015 film, Concussion, starring Will Smith, fueled widespread media attention on the degenerative brain disease known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy, which is caused by repeated blows to the head. The condition, more commonly known as CTE, is characterized by a build-up of the tau protein in the areas of the brain that regulate mood, cognition and motor function. CTE can only be diagnosed posthumously. Many who suffer from CTE exhibit mental deterio- ration, including disorientation, mem- ory loss, depression, erratic behavior, dementia and thoughts of suicide. A recent study by researchers at Boston University showed that, of the 94 former NFL players autopsied, more than 95 percent tested positive for CTE. Among the collective group of individu- als who played professional, semi-profes- sional, college or high school football, 79 percent received the same diagnosis. But the condition is still shrouded in mystery. Doctors and researchers are investigating CTE to better understand its pathology and to determine exactly how many hits to the head it takes to cause the degenerative brain disease. Recently, the University Inter- scholastic League announced a new effort to track brain injuries among high school athletes in Texas. The study aims to determine the frequency of concussions throughout the state in order to gauge the effectiveness of the new game rules, new equipment and new recovery strategies designed to protect young athletes. CTE :