Concerns about injuries sustained during tackle football are growing among parents nationwide. Having grown up with a football coach for a dad, I spent countless hours in stadiums immersed in the sport. Now, with my younger brothers playing high school football, I find myself as a neuroscience student wondering about the long-term impact of such an intense sport on their developing brains.
The paper titled Dynamic Cognitive Inhibition in the Context of Frustration: Increasing Racial Representation of Adolescent Athletes Using Mobile Community-Engaged EEG Methods, presented by Dr. Cailin Hudac explored changes in cognitive inhibition after concussive events by monitoring changes in the brain’s N2 component using EEG. The study also addresses the exclusion of black adolescents in neuroscience research reporting that EEG procedures are often not inclusive. They reported that the amplitude of the N2 component decreased during frustration and that athletes with a history of concussion showed weaker responses to frustration, which aligns with reduced cognitive inhibition. This study identified that concussions could lead to lasting effects on cognitive inhibition which emphasizes education for athletes, coaches, and parents alike when it comes to the risks of tackle football.
A news article titled Concussions Slow Brain Activity in High School Football Players reports that high school football players who experienced a concussion exhibited a “slowing” of their aperiodic brain activity in comparison to players who did not suffer a concussion. It was noted that this research was being reported at the Radiological Society of North America and is still early. Reports like this are influencing states to start implementing rules that football players should take time off to fully recover from their concussions before returning to the game.
Both of these resources highlight the critical importance of prioritizing the health of athletes. Adolescents who are navigating vital stages of physical and mental development should put their health before anything else.
No comments:
Post a Comment