Report Finds Research Gaps On Youth Concussion in Sports

摘要

A report released last week by the Institute of Medicine highlights large gaps in knowledge about sports-related concussions in youth. Most published research on these concussions has been conducted in adults, but it's dangerous to assume those findings can be mapped onto children, because of changes that occur during brain development. There's not yet enough scientific data to guide safety programs such as the Hit Count Initiative launched last year by the Sports Legacy Institute, which aims to set a threshold for a "safe" number of hits to the head, the report finds. Also unclear is the benefit of preventative measures such as wearing helmets-although they can prevent skull fractures, no available evidence suggests that they prevent concussion. Large, controlled, randomized studies will be needed to answer questions such as whether concussions sustained in childhood can result in long-term problems.