The excellent article by Anthony Marchie and Michael Cusimano1 highlighted the fact that even minor concussions are serious injuries. The authors recommend caution in deciding when or whether hockey players should return to play after a concussion. This principle should apply to athletes in all sports, not just ice hockey. Traumatic brain injury can occur in a variety of sports,2 and other sports with high risks for head injury include boxing, football, wrestling, soccer and rugby.3 For example, one study showed evidence of neuropsychological impairment in amateur soccer players,4 whose performance on tests of planning and memory was inferior to that of amateur athletes involved in swimming and track. As pointed out by Marchie and Cusimano,1 physicians need to educate the public about brain injury and help to reduce the risk of our youth experiencing permanent cognitive deficits as a result of sports.
Stephen D. Anderson Clinical Associate Professor Department of Psychiatry Faculty of Medicine University of British Columbia Vancouver, BC
References
- 1.Marchie A, Cusimano MD. Bodychecking and concussions in ice hockey: Should our youth pay the price? [editorial]. CMAJ 2003;169(2):124-8. [PMC free article] [PubMed]
- 2.Corsellis JA. Brain damage in sport. Lancet 1976; 1:401-2. [PubMed]
- 3.Wojtys EM, Hovda D, Landry G. Current concepts. Concussion in sports. Am J Sports Med 1999; 27(5):676-87. [DOI] [PubMed]
- 4.Matser EJ, Kessels AG, Lezak MD, Jordan BD, Troost J. Neuropsychological impairment in amateur soccer players. JAMA 1999;282(10):971-3. [DOI] [PubMed]