2024-09-20 17:51:00
Any blow to the head can be dangerous
A study from the University of Montreal shows that receiving strong blows to the head causes brain damage, even when there is no conflict.
The research team reached this conclusion by measuring the intensity of 20 college athletes before and after a full football game, using transcranial magnetic stimulation. Compared to baseline measurements, soccer players who received a 40-g force (equivalent to 40 times Earth’s gravity) showed cortical distortion.
The data suggest that smoking that does not produce symptoms can trigger a neurometabolic cascade similar to a concussion. This cascade is caused by a change in the delicate balance between glutamate, the brain’s primary excitatory neurotransmitter responsible for triggering nerve impulses, and GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid), the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter responsible for muscle relaxation. When this balance changes, the brain enters an energy crisis that can lead to the death of neurons.
The neurochemical imbalance usually lasts for days or weeks and its duration may be related to the severity of the symptoms. However, repeated activation of the excitatory neurometabolic cascade, which is associated with repeated effects in contact sports, can lead to long-term changes in the homeostasis between glutamate and GABA. This can cause symptoms that affect memory, balance, and mood. In addition, concussion symptoms tend to worsen with age, as the aging process reduces brain power.
It is thought that repeated imbalances between glutamate and GABA may increase the risk of developing neurological diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), chronic cerebral encephalopathy (CTE), and mood disorders.
Those who are hit in the head but do not have stroke symptoms often remain calm. However, the results suggest that receiving one or more additional hits increases the excitotoxic response, making people more susceptible to suffering seizures over time.
Measuring mental performance and systematically monitoring head impacts may be useful for injury prevention in contact sports.
This study was published in the Journal of Neurosurgery.
#blow #dangerous