Sports-related concussions not proved to cause later brain disease, says expert group

An expert committee of clinicians and researchers today called for an end to most types of bodychecking, a collision tactic, in youth ice hockey, and backed other changes for preventing and treating sports-related concussions. But the international panel offered no resolution to an especially controversial question in professional sports—the extent to which repetitive head injuries cause brain disease later in life—instead saying rigorous cohort studies are needed to prove a causal relationship. “We need … much better designed case control and cohort studies that include most importantly, careful control of the confounding variables,” said Robert Cantu, a neurosurgeon at Boston University School of Medicine and a co-author of a systematic review that addresses the question. Those conclusions drew fire from outside researchers who say the panel ignored compelling evidence that establishes a causal link. The panel, Concussion in Sport Group (CISG), funded by the International Olympic Committee and other international sports federations, periodically conducts systematic literature reviews to inform consensus statements that influence physicians and other practitioners worldwide. The group’s sixth consensus statement , published today in the British Journal of Sports Medicine , recommends banning bodychecking (a hit by a defensive player on a player carrying the puck) in most youth ice hockey and backing universal mouthguards in ...
Source: ScienceNOW - Category: Science Source Type: news