The Cost of Concussions in Sports

Ten concussions took a toll on a twenty-five-year-old football player whose brain was recently studied for chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) after he died from a heart infection ("Brain of Dead Football Player, 25, Showed CTE Damage after 10 Concussions," CBC News (Canada), January 4, 2016). The young man experienced his initial concussion when he was only eight. What is the effect of repetitive head injuries on the brain? Can amateur and professional athletes be protected from the potentially devastating hazards of head trauma?

Review selected hard copy/online library books related to brain concussions at LSC-CyFair Branch Library. Click the title of a listed item, select the "Place Hold" button in the listing, and enter your library card number and PIN for each title you want to request for pick up at the library.

Use these subject words and phrases to find more information in the library catalog:

• concussion brain
• head injuries
• sports injuries brain

Sports-Related Concussions in Youth: Improving the Science, Changing the Culture by Robert Graham, Frederick P. Rivara, Morgan A. Ford, and Carol Mason Spicer, Editors; Committee on Sports-Related Concussions in Youth; Board on Children, Youth, and Families; Institute of Medicine; National Research Council
National Academies Press, 2014
Online Full-Text (Note: No Login Required to Read Online)

"Sports-Related Concussions in Youth: Improving the Science, Changing the Culture reviews the science of sports-related concussions in youth from elementary school through young adulthood, as well as in military personnel and their dependents. This report recommends actions that can be taken by a range of audiences - including research funding agencies, legislatures, state and school superintendents and athletic directors, military organizations, and equipment manufacturers, as well as youth who participate in sports and their parents - to improve what is known about concussions and to reduce their occurrence. Sports-Related Concussions in Youth finds that while some studies provide useful information, much remains unknown about the extent of concussions in youth; how to diagnose, manage, and prevent concussions; and the short- and long-term consequences of concussions as well as repetitive head impacts that do not result in concussion symptoms." - publisher summary excerpt

League of Denial: The NFL, Concussions, and the Battle for Truth by Mark Fainaru-Wada and Steve Fainaru
Crown Archetype, 2013
call number: 617.102 Fai

"While the NFL is the most profitable and popular sports league in America, it's recently been buffeted by concerns around the long-term effect concussions have had on former players. ESPN investigative reporters Fainaru-Wada and Fainaru lay out evidence that the NFL actively obfuscated attempts by independent scientists and medical professionals to draw a connection between football's inherent violence and chronic brain disease afflicting former players." - Publishers Weekly review excerpt

Coping with Concussion and Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: A Guide to Living with the Challenges Associated with Post-Concussion Syndrome and Brain Trauma by Diane Roberts Stoler, Ed.D., and Barbara Albers Hill
Avery, 2013
call number: 617.481 Sto

"Stoler, a board-certified neuropsychologist, licensed health and sports psychologist, and brain injury survivor, and author Hill provide concussion and mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients with a succinct guide to living with these conditions. This easy-to-understand book begins with an overview of the brain, how the organ works, and what a concussion is. The authors also present information on symptoms, types of TBI, diagnosis, and treatment." - Library Journal review excerpt