As the most complex organ in the human body, when the brain suffers an injury, it can present completely differently in every individual. This means that there is no ‘one size fits all’ form of treatment, support, and rehabilitation.
A brain injury can significantly impact a person’s life, making it challenging to carry out everyday activities.
A brain injury can have a big impact on a range of functions, depending on how severe it is and which areas are affected.
Someone who has suffered a concussion can be at risk of developing more long-term issues as a result of the injury.
Some of these issues can be very apparent, whilst others can take months or even years to affect the individual.
As you can imagine, the impact of a brain injury on an individual can be life-altering.
The Government is set to launch a call for evidence regarding people with acquired brain injuries in order to meet its ambition to take preventative action, as well as limiting the impact of the injuries.
“Speed, direction and level of head protection” may be used to predict brain injury following a road traffic collision, a major study has revealed.
A traumatic brain injury (TBI) may accelerate the onset of neurodegenerative diseases by up to five years, a major study has revealed.
New concussion protocols will be implemented across sport in response to growing concerns that the safety of athletes is not being taken seriously.
The new rules will be developed in partnership with medical experts, player associations, and governing bodies, such as UK Sport, Sport England.
According to the Government, action will be taken to “improve understanding, awareness, prevention, and treatment of concussion” in sport at all levels.
As part of this plan, new protocols will also be implemented to identify if an athlete has suffered concussion and whether it is safe for them to return to the field.
The latest research suggests that failure to identify brain damage can lead to neurodegenerative diseases in later life, such as dementia. Professional footballers, for instance, are “three-and-a-half times more likely” to die of neurodegenerative diseases compared to the general population.
Commenting on the plans, Sports Minister Nigel Huddleston said: “Sport brings so many physical and mental health benefits to our lives. However player safety must be absolutely paramount. Working with the sports industry it is right that we do all we can to ensure that people are as protected as possible and the risk of head injuries are minimised.
“That’s why we’re taking steps to reduce this risk and developing new, gold-standard industry protocols and focusing on emerging tech that can help build a fuller picture of the risks involved.
Laurence Geller, UK government independent concussion advisor and chairman of Love of the Game, added: “By making the game safer, we make the game better for everyone. But it’s not about changing the rules: it’s about working with experts from the medical profession, science and technology to devise protocols, knowledge, and equipment to allow us all to continue playing the sports we love.”
Click here to access the Action Plan on Concussion.
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