Concussion Recovery: Long-Term Brain Changes?
- Brain scans of college athletes who sustained a concussion showed changes that persisted for up to a year after being cleared to return to play, according to research...
- michael's Hospital in Toronto, said the findings suggest incomplete recovery of brain function.
- The study involved 187 college athletes, 25 of whom experienced a concussion during the season, playing sports such as basketball, football, hockey, lacrosse, rugby, soccer and volleyball.
Brain injury persists long after the game. This compelling study unveils lasting brain changes in concussed college athletes, even after thay’re deemed fit to return to play. Key findings reveal reduced brain blood flow up to a year post-injury,raising meaningful questions about the long-term impact of repeated concussions. The research, covered at News Directory 3, highlights the need for further inquiry into concussion recovery and the potential effects on cognitive function, memory, and overall brain health. Discover what’s next in concussion research, and what it means for athletes.
Concussion effects Linger in Athletes’ Brains, Study Finds
Updated June 6, 2025
Brain scans of college athletes who sustained a concussion showed changes that persisted for up to a year after being cleared to return to play, according to research published in Neurology. The study highlights the potential long-term impact of concussion on brain health, even after symptoms subside.
Nathan Churchill, of St. michael’s Hospital in Toronto, said the findings suggest incomplete recovery of brain function. The research tracked athletes before and after concussion, using multiple brain scans to identify biomarkers of brain injury.
The study involved 187 college athletes, 25 of whom experienced a concussion during the season, playing sports such as basketball, football, hockey, lacrosse, rugby, soccer and volleyball. Researchers compared the concussed athletes with 27 non-concussed athletes, matched by sex and sport.
All athletes underwent preseason testing, including assessments of balance, thinking, and memory, along with an MRI brain scan. Those who sustained concussions received additional brain scans at several points: about five days after the injury, upon clearance to return to play, one to three months post-return, and one year after returning to play. These scans were compared to their pre-injury scans and to those of the healthy control group.
The scans revealed that concussed athletes exhibited signs of brain injury even when cleared to play and up to a year later. Specifically, blood flow in the fronto-insular cortex, which governs thinking, memory, emotion, and social behavior, was significantly reduced. At the time of return to play, concussed athletes showed an average decrease in blood flow of 9 mL per 100 grams of blood per minute compared to healthy athletes. One year later, this decrease averaged 11 mL per 100 grams of blood per minute.
Researchers also observed changes in how water molecules moved in the brain’s white matter, further indicating possible signs of injury in concussed athletes compared to their pre-injury state. the study underscores the importance of understanding the long-term effects of concussion and the potential consequences of repeated injuries.
Churchill emphasized the need for further research with larger groups to fully understand the long-term effects on the brain. he also noted that the current study focused on young athletes and that future research should include non-athletes and individuals in other age groups to broaden the understanding of concussion recovery.
What’s next
Future studies should examine the long-term effects of concussion on a wider range of individuals, including non-athletes and different age groups, to gain a more complete understanding of brain recovery after injury and the potential for developing effective treatments for concussion.