Study Examines Risk of Brain Injury from High School Hockey and Football

New research suggests that high school hockey and football players can suffer brain injuries from routine blows to the head that occur during games, even in the absence of concussions. If the study is confirmed, it could have “broad implications” for youth sports, according to study author Jeffrey Bazarian, MD, who is an associate professor of emergency medicine at the University of Rochester Medical Center and an expert on concussions.

“The challenge is to determine whether a critical number of head hits exists above which this type of brain injury appears, and then to get players and coaches to agree to limit play when an athlete approached that number,” Bazarian says.

The results of the study were published online in the journal Magnetic Resonance Imaging. For more information, click here to read the full article from CBS News.