Even Without a Concussion, Blows to Head May Affect Brain

New research reported in a recent online issue of Neurology suggests that even in the absence of a concussion, blows to the head during a single season of football or ice hockey may affect the brain’s white matter and cognition. The concussion-free contact and non-contact sport athletes involved in the study were assessed before and shortly after the season with brain scans and learning and memory tests. “We found differences in the white matter of the brain in these college contact sport athletes compared to non-contact sport varsity athletes,” said study author Thomas W. McAllister, MD. Click here to read the full article.