Concussions in the NFL, an its affect on current and retired NFL Players - Essay Example

Concussions in the NFL of the Table of Contents Introduction 3 Purpose of the Study 3 Reason for the Study 3 Hypothesis 3Previous Research 3 2. Methods 4 Garnering Data 4 Limitations 4 2. Results 4 3. Discussion/Conclusion 4 4. References 5 1. Introduction Purpose of the Study Mounting evidence of indifference of the part of the NFL to these injuries and to their effects led the NFL to come under pressure to address the health problems of the ten thousand retirees and two thousand current players who show increased rates of long-term neurological deterioration far above those of the general public.

To limit the number and severity of future injuries, the dual-prong strategy concentrates on increasing awareness of the dangers of concussions and of their symptoms, and of using advanced medical technology to better diagnose and treat injuries, and to create and evaluate novel treatment options. This study will look at the efficacy of the rules enacted by the NFL by taking a look at the concussions suffered before and after the enactment of these new regulations. Reason for the Study According to the Center for Disease Control, amongst the general population traumatic brain injury “is a contributing factor to one third of all injury-related deaths in the United States.

” That’s roughly 52,000 deaths associated with the 1.7 million reported annual concussions (2010). Hypothesis The new regulations have been ineffective statistically in protecting players from neurological insult. Previous Research Currently, there are eleven players league-wide with reported concussions and another eight listed with head injuries (Schefter 2009). There are an average of 1 ? to 2 concussions per game (Associated Press 2010). While the average concussion is the result of 95 g’s of acceleration to the skull, American football players experience of 103 g’s or more (Malinowski 2010). 2. Methods Garnering Data By acquiring data before the enactment of the new NFL policy and the data and statistical information since the enactment, a comparative study will be completed regarding the efficacy of the new regulations.

Limitations In any case, due to these historical limitations most of what we know of these injuries has been based on secondary, indirect observations of the brain. Historically, doctors were limited to post-mortem biopsies, however, thanks to new technologies such as the functional magnetic resonance imaging that allows the doctors and scientists to observe and study a living human brain, researchers are better able to understand the nature of traumatic brain injuries and the deleterious effects of repeated concussions. 2. Results Results showing the same or more concussions and neurological complexities would show that my hypothesis is correct: The NFL’s regulations have not improved the safety of the game effectively. 3. Discussion/Conclusion The long-term effects of repeated concussions associated with American football players aren’t limited to cognitive impairment and impaired movement, pituitary dysfunction, depression and suicide, but also includes encephalopathy and Parkinson’s disease as well.

Evidence of dementia pugilistica (the “punch drunk” associate with boxers) has been found in the post-mortem examination of brains of ten relatively young former NFL players (Maugh II 2009). 4. References Schefter, Adam. “NFL Changes Return-to-Play Rules.” sports.espn.go. ne. 2 December 2009. 1 December 2010. Associated Press. “No Helmet Can Eliminate Concussions.” m.espn.go. ne. 12 November 2010. 1 December 2010. Malinowski, Erik. “For Football Players, Concussions Can Be More Harmful.” wired. ne.

24 September 2010. 1 December 2010. cdc. ne. 17 March 2010. cdc.gov. http://www.cdc.gov/TraumaticBrainInjury/statistics.html Hadhazy, Adam. “Concussions Exact Toll on Football Players Long After They Retire.” scientificamerican. ne. 2 September 2008. 1 December 2010. Maugh II, Thomas. “Repeated Concussions Lead to Severe Brain Disease, Research Shows.” articles.latimes. ne. 28 January 2009. 1 December 2010.