Concussions Give “Presidential Headache” But There’s a Silver Lining Says Neurologist

(Newswire.net — October 13, 2016) National Harbor, MD –As the United States Presidential candidates jockey for votes, the mental health of Americans may be a topic with the greatest cloud of misunderstanding but with a silver lining, according to a column “A Presidential Headache: The Concussion Generation” by neurologist Harry Kerasidis, MD published yesterday on PsychologyToday.com.

“Mental health affects everyone and is detrimental to society. More specifically, traumatic brain injuries — or concussions — may be one of the biggest culprits,” said Dr. Kerasidis ,” author of Concussion-ology: Redefining Sports Concussion Management for All Levels, science director for XLNTbrain Sport™, founder of Chesapeake Neurology Associates and Medical Director at Calvert Memorial Hospital in Maryland.

Remarks from Donald Trump today, as reported by Sports Illustrated, suggest many in our country still don’t fully respect the incident rates, and seriousness of concussions, said Dr. Kerasidis.

Climbing concussion rates of more than three million injuries per year give the candidates an epidemic in America to handle. A concussion is considered to be a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). The brain is the most vital organ in the body. Numerous studies show a connection between brain trauma and problematic futures. For example:

• Almost half of homeless men had traumatic brain injuries (http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/04/140425104714.htm).
• Teenagers who have had a concussion also have higher rates of suicide attempts (http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/04/140415181325.htm).
• Head injuries can make children loners (http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/04/140410083505.htm).
• Teen concussions increase risk of depression (http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/01/140109175502.htm).

Dr. Kerasidis said, “perhaps an even louder wake-up call is that most concussions are not reported, and overt concussions are not required to cause brain damage.”

Another grave concern is the condition known as Second Impact Syndrome, or sudden cerebral swelling that may occur when a second concussion occurs while the brain is recovering from a recent concussion injury. Second Impact Syndrome results in 50 percent fatality rate. Of the survivors, 100 percent will have permanent neurological impairments. 

The more common Post-Concussion Syndrome (PCS) also affects millions of people.  This condition results in various symptoms that may persist for days, weeks, months, or even years causing complications with the quality of life. PCS symptoms may include:

• Physical fatigue
• Dizziness/vertigo, nausea
• Headaches (sensitivity to light, sound)
• Sleep disturbances (difficulty sleeping, staying awake or excessive daytime sleeping)
• Emotional impairment (personality changes, irritability, anxiety, depression)
• Cognitive impairment (aka: “brain fog” typically involving recent

According to Dr. Kerasidis, “the sliver lining to this problem is the relatively low cost for prevention, detection and treatment of concussions.” In his article, Dr. Kerasidis explains that all of the nearly 10 million high school student athletes in the USA could have access to a centralized program that provides the mandated concussion education, baseline testing, detection and recovery guidance for around $3 per year, or around $30 million total. 

“It may sound like a lot of money, and it is to schools. But when you put it into perspective, $30 million per year to protect the future minds of America is a drop in the bucket compared with some of the revenues being generated from sports,” said Dr. Kerasidis. Referring to one report earlier this year, the Top 10 professional sports leagues by revenue (listed below) each bring in more than $1 billion annually. 

1. National Football League (NFL): $13 billion
2. Major League Baseball (MLB): $9.5 billion
3. Premier League (English/Welsh football league): $5.3 billion
4. National Basketball Association (NBA): $4.8 billion
5. National Hockey League (NHL): $3.7 billion
6. Bundesliga (German football league): $2.8 billion
7. La Liga (Spanish football league): $2.2 billion
8. Serie A (Italian football league): $1.9 billion
9. Ligue 1 (France/Monaco football league): $1.5 billion
10. Nippon Professional Baseball (Japanese baseball league): $1.1 billion

“Our new president could save sports and prevent a lot of societal problems by influencing the right people to funnel profits to our futures,” said Dr. Kerasidis. 

If you would like a demonstration of the XLNTbrain Sport concussion protocol, please register here.

About XLNTbrain Sport™

Dubbed the “Gold standard” in recent news reports from the USA Today and ABC News, XLNTbrain Sport™ incorporates the best-practices and standards established by industry organizations such as the National Athletic Trainers Association and American Academy of Neurology. Other features include:

• Video education including a digital quiz to document both learning and compliance.
• Neuro-cognitive baseline testing that includes an emotional reactivity component
• Balance testing included at baseline through post-injury recovery
• Smartphone mobile sideline assessment app
• Return-to-play, return-to-learn recovery protocols
• Automated reporting to parents, and designated medical personnel

For more information, please call (855) 333-XLNT (9568), or email inquiries to info@xlntbrain.com.

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