Concussions are the big monster that hangs around any kind of contact sport, and as the number of sports-related head trauma cases ticks up across North America, so does concussion research, prevention, and management. In fact it’s becoming a growing industry.
In B.C., research is being done to examine the long- and short-term impact of concussions at the University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver General Hospital and through private companies.
Research has shown the long-term impact of concussions and their relationship to Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), a progressive degenerative disease found in people with a history of repetitive brain trauma. Symptoms of CTE can include memory loss, aggression, confusion, depression, and suicidal tendencies, which can occur years or decades after the trauma.