Recovery from Sports-Related Concussion May be Slower for Athletes Than Previously Thought

There's been a lot of work done on sports-related concussions lately. Now, there's more bad news. It turns out that recovery from these types of concussions may be slower than previously thought, which could mean that athletes may need to take more time to get well again before stepping back onto the field.

Concussion is actually one of the most common sports-related injuries. As competition continues to rise, more and more athletes experience it every year. Recent studies have focused on the effects of repeated concussions, which can cause lasting, long-term effects. That said, the scientists wanted to take a look at the short-term effects and how long it took for athletes to properly recover.

The researchers analyzed cerebrospinal fluid samples until normalization. This allowed them to determine how long it took before athletes recovered.

"It has previously been believed that concussion heals in 7 to 10 days, and the Swedish Boxing Federation has decided the rest period to be of one month after a concussion, in order to be on the safe side," said Sanna Neselius, one of the researchers, in a news release. "But our studies show that a concussion, such as may be experienced after being knocked out, can take more than four months to heal."

Most assessments are based on physical symptoms, neurophsychological tests, and the neurological examination of the athlete. Yet this latest study reveals that this might not be enough. While concussion symptoms can pass after a few days, the neurological damage may still be present-as evidenced by the cerebrospinal fluid.

"The first sample is recommended to be taken 10 to 14 days after the concussion," said Neselius in a news release. "This allows us to see the magnitude of the injury, and gives us an idea of how long the healing process will be. I hope that brain injury markers in the cerebrospinal fluid, and hopefully also later in blood, can be used at all levels in all sports. By this we can use individual measurements to plan and guarantee safe rehabilitation."

The findings can be found online here.