New research from the University of Exeter shows that the impact of concussions in sports differs for non-professional players. A study found that sports-related concussions might not lead to long-term cognitive risks for non-professional athletes.
Those who had experienced a concussion sometimes performed better in mental tests than those who hadn’t, suggesting possible protective benefits from sports.
The study, the largest of its kind, analyzed data from over 15,000 participants aged 50 to 90 from the PROTECT study, which explores brain aging and cognitive decline. The research found that sports-related concussions (SRC) don’t lead to long-term brain health problems, unlike other types of concussions.
People who play sports generally have better brain health, even if they’ve had concussions. The researchers suggest that the physical, social, and behavioral benefits of playing sports contribute to better cognitive outcomes later in life.
Researchers collected concussion histories from 15,214 participants. Among them, 39.5% had at least one concussion, and 3.2% had one moderate-severe one. On average, these injuries occurred 29 to 39 years before the study. The study found that those with sports-related concussions (SRCs) had better working memory and reasoning compared to those without SRCs.
In contrast, people with three or more non-sports-related concussions (nSRCs) showed slower processing and declining verbal reasoning. The findings suggest that sports may have long-term brain benefits, while non-sports-related head injuries might cause more harm.
The researchers noted some limitations in the study. Professor Raymont mentioned that because the study relied on older participants recalling head injuries from decades ago, there might be inaccuracies.
The study focused on older people who had sports-related concussions (SRC) years earlier, unlike most studies that look at younger athletes right after an injury.
Dr. Lennon added that while sports may benefit long-term brain health more than they cause harm, the benefits were small. In people with two or more SRCs, no further benefits were seen. The study also doesn’t apply to professional athletes, who often experience more severe and frequent head injuries.
The study has been published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry (JNNP).
