Dr Jon Patricios
Rugby players warned of lasting brain injury risk
Neurologists have long suspected that CTE could also be a problem in rugby union because of its emphasis on high-speed “hits”. Concussion is the fourth most common injury in the professional game. New Scientist understands that another deceased player’s brain has recently been found to have CTE in the UK.
What are the most effective risk-reduction strategies in sport concussion?
Authors: Brian W Benson,1 Andrew S McIntosh,2 David Maddocks,3,4 Stanley A Herring,5 Martin Raftery,6 Jiří Dvořák7
To critically review the evidence to determine the efficacy and effectiveness of protective equipment, rule changes, neck strength and legislation in reducing sport concussion risk.
Five years post whiplash injury: Symptoms and psychological factors in recovered versus non-recovered
Authros: Daniel Merrick and Britt-Marie Stålnacke*
Few studies have focused on the differences between persons who are recovered after whiplash injury and those who suffer from persistent disability. The primary aim of this study was therefore to examine differences in symptoms, psychological factors and life satisfaction between subjects classified as recovered and those with persistent disability five years after whiplash injury based on the Neck Disability Index (NDI).
Effect of Neck Muscle Strength and Anticipatory Cervical Muscle Activation on the Kinematic Response of the Head to Impulsive Loads
Authors: James T. Eckner,*yz MD, Youkeun K. Oh,§ PhD, Monica S. Joshi,§ MS, James K. Richardson,y MD, and James A. Ashton-Miller,§k PhD Investigation performed at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
Greater neck strength and activating the neck muscles to brace for impact are both thought to reduce an athlete’s risk of concussion during a collision by attenuating the head’s kinematic response after impact.
Does Cervical Muscle Strength in Youth Ice Hockey Players Affect Head Impact Biomechanics?
Authors: Jason P. Mihalik, PhD, CAT(C), ATC,*† Kevin M. Guskiewicz, PhD, ATC,*† Stephen W. Marshall, PhD,‡ Richard M. Greenwald, PhD,§¶ J. Troy Blackburn, PhD, ATC,†k
and Robert C. Cantu, MD
To evaluate the effect of cervical muscle strength on head impact biomechanics.
Collegiate and high school athlete neck strength in neutral and rotated postures
Authors: Kasee j. Hildenbrand and anita n. Vasavada
Hildenbrand, KJ and Vasavada, AN. Collegiate and high school athlete neck strength in neutral and rotated postures. J Strength Cond Res 27(11): 3173–3182, 2013—A knowledge of neck strength is important for developing conditioning protocols and for evaluating the relationship between neck strength and head and neck injury, but very few studies have examined neck strength in relationship to athletic participation.
Recovery from sleep disturbance precedes that of depression and anxiety following mild traumatic brain injury: a 6-week follow-up study
Authors: Hon-Ping Ma,1,2 Ju-Chi Ou,1 Chun-Ting Yeh,1,2 Dean Wu,3 Shin-Han Tsai,1,2,4 Wen-Ta Chiu,5 Chaur-Jong Hu3,6,7
The detailed course of mental disorders at the acute and subacute stages of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), especially with regard to recovery from sleep disturbances, has not been well characterised. The aim of this study was to determine the course of depression, anxiety and sleep disturbance, following an mTBI.
Sports concussion management in the South African environment
Author: Dr Jon Patricios
Together with the rest of the sporting world, South Africa has followed a decade-long evolution in clinical evaluation and care of the concussed athletes. Moreover, with the collision sport of rugby union accounting for by far the largest number of cases of concussion, we have adapted our protocols to reach the diverse populations playing this sport, intertwine clinical know-how with grassroots education of the public, coaches and referees and make the clinical assessment template more comprehensive.
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy: Rugby’s call for clarity, data and leadership in the concussion debate
Authors: Dr Jon Patricios,1,2,3 Simon Kemp 4
After US District Judge Judy Brody recently ruled that the consolidated multidistrict concussion litigation cases against the National Football League (NFL) in the USA were to be transferred to a labour arbitrator, the NFL agreed to a $765 million settlement.
BokSmart – South African Rugby’s National Rugby Safety and Injury Prevention Program
Authors: Dr Jon Patricios, MBBCh MMedSci FACSM FFSEM (UK) FFIMS
“Bok” refers to an antelope, the “Springbok”, that is South Africa’s national animal and emblem of the South African Rugby Team. “Smart” implies using a smarter and safer approach to playing rugby. BokSmart evolved from similar national safety programs in particular New Zealand’s RugbySmart (3) and is an initiative of the South African Rugby Union (SARU) in conjunction with the Chris Burger/Petro Jackson Players’ Fund.
