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Updated: May 16, 2026
11:32
A Neuroscientific Approach to the Examination of Concussions in Student-Athletes
Published on: December 8, 2014
Long-term functional alterations in sports concussion.
Louis De Beaumont1, Luke C Henry, Nadia Gosselin
1Montreal Sacred Heart Hospital Research Centre, Montreal, Canada. louis.de.beaumont@umontreal.ca
Neurosurgical Focus
|December 4, 2012
Summary
This review explores lasting cognitive and motor function changes after sports concussions, using advanced brain imaging. It highlights persistent effects from recent injuries to those sustained decades ago, offering insights into concussion neuropathophysiology.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Sports Medicine
- Neurology
Background:
- Sports concussions can lead to persistent and cumulative changes in brain function.
- The long-term effects of sports-related head injuries are not fully understood.
- Advanced neuroimaging techniques offer new ways to study these effects.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review persistent and cumulative alterations in cognitive and motor function following sports concussions.
- To provide new insights into the neuropathophysiology of sports concussion.
- To discuss findings from recent sophisticated brain investigation techniques.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on sports concussions.
- Analysis of studies utilizing advanced neuroimaging and neurophysiological techniques.
- Examination of data on both young athletes and former athletes with a history of concussion.
Main Results:
- Detection of subclinical neurophysiological alterations in young concussed athletes.
- Quantifiable declines in cognitive and motor function in former athletes, even decades after injury.
- Evidence of persistent and cumulative neuropathophysiological changes.
Conclusions:
- Sports concussions can result in long-lasting cognitive and motor deficits.
- Advanced brain investigation techniques reveal the persistent nature of these alterations.
- Understanding the neuropathophysiology is crucial for managing sports concussion.
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