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Essay / Concussions and Effects of Concussions in Football
“Epidemiological studies comparing collegiate and high school sports have consistently shown that football has the highest rates of concussions” (Neurotrauma. 2013). It is said in a review of NFL football games that there were 0.41 concussions per game; however, nearly half of all concussions go unreported, making the overall estimated value of concussions per game almost one concussion per professional game. (Neurotrauma. 2013) With this significant number of concussions during a professional game, it is clear why there are so many discoveries of players post-career having MCI. MCI is described as “an intermediate stage between the cognitive decline expected of normal aging and the more severe decline of dementia.” This can involve problems with memory, language, thinking, and judgment that are more significant than normal age-related changes (Dictionary.com 2016). Post-concussion protocol has become an important part of the world of football and all other sports. It says: “A 2005 meta-analysis suggests that athletes generally demonstrate complete neuropsychological recovery within 7 to 10 days after a concussion.” However, recent studies have shown "significant episodic memory impairments in middle-aged and older adults with concussion." a history of sports-related concussion” (Neurotrauma. 2013). During a study, a group of scientists