Concussions and

CTE
By: Brady Kesterholt
Composition and Culture
10/11/17
Dr. Von Schlichten
 Definition of Concussion
 Injury to the brain or spinal cord

 Violent blow to the head

 Shake or jarring of the head

 www.webmd.com/brain/tc/traumatic-brain-injury-concussion-overview
 Symptoms
 Multiple symptoms in this injury

 Not all symptoms are the same for each individual

 Four main categories

1. Mental

2. Physical

3. Emotional

4. Sleep
SYMPTOMS MENTAL
 Short term memory loss

 Slowed down speech

 Cloudy thinking

 Little ability to concentrate

 www.webmd.com/brain/tc/traumatic-brain-injury-concussion-overview
 SYMPTOMS PHYSICAL
 Light sensitivity

 Nausea

 Headache

 Blurry vision

 Fatigue

 Dizziness

 lack balance

 www.webmd.com/brain/tc/traumatic-brain-injury-concussion-overview
SYMPTOMS EMOTIONAL
 Angered easily

 Sad

 Nervous

 Anxious

 Depressed

 www.webmd.com/brain/tc/traumatic-brain-injury-concussion-overview
SYMPTOMS SLEEP
 Sleep More than normal

 Cannot fall asleep

 www.webmd.com/brain/tc/traumatic-brain-injury-concussion-overview
 Causes
 Multiple and endless causes to concussions
 A few major ones:

1. Fights
2. Falls
3. Football
4. Car crashes
5. Hockey
6. Snowboarding
7. Skiing
 Treatment
 There is not specific treatment or medicine to reduce a concussion

 The main way to heal this injury is allowing the brain to rest

 Resting should be mentally and physically

 Try to avoid television, video games, sports, and social activities

 Lights and loud noises should also be avoided

 The most common rest is sleep

 which is a healthy way for the brain to shutdown sensory functions and heal
 Real Life Story
 Concussions are important to me because of my experience as an athlete playing football.

 When I was hit playing football, I knew I had a concussion right away

 The symptoms of light sensitivity, nausea, headache, and muscle fatigue were all there

 My concussion made me miss the rest of my senior year and that will always have a sad place in my heart

 Knowing my playing career was done, I knew I wanted to help enlighten people on what concussions are

and their effects on our lives

 Effects of Concussions Short and
Long Term
 The short term effects of a concussion are more of the symptoms like headaches after a concussion.
This is called post-concussion syndrome. Most of theses effects come from grade 1 and 2
concussions.

 The long-term effects of concussions come from their severity of the injury. Theses effects come into
play in the grades from 3a-3b.

 Concussions of these are described as …

 “which you’d be unconscious for minutes. Just one of these can keep you from playing sports for 6
months and if you experience a subsequent concussion of this magnitude, you’d be out for a
minimum of 12 months from sports.”
 (http://mentalhealthdaily.com/2015/02/15/long-term-effects-of-concussions-on-the-brain/)
LONG TERM EFFECTS
 There are 7 main types of effects on the brain.

1. Cognitive impairment- it effects your thinking ability and self control may be more
anxious and moving instead of sitting still.

2. Sensory processing impairment- the six main sense are effected like sight or hearing.

3. Abnormal Brain Waves- these attribute to abnormal sleep patterns and mood swings.
LONG TERM EFFECTS
4. Decline of Motor Skills – ability to walk and perform every day function decreases

5. Communication Problems – unable to communicate

6.  Emotional Disturbances- random outburst of emotion

7. Neurodegeneration – non healing of cells or nerves

(http://mentalhealthdaily.com/2015/02/15/long-term-effects-of-concussions-on-the-brain/)
 Video
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WfnpPWxG90
 Definition of CTE
 A progressive degenerative disease of the brain found in people with a history of repetitive

brain trauma

 CTE -  Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy

 CTE is a effect of traumatic brain injuries

 Concussions for example

www.protectthebrain.org/Brain-Injury-Research/What-is-CTE-.
aspx
 Symptoms
 Difficulty thinking (cognitive impairment)

 Impulsive behavior

 Depression or apathy

 Short-term memory loss

 Difficulty planning and carrying out tasks (executive function)

 Emotional instability

 Substance abuse

 Suicidal thoughts or behavior

 www.protectthebrain.org/Brain-Injury-Research/What-is-CTE-.aspx
 Treatment
 CTE is a neurodegenerative brain disease

 There is no treatment currently

 Prevention is the best way to treat it

 By limiting brain injuries as much as possible

 Research is still being performed to find a cure

 Causes
 CTE is caused by multiple traumatic brain injuries

 Example Concussions

 The causes for CTE are the same as Concussion

 just at a more frequent state.

 Data
 Boston College Conducted a Study and found that out of 100 deceased NFL players 95% had
CTE.
 Conclusion
 Head injuries are a serious issue in our society today

 There are many dangers that cause these injuries

 The choice of the person is if they want to go ahead and make a decision with that kind of risk

attached to it

 I cannot change their opinion on the decisions they make

 I can inform them on how to prevent and to notice if an injury occurs to them
 WORKS CITED
 www.webmd.com/brain/tc/traumatic-brain-injury-concussion-overview

 www.protectthebrain.org/Brain-Injury-Research/What-is-CTE-.aspx

 https://www.bu.edu/cte/about/frequently-asked-questions/

 http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/american-football-players-high-school-level-suffering-widespread-brain-trauma-1523656

 https://www.si.com/nfl/2017/08/08/nfl-cte-study-business-booms-roger-goodell-ann-mckee-chris-nowinski-jesse-mez