A study involving senior Hampton Rovers players has found medium-term concussion effects put players at risk of further injury.
In 2013, Hampton Rovers Football Club formed a partnership with Deakin University to investigate the effects of concussion on their players. This initiative was coordinated by Club President Matthew Gray, and Deakin employees Alan Pearce, Charlotte Davies and Daniel Corp, also a current Hampton Rovers player.
40 Hampton Rovers players were tested at the beginning of the 2013 season to establish a baseline for cortical activity, and cognitive and motor task performance. Eight players were concussed throughout the 2013 season and each returned to the lab for three sessions to track their progress over the next two weeks. Results showed that concussed players had reduced performance on attention tasks, worse motor task performance, and increased cortical inhibition, possibly due to inflammation following the concussion. Some of these measure improved over the two weeks follow up period.
This initiative between Hampton Rovers and Deakin University is part of an ongoing collaboration to monitor the welfare of players after concussion. Deakin University have also expressed their gratitude to the club and its players for giving their time to the investigation of this important issue.
Neuroscientist Dr Alan Pearce was interviewed earlier this month on 3AW & ABC while articles were published in various media outlets including the Herald Sun and Geelong Advertiser – see below.
For those interested in finding out more about the study, please feel free to contact Daniel Corp on dcorp@deakin.edu.au
View a related article published in the Geelong Advertiser: http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/news/geelong/further-tests-encouraged-for-concussed-football-players-deakin-research-reveals/story-fnjuhovy-1227079141014
The full article can be accessed via the following link: http://www.jsams.org/article/S1440-2440(14)00136-4/abstract
