Depression Linked to Brain Injury
A new Canadian study suggests depression is a physical outcome of “minor” head injuries like concussion.
In the past, coaches and athletes have considered having your “bell rung” (a concussion) to be a relatively minor injury that athletes need to “shake off” before returning to the game. The sports medicine study was conducted to determine the effects of concussion on elite or professional athletes.
The National Post reported that:
Using sophisticated MRI scans that track cerebral function in real time, the research by the Montreal Neurological Institute focused on elite-level athletes. The results, though, have “huge” implications for the general population, given the large number of people who suffer mild head injury, says Dr. Alain Ptito of the McGill University institute, the study’s lead author
The Post reported that the study would have an impact on treating Canadian soldiers returning from Afghanistan.
