Rugby concussion `dementia risk`
Baku, September 7 (AZERTAC). Playing rugby could increase the chance of dementia, according to research linking concussion with brain problems in later life.
If players receive repeated knocks to the head, causing concussion, they could be at a higher risk of developing different types of dementia in later years, according to the charity The Alzheimer`s Society.
A new report from the US shows that former professional American football players have a markedly increased risk of neurological problems.
The study of almost 3,500 National Football League (NFL) veterans, who had played at least five seasons between 1959 and 1988, were at a four-fold greater risk of dying from Alzheimer`s disease than the population at large.
The paper, published in the journal Neurology, also warned that those who had received “one or more concussive blows to the head are at increased risk of neurological disorder”.
Jess Smith, a research officer at The Alzheimer`s Society, said it was difficult to draw parallels between the two sports because they involved different types of contact.
If rugby was played properly concussion was much rarer, she added.
However, she warned: “Head impacts can increase your risk of a specific form of dementia, called chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), as well as other forms of dementia including Alzheimer`s.”
The International Rugby Board has recently introduced new rules stating that any player who has suffered concussion should not take part in any match for at least three weeks, and only then when “symptom free and declared fit after proper medical examination”.
The three week rule can only be waived if also declared fit by a neurological specialist.
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