2023-10-02 13:24:45
The 2023 Rugby World Cup has been in full swing since September 8. Rugby is a contact and avoidance sport in which impacts suffered by players can result in concussions, a form of head trauma. On this occasion, INSERM takes stock of the challenges of these concussions for the short, medium and long term health of players. Explanations.
Rugby and concussions
THE concussions are considered as mild head trauma, but they nonetheless remain head injuries, likely to have consequences on the health of patients, immediately, in the following weeks or years later. Among the risk factors for concussion is the practice of certain sports de contactas the rugby.
The occurrence of a single concussion generally poses few problems. With a few days of rest, the symptoms cease without following-effects in 90% of cases. In high-risk sports like rugby, the main challenge posed by concussions is their repetition over time, sometimes at a fairly rapid pace, which does not give the brain time to fully recover between two concussions. Faced with this problem, regulatory measures have been put in place to manage players’ concussions and supervise their return to sports practice following complete recovery.
Live concussion monitoring during the match
Despite the existence of such devices, some specialists are concerned regarding the repetition of concussions and their consequences on the health of rugby players. The work of scientists and doctors has made it possible to advance the early diagnosis of concussions, during the rugby match. Video supervision tools allow live spotting during the match signs suggestive of a concussion :
- The player appears stunned, very tired;
- The player staggers;
- The player appears confused;
- The player shows muscle weakness in the shoulders.
Identifying these signs allows the player to be immediately removed from the field for additional examinations to diagnose the concussion. Once diagnosed and treated, when can the player return to the stadium? Specialists encounter several difficulties at this level, because they lack relevant examinations to ensure complete recovery from the concussion. The symptoms quickly disappear, and no more signs are visible on the scanner.
What follow-up for amateurs and young people?
Researchers are trying to identify blood markerswhich would allow them to follow the player recovery following a concussion. One of the markers used in American football players (highly exposed to the risk of concussion), S100-B, is relevant for rugby players but difficult to use in practice. This marker is also increased if the player has received blows to other places on the body and it varies from one player to another depending on different parameters (age, weight, ethnic origin, etc.). Each player therefore has a different S100-B level before the match, all players have an increased level for 36 to 48 hours following the match, and only players with concussion have a level which remains high following 48 hours.
An alternative is medical imaging and in particular functional MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging), which showed its interest in a recent study. These approaches make it possible to better monitor players in the days and weeks following the concussion. But there remains the problem of long-term follow-up, particularly in the event of repeated concussions. Various studies are interested in this question and have already suggested the possibility of mood disorders or severe neurodegenerative disorders. Finally, if the monitoring of professional players has been greatly strengthened, amateur players, young people and female players do not benefit from the same monitoring to date!
Estelle B., Doctor of Pharmacy
Source
1696273403
#Rugby #monitoring #concussions
