It’s fall in America, and that means football. The sport of football brings questions and concerns about concussions in athletes. How long does it take to fully recover from a concussion? What happens if an athlete returns to play too soon after a concussion? How many concussions are too many?
But concussions don’t just happen in sports. this most common reasons The leading cause of concussions among NCAA athletes is car accidents. Most common causes of overall concussion It’s autumn. A hidden group of people suffer brain damage at alarming rates: domestic violence survivor.
every minute, In the United States, 32 people have experienced intimate partner violence. about half of American women and 40% of American men have experienced domestic violence at least once in their lifetime. Most incidents go unreported. One study found that only one in five victims Seek medical help immediately after a head injury. almost all These injuries include blows to the neck or head.
Current research shows that more than 75% of domestic violence survivors suffer one or more types of traumatic brain injury. In my experience, the most common response to the question “How many concussions have you had?” is “Too many to count.”
On any given Sunday, you may see as many as 30 medical professionals standing on the sidelines of a professional football game. At a high school game, you may see paramedics within sight of the players on the field. There are no medical personnel standing outside the homes of domestic violence survivors waiting for injuries to occur. There are no concussion treatment programs for victims of abuse.
In addition to repeated blows to the head, domestic violence survivors often suffer from strangulation, suffocation, resulting in reduced oxygen supply to the brain, loss of bladder and bowel function, seizures, and sometimes death.
Long-term consequences of repeated concussions and strangulation include sleep disorders, Dizziness, personality changes, and memory question. The most common complaints among domestic violence survivors who have suffered one or more concussions are Headache. The silver lining is that these symptoms are treatable.
Athletes have benefited from dramatic changes in the way brain injuries are recognized and treated, thanks to widespread education and awareness campaigns. We need to develop concussion protocols that fit the needs of survivors of domestic violence and provide them with the same standard of care.
We must ensure that survivors of domestic violence receive concussion screening when they arrive at a doctor’s office or emergency room—regardless of whether they show obvious signs of brain trauma. New technology could make brain injury screening simple and accurate.
Diagnostic tests, such as Abbott’s test Alinity i TBI testcan help providers assess whether people have suffered a traumatic brain injury with a small blood sample by measuring two blood biomarkers in the brain. We recently implemented this testing capability at the Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute at West Virginia University. We were one of the first companies to adopt brain injury testing, with results available in just 18 minutes. This quick turnaround is especially helpful in situations where medical providers have limited time with survivors who are hesitant to seek medical care. Ultimately, we have to provide athletes with everything: cognitive screening, concussion recovery and VIP treatment.
At the West Virginia University Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute in Morgantown, we design a comprehensive, customized treatment plan for each patient, which may also include psychiatry, physical rehabilitation, and speech and vision therapy. A personalized approach like this can help address subtle, lingering issues and prepare patients to protect their brain health after discharge. Survivors of domestic violence are important to us.
Society has taken the right steps to ensure athletes receive top-notch care when they suffer a traumatic brain injury. Survivors of domestic violence also deserve this level of attention and care.
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