Concussions | Science News for Students

Concussions

Stories on traumatic brain injury and how to protect against it

a computer generated image of a football player tackling another football player holding the football

Football tackles can leave players sore — and sometimes suffering a concussion. But new data from professional athletes suggest that not all players sustain serious long-term brain damage from years of play.

master1305/iStockphoto

Brain
 
Sep 11, 2018
Football and hockey don’t necessarily doom players’ brains to serious damage
a woman soccer player heading a soccer ball

In a head-to-head comparison, soccer balls appeared to damage women’s brains more than men’s.

Henry Huey/Flickr (CC BY-NC 2.0)

Brain
 
Aug 21, 2018
Soccer headers may hurt women’s brains more than men’s
snowboarding athlete
People tend to view sports where people collide with each other as posing the greatest risk of head injuries. But even in solo sports, such as snowboarding, accidents can lead to serious brain trauma.
familylifestyle/iStockphoto
Health
 
Feb 15, 2018
Athletes’ head injuries can provoke surprisingly long-lasting harm
American football tackle

Football collisions can lead to head injuries. New data from brains donated to science show that from high school players to former pros, many men sustained serious permanent damage. And how much damage occurred was not always obvious, based on symptoms reported by the men’s families.

Eugene_Onischenko/iStockphoto

Brain
 
Aug 16, 2017
Many U.S. football players had brain disease, data show
brain neurons

An artist’s rendering of nerve cells in the brain. A mild head trauma can cause temporary swelling in parts of those cells. 

ktsimage/iStockphoto

Brain
 
Aug 16, 2017
Mild brain injury can cause bead-like swellings in brain cells
helmet design
Technology
 
Feb 22, 2016
New football helmets could limit brain injuries
tired football player
Health
 
Feb 16, 2016
Concussed brains need time to heal
football hit
Health
 
Jan 12, 2016
Too many football hits can change the brain
broken helmet
Body functions
 
Dec 13, 2015
Bubbles may underlie trauma’s brain injury
soccer girls
Brain
 
Oct 28, 2015
Males and females respond to head hits differently
Latest Headlines
a photo of a suburban road lined with trashcans and trees

Many cities plant trees to absorb CO2 and stop temperatures from rising to dangerous levels. But a new study shows city trees grow faster and die younger than forest trees. That means city trees will absorb less CO2.

mastersky/iStock/Getty Images Plus

Environment
City living makes trees grow fast but die young
a photo of a young woman (head cropped out) pushing away a plate of donuts, holding a fruit smoothie and with a salad in front of her

Kids and teens were more likely to choose healthy foods once they understood how food companies have designed ads to manipulate them.

Kiwis/iStock/Getty Images Plus

Nutrition
Youthful rebellion leads some teens to eat better
a sign that reads no narcotic overdose, naloxone dispensing pharmacy in front of blurry pharmacy shelves

With a prescription, people can get naloxone from a pharmacy to have in case they, or someone they know, overdoses on opioids. 

Sign: Pureradiancephoto/iStock/Getty Images Plus; Background: Kwangmoozaa/iStock/Getty Images Plus; adapted by L. Steenblik Hwang

Scientists Say
Science Education
Scientists Say: Naloxone
a high-speed animation showing how aphids repair a hole in their home

If a predator breaks through the wall of the gall housing these aphids, some of the tiny insects will exude a goo that will harden and plaster shut the opening. Unfortunately, the home-repair crews will likely lose their life in the process.

M. Kutsukake et al/PNAS 2019

Animals
Young aphids sacrifice themselves to make home repairs