Brain scans of injured soccer players have shown that many are still damaged two weeks after being hit to the head.
Results from top Melbourne scientists suggest that the AFL’s new 12-day shutdown rule, which has also been adopted by all local and junior leagues, is inadequate.
The 12-day rule introduced this year is double the previous hiatus, but well below the 30 days some experts require for severely affected players.
Associate Professor David Wright of the Department of Neuroscience at Monash University said the AFL’s new concussion protocol may still allow footballers to get on the field before their brains have fully recovered.
Using MRI scans, his team identified clear differences between the brains of 14 affected Victorian amateur footballers and 16 uninjured players.
The results show that microscopic « robust changes » in the bundles of fibers that make up the white matter in the brain persisted after 14 days.
Prof. Wright said it was clear that structural damage remained in vital areas of her brain that could be exacerbated by further head butts.
« The challenge is to make the player feel good and many of the assessments that are currently being made are based on the player’s symptoms, how they are feeling and whether they can pass the concussion test, » he said.
« Our research shows that these tests are not necessarily sensitive enough or able to detect the underlying brain changes that are still going on.
« The athlete can feel good and walk around on the soccer field, but in fact there are some changes that were not resolved by looking at the brain images. »
While the damage had lessened between scans 48 hours and then 14 days after the head tapping, Prof. Wright said larger studies of at least four weeks were needed to really know how long it took the player’s brain to fully settle to recover.
« It’s (the AFL’s 12-day bailout) is a big step in the right direction, but it’s arbitrary, » he said.
« I don’t want my favorite players to sit outside longer than necessary, but we have to think about the athletes’ health and that is the main concern. »
The findings come because a Victorian coroner is investigating the league’s response to head injuries as part of an investigation into the death of Richmond footballer Shane Tuck and a WorkSafe probe begins for a 17 month concussion.
The WorkSafe investigation was triggered in November 2019 after player agent Peter Jess filed a complaint claiming the return-to-play logs were unsafe.
« The fact that the League agreed to introduce a 12-day concussion rule in January only confirms my longstanding view that the AFL’s rules on concussion have been unsafe and continue to be related to all medical and scientific evidence, which were presented to them are unsure, « said Mr. Said Jess.
The Herald Sun on Tuesday revealed that 29 AFL players have been affected so far this season. The AFL said the new rule was based on the advice of their medical officers and that 12 days was the earliest time a player could return, with some requiring a longer recovery.
The preliminary Monash study, published in the journal Cerebral Cortex, also found that female soccer players may be less affected by concussions than men.
While affected women also had noticeable changes in their brains two weeks after a head blow, the injuries appeared to be less severe.
With six to seven concussions per 1000 hours of play played in both amateur and professional Australian football leagues, it is impossible for every affected player to receive comprehensive MRI scans.
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