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Entries with the tag: concussions

Potential Tragedy of Concussions

by Alanah McGinley on 02/07/08 at 02:22 PM ET
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Adam Proteau at The Hockey News reflects on CBC’s Fifth Estate program which aired last night. The program investigated wrestler Chris Benoit’s life in an attempt to explain the tragedy of last summer.

From Proteau:

Yet, instead of focusing on steroid abuse as a possible explanation for the wrestler’s actions, the Fifth Estate spoke with two doctors at the University of North Carolina who examined Benoit’s brain after the murders and came up with an entirely different theory on what caused an otherwise doting father to snap so violently.

Shockingly, the UNC doctors diagnosed Benoit as having the brain of an 80- or 90-year-old person suffering from dementia.

Furthermore, they revealed the results of a study completed on the after-effects of concussions on 3,000 former NFL players. The study demonstrated that, in addition to serious mental and cognitive problems, the ex-football players had to deal with depression – depression that at times led to suicide attempts, or successful suicides – that may be a direct result of repeated concussions.

more from Proteau on this issue and what it means to hockey.  And you can watch the complete program yourself online here.

Filed in: NHL Talk, NHLPA | KK Hockey | Permalink
 Tags: chris+benoit, concussions, depression,

Westcott Out With Another Concussion

by Paul on 11/28/07 at 07:00 AM ET
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from the Columbus Dispatch,

Blue Jackets defenseman Duvie Westcott likely suffered yet another concussion Saturday, ruling him out of the club’s short-term plans and calling into question his NHL future.

The news yesterday was not good.

“We’ll wait for the doctors to tell us (what’s next),” general manager Scott Howson said. “But we have been told that he’s symptomatic.”

Detroit’s Niklas Kronvall slammed Westcott into the boards late in the game Saturday in Nationwide Arena.

Westcott’s head did not appear to be struck, but his body was jolted.

read on

Filed in: NHL Teams, Columbus Blue Jackets | KK Hockey | Permalink
 Tags: columbus+blue+jackets, concussions, Duvie+Westcott,

Gagne’s Concussion Issues

by Alanah McGinley on 11/16/07 at 03:38 PM ET
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From the AP via NHL.com,

It took two bouts of dizziness and other symptoms for the determination to be made Wednesday that Gagne sustained at least one concussion, if not two.

“First of all we didn’t know for sure and secondly I wasn’t aware of the repercussions,” general manager Paul Holmgren said. “I was under the assumption ... if he’s got a mild concussion, he’s got to be out seven days. That’s not the case.”

Gagne was injured at Florida on Oct. 24 after being hit in the jaw by Panthers defenseman Jay Bouwmeester. He sat out four games, but the Flyers never said anything about a concussion. Gagne was said to be dealing with dizziness.  Gagne returned to practice after being symptom-free for two days. He followed that with a morning skate the next day on Nov. 5 before dressing for that night’s game at the New York Rangers.

Gagne came through that OK, but didn’t look like himself on the ice. Two nights later, he was hit by Pittsburgh’s Gary Roberts and the symptoms came back.

more...

Filed in: NHL Teams, Philadelphia Flyers | KK Hockey | Permalink
 Tags: concussions, philadelphia+flyers, simon+gagne,

Grading System Flawed When It Comes To Concussion Issues

by Paul on 11/14/07 at 08:44 AM ET
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from the Philadelphia Daily News,

Gagne is at fault for rushing back to the ice. The Flyers are for allowing him to do so, especially since there is growing sentiment within the medical community over whether the NAN guidelines are too lax. Two international conferences in this decade, organized by the International Hockey Federation and the International Olympic Committee, concluded that any multitiered grading system is flawed because it seeks to assess severity before all symptoms surface.

“First of all, it doesn’t matter how many,” Lindros said. “It’s the severity.”

more

Filed in: NHL Teams, Philadelphia Flyers | KK Hockey | Permalink
 Tags: concussions, eric+lindros, philadelphia+flyers, Simon+Gagne,