Repeated head injuries (concussions) increase the risk of dementia and depression. That's the message that will be contained in a brochure that all NFL players will get from the league this season and a poster that will be pasted on the walls of locker rooms. As the New York Times reports, the NFL is catching up with research showing that repeated concussions like those often sustained by football players at all levels have lasting effects. The NFL players are being warned to watch for headaches, confusion, memory problems, and being more emotional. The American College of Sports Medicine, a professional organization for physicians who treat athletes, published guidelines on brain injury management last year. And as ESPN reported recently, several states are looking to tighten head injury guidelines for younger players. Read a good column by John Judis at New Republic and another by Malcolm Gladwell at The New Yorker.
Take care of the squash.
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