Effects of exercise on the recovery of young athletes from the effects of concussions

Abstract:

Traumatic brain injury is a major public health problem in the world due to the still insufficiently known prevalence, as well as due to the fact that there is no specific therapy or protocol for the recovery of such patients. The injury can be mild and cause a minor change in mental state or consciousness, or severe and cause a longer period of unconsciousness or amnesia after the incident. Sports-related concussion is defined as a traumatic brain injury caused by biomechanical forces and has several clearly defined common characteristics. Because of the large number of possible symptoms, an athlete who has suffered a brain injury does not necessarily get a diagnosis of concussion. Symptoms appear quickly, are variable, usually short lasting, and regress quickly. Sometimes the disease can progress to chronic post-concussion syndrome. Headache and dizziness are the most common symptoms. Symptoms of a concussion can be physical, emotional, cognitive, and sleep disorders. The goal of aerobic exercise is to restore normal sensitivity of the CO2 receptor in the medulla oblongata and to restore autoregulation of cerebral blood flow. Suboptimal exercise, i.e. below the limit at which the patient begins to feel symptoms, can shorten the recovery time, i.e. reduce the incidence of chronic post-concussion syndrome.

Key words:
brain regeneration; chronic post-concussion syndrome; effects of exercise; sports-related concussion; traumatic brain injury