Research reveals new concussion warning for sports doctors

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KFVS) – New research is revealing to scientists that a patient who quickly shakes their head back and forth after a traumatic impact likely has a concussion.

Researchers from the University of Missouri School of Medicine, Mass General Brigham and the Concussion Legacy Foundation conducted the study which involved screening nearly 350 high school and college athletes.

The research showed a 93% predictive rate when it comes to an adolescent male football player who displayed a head shake following a traumatic impact event. For other sports, the rate was slightly lower but still definitive.

Scientists believe this new concussion sign could help identify up to 33% of undiagnosed concussions.

“After a hit to the head, individuals sometimes quickly shake their head back and forth,” a press statement about the research said. “Although it has been depicted in movies, television, and even cartoons for decades, this motion has never been studied, named, and does not appear on any medical or sports organization’s list of potential concussion signs.”

Dr. Ross Zafonte, a brain injury specialist and the executive Vice Dean of MU’s medical school, said it’s likely the involuntary head shake is a secondary symptom to others that accompany a concussion.

“Could be visual,” Zafonte said. “Could be [they’re] trying to stabilize their visual field. It could be they’re simply trying to clear their sensorium or get a sense of where am I and what’s going on, and that it’s a naturalistic thing for humans to do.”

The study’s authors say its findings should be disseminated to medical boards and oversight entities so that team doctors can begin monitoring for this immediately as more research on it continues.

“Diagnosing concussions is challenging because a lot of the symptoms that we look for kind of develop over time as you observe the athlete on the sideline,” said Dr. B.J. Schultz, a sports medicine specialist with Compass Health Network. “Having this initial movement of the head is nice to sort of perk your ears, but it does require that someone sees the event when it happens.”

Zafonte said spectator sports are a convenient setting when it comes to observation. As parents, faculty, staff, and other players become more aware of the “head shake” and other signs, it could help them catch signs of traumatic brain injuries earlier in their development and expedite treatment.

Copyright 2024 KFVS. All rights reserved.