Youth must be given time to fully recover from sport concussions, expert says

In the wake of a Moncton football game that resulted in several head injuries, a Montreal doctor who specializes in sports concussions says they need to be treated with extreme caution, with the patient given plenty of time to recover properly.

The issue has made headlines in recent weeks after a Moncton football game was cut short because several players had suffered head injuries.

Dr. Dave Ellemberg, a clinical neuropsychologist and professor at the University of Montreal, says just one sport concussion can cause permanent changes to the brain.

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He said during a concussion, the brain gets squeezed and hits the skull "violently," which causes some tearing of the brain, leading to permanent damage.

Ellemberg said some of his research has found that this can cause the brain to be less efficient, with memory not being as clear and attention not as good.

"However, if the brain recovers, if we give it the time to recover, then the children and adults won't feel it in everyday life," he said.

"But we realize that after a third concussion, these deficits that can be measured accumulate, and then in everyday life we see changes."

'Out of proportion'

On Oct. 13, a  game between École L'Odyssée Olympiens and Sackville's Tantramar Titans ended at halftime after Olympiens' coach Marcel Metti said nine of his players suffered head injuries, resulting in at least four showing signs of concussion.

The New Brunswick Interscholastic Athletic Association later said they reviewed the game and found the game was played within the rules.

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When reached earlier this week, Scott O'Neal, the coach of the Tantramar Titans, stressed that his team had been cleared by the NBIAA, and had not broken any rules.

But Ellemberg said the high number of concussions was still very worrying.

"It's out of proportion," he said.

"Four concussions per game, if we go on at that rate, by the end of the season, every athlete in the team will have been concussed, and that does not make sense."

He praised Metti's decision and said he thought people don't realize just how dangerous concussions are.

Very real consequences

Ellemberg said it's not unusual for him to see teens who have suffered multiple concussions who have to be taken out of school for an extended period of time in order to recover. 

It's better to sit out one of two games than sitting out the rest of your life.- Dr. Dave Ellemberg 

"At that point, these kids who did really good in school, who did really well, are no longer able to function," he said.

"It's not to scare people from these games, but we need to understand that the consequences are real."

It's critical for youth to be given enough time to recover from a concussion, even if it means missing multiple games or school, he said.

"It's better to sit out one or two games than sitting out the rest of your life," he said.

At least one Moncton parent said he thinks more needs to be done to protect kids from head injuries in light of the Olympiens - Titans game.

Chris Strugnell's son Ethan is a wide receiver with the Odyssée Olympiens.  

Ethan was not on the field that night, as he's only in Grade 9, Strugnell said.

Still, Strugnell said he was concerned about what happened.

"If nothing changes, then of course, myself and lot of other parents need to be concerned for their child's well being," he said.