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Effects of concussion can last for decades
People concussed in their youth show subtle signs of mental and physical problems even more than 30 years later, say Canadian researchers.
The study was published in Brain and showed that athletes with a history of concussion had lower scores in physical and mental tests. This small study was carried out on 40 former athletes between the ages of 50 and 60, who had suffered concussion one or more times when they were younger.
Researchers used test that covered everything form short-term memory, the ability to follow simple verbal and written commands and motor control. Researchers stress that the effects probably do not have that much effect on every day life because they are minor.
The previously concussed volunteers had poorer performance in the memory tests, delayed responses to unpredictable events, and were unable to complete the hand control tests as quickly. There were, however, not signs of more serious neurological diseases such as Parkinson's or Alzheimer's and all the former athletes were leading normal lives.
More research is needed to see if the effects of concussion worsen with age.
