MN Doctor To Study Spike In Sports Concussions
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A Twin Cities researcher is getting federal funding to study concussions.
Last year, Dr. Leslie Seymour, an epidemiologist at the Minnesota Department of Health, discovered a sharp increase in youth sports concussions in Minnesota.
Her research found that 808 concussions were reported in 2000. In 2008, there were roughly 1,400.
The sports with the most reported concussions were football and hockey, followed by soccer, basketball and baseball.
Seymour was given a five-year federal grant to find out why concussions are increasing.
More than 30 states, including Minnesota, have laws that aim to increase awareness of the risks of concussions among players, coaches and parents. Seymour will study if those laws make any difference.
The biggest question is whether the increase in concussions is attributable to more injuries or simply a greater awareness.
