Breaking research is indicating that something many TBI survivors who go on to develop degenerative conditions have long suspected: concussion and repeated micro-concussion compromise the blood-brain barrier. The brain is normally protected from bacteria, viruses, and molecules circulating in the blood stream that could damage it (such as immune system agents).

Football players who experienced repeated mild hits to the head, even without receiving a true concussion, showed evidence of disruption of the blood-brain barrier and an autoimmune response in the brain, which may help explain the premature neurodegeneration increasingly seen in athletes, researchers suggested…

…”Blood-brain barrier disruption or increased permeability of the brain vasculature has been linked to a variety of neurologic disorders, including seizures, Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, and traumatic brain injury,” wrote Janigro and colleagues…

…The persistent and potentially damaging effects of the immediate effects of subconcussive hits were confirmed 6 months after the season ended, when MRI diffusion tensor imaging identified signals similar to those seen in players who have had true concussions.

Read the rest here.

Headgear and gloves only provide minimal protection to the effects of head contact on the brain. Don’t be lulled into a false sense of safety by their use. In martial arts training, establishing clear protocols for training and having reliable safety measures in place for riskier activities such as sparring or full contact drills is an important front line of defense. Ensure that students have excellent falling skills and control of strikes, as well as good basic defensive reactions for head-shots before involving them in more dynamic training. Forget the “it’s just part of the game” nonsense unless you are in a position to trade your mental health for multimillion dollar contracts- a mature approach to the risk of even light head contact is key to avoiding brain injuries (even the small ones) in training.