ResearchProposalforConcussedNHLPlayersProject

CelineVezina
ENC1102CompositionII
ProfessorGomrad
April24,2015

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ResearchProposalforConcussedNHLPlayersProject

CelineVezina

ENC1102CompositionII
ProfessorGomrad
April24,2015

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TheLongTermEffectsofConcussionsonNHLPlayers
Asubcultureisdefined,accordingtoWolframAlpha,asasocialgroupwithina
nationalculturethathasdistinctivepatternsofbehaviorandbeliefs.Nowwhenitisput
thatway,itsonlynormaltothinkofhowmanysubculturesexist.Theyexistfrom
religion,fandoms,theschoolastudentattends,tosports.Asportthatstandsouttome
wouldbehockeysincewithinthisculturetherearemanysubcultures.Now,whenmost
peoplethinkhockey,theythinkofhardhitting,alotoffighting,andthefactthatitsa
prettytoughsportoverall,yetwhatalotofpeopledontrealizeisthattheamountof
concussionsthatoccurovertheperiodofaseason(OctoberApril)isquitehigh.Thisis
exactlywhyIchosetostudythesubcultureofconcussionaffectedNHLplayersthatare
currentlyintheNHLorhaveretired.ThoughthisisoccurringintheNationalFootball
Leaguetoo,whatshappeningintheNationalHockeyLeaguehasmadeheadlinesmore
recentlyduetothedeathsofafewhockeyplayerswhomwerepersonallyaffectedmy
multipleconcussionsintheirplayingcareer.
LiteratureReview
Anytimethebrainhasabnormalswelling,itwilltakelongerandlongerto
recover.Asimplehittotheheadwontcausethebraintomoveinwaysitshouldnt,but
whenhitsoccurinhockey,itsnotajustalittleshove.Thesymptomslastlongereach
timeoneoccursandtheaftermathdoesntgetprettierwithage.Withthisinmind,ithas

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ledmetoquestionthelongtermeffectsthatconcussionshaveoncurrentandformer
NHLplayersaswellashowtopreventconcussionsfromhappening.
BackgroundandEffectsofConcussions
Concussionsaresomethingthatoccursveryoftenincontactsportssuchasice
hockey,yetnotmanypeopleknowexactlywhattheyare.Itusedtobedefinedasabad
headachethatoccursafterreceivingabadblowtothehead,butaftersomestudies,its
beenshowntobesomuchmore.AheadtraumadoctorthatworksforMayoClinicsays,
aconcussionisatraumaticbraininjurythataltersthewayyourbrainfunctions
(Swanson1).Thebrainisknowntoswellwhenaconcussionoccurs.Thisleadstothe
mostcommonsymptom,aheadache.Othersymptomsthatoccurincludenausea,
dizziness,fatigue,vomiting,andsometimesatemporarylossofconsciousness.Its
usuallycausedbythesuddenaccelerationanddecelerationoftheheadcausingthebrain
tohittheinnerwallsoftheskull(Swanson3).Thisiswhatcausesthebraintofunction
improperlyandshowsignsofaconcussion.Thebestwaytorecoverfromaconcussionis
torestrainfromphysicalandmentalactivitythatcauseahighamountofstressorforalot
ofworktobedone.Restiskey.
AcommoninjuryintheNationalHockeyLeagueisanupperbodyinjury.When
thisissaid,mostofthetimeitmeansthataplayerhasreceivedaconcussion.Beingan
observerofthegame,Ihavewitnessedmanyplayersreceivingthe,sometimes,career
endingblowtothehead.Therearecurrentlyeighteenplayersoutwithconcussions.This
is2015alone,notcountingtheonesthathavesufferedconcussionsandreturnedtothe
game.OneofthoseplayersthatexperiencedabrutalconcussionwasDavidBooth.

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DuringhiscareerwiththeFloridaPanthershesufferedtwoconcussionsinfivemonths.
Thefirstonelefthimoutforthreemonths,andthesecondonelefthimoutfromMarch
2011untilOctober2011.Overthepastfifteenyears,therehavebeenatleasttwenty
playersthatreceivedcareerendinghits.MarcSavardwasoneoftheunluckyones;he
sufferedagrade2concussiononMarch7,2010yetreturnedthreemonthslater.Thenext
seasononJanuary23,2011hereceivedacareerendingconcussion.Sincethenhehas
sufferedfrompostconcussionsyndrome.ChrisProngerisanotherplayerwhoreceived
multipleconcussionsthroughouthiscareerbutinmidDecemberof2011,66Martin
Hanzelendinghiscareerhithim.Hesufferspostconcussionsyndrometoo.Theseare
justafewexamplesofthelongtermeffectsthataconcussionormultipleconcussions
haveoncurrentorformerNationalHockeyLeagueplayers.
NHLConcussionLawsuit
TheNationalHockeyLeagueisbeingsuedby,atthemoment,tenplayersthat
havesufferedmultipleconcussions.AccordingtoSeanMcindoe,theleagueknew(or
shouldhaveknown)aboutthedangersposedbyconcussionsandfailedtodoenoughto
reducetheriskofheadinjuriesandeducateplayersabouttheissue(Mcindoe1).Inthe
lawsuit,theyarehopingtofindsomewaystomakeconcussionsoccurless,butthisis
goingtoinvolvetestingoutmultiplethings.Theleagueislookingintowhattypesof
equipmentismorelikelytopreventaconcussion.Hockeyplayerscanusemouthguards
thatwillabsorbshockiftheyrehithard.Anotherpieceofequipmentthattheycanuseis
avisor.Atthemoment,visorsarebeinggrandfatheredin.IfsomeoneisstillintheNHL
whilethenewrulewasmade,thenitsoptionalforhimtowearone,butiftheyrenewto

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theleagueitsarequirementtowearavisor.Asthelawsuitgoeson,moreandmore
playerswillbecomeinvolved.Aftersomeoftheplayersdiedduetodepressionthatis
thoughttobetheresultofmultipleconcussionsduringtheirplayingcareer,theydonated
theirbraintosciencetoassistinthelawsuit,andalsosothatthedoctorscanfindout
whatsgoingonwithcertainpeoplesbrainstomakethemfeelthiswayafterreceiving
concussions.Whatlawyersreallywhattofindouttohelpsettlethecaseistheconnection
betweenconcussionsandfuturebraintrauma/damage.
LongTermEffectsofConcussions
Thoughitiscommonforthesymptomsofconcussionstoeventuallygoawayon
theirown,insomecasestheycanlastuptoafewmonthsaftertheinitialincident.A
concussionvictimcanexperiencepostconcussionsyndrome,whichisexperiencing
symptomsuptoafewmonthsaftertheconcussionoccurred.Theycanalsoexperience
posttraumaticheadachesorposttraumaticvertigo(dizziness).WhatIfoundtobethe
mostdangerousthingforaconcussionvictimtoexperienceaftertheinitialconcussionis
secondimpactsyndrome.Thisiscommonamongstthehockeyplayersthatareinvolved
intheNHLConcussionlawsuit.Playersreturntothegamequickerthantheyshouldand
thisisverydangerous.Thisisbecausethebrainswellsfasterandmorefatallythanwhen
thefirstconcussionoccurred.Hockeyplayersneedtowaituntilthebrainchemicalsare
stableagainbeforehittingtheice,andthisvariesforeveryone.Ifaplayersuffersfrom
multipleconcussions,theyoutcomesoftheirlifestyleaftertheircareercouldbe
significantlydifferent.In2011,threeplayerswerefounddeadwithinfourmonths.Wade
Belak,RickRypien,andDerekBooggardwereallbigtimeenforcersintheNational

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HockeyLeagueandhadallreceivedmultipleconcussions.Accordingtothefamiliesof
thevictims,thesemenhadsuffereddepressionandpostconcussionsyndromeinthe
monthsleadinguptotheirdeaths.
Methodology
WhileIwasinpsychology,Irememberedthatmyprofessormadeususethe
LibrarysOneSearchdatabasetofindarticlesand/orjournalsoncertaintopics.Withthis
previousknowledge,Iusedthisdatabasetoresearchthecauseandeffectsofconcussions
onpeople.UsingpriorknowledgeonInternetresearch,Iwasabletoresearchthelawsuit
thatiscurrentlyhappeninginvolvingmysubcultureandtheNationalHockeyLeague.
Mymediasourcesarevideosofplayersgettingmajorconcussions,recordedbypeople
outsideofthesubculture.ThenIconductedafewinterviewswithsomehockeyplayers
thatIknowwhohaveacquiredmultipleconcussionswhileplaying.Theinterview
questionscanbefoundinAppendixA.
Iwasabletofindthatthecauseofaconcussionismorethanjustswellingofthe
brain.Whensomeonereceivesablowtothehead,thebrainwillshake.Thisshakingis
veryabnormal,andasthebrainshakesithitstheinnerwallsoftheskull.Thisiswhat
causesthebraintoswell.Theswellingofthebrainiswhatleadstothedizziness,
headaches,nausea,andmore.
Fromtheinterviewsthatwereconducted,Iwasabletogetaninsidelookonhow
aconcussioncanaffectanathlete.Iinterviewedmybrother,Armand,whohasreceived
threeconcussionsinthepastfiveyears.Hislatestconcussionoccurredthreemonthsago
andhadamonthlongrecoveryperiod.Hetoldme,Inthemomentsfollowingthehit,I

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experienceddizzinessandheadpain.Eventuallythedizzinesswentaway,butthatswhen
thenauseastartedaswellastheheadaches.Hesaidthattheheadachesarewhatkeep
returning,andthishasaffectedthewayheplays.Heplaysalotmorecautiouslyandis
afraidtoplayaggressivelybecausehedoesntwanttoreceiveafourthconcussion.When
Iinterviewedacollegehockeyplayer,KilianMcNamara,andhesaidwhenhewaitedfull
recoveryperiodanddidalltheexercisesanddoesntfeelthattheconcussionsaffecthis
playing.Armand,ontheotherhand,didntdoanyexercisesortherapytorecoverandhis
gameisaffected.
ProposedSolution
To reduce and/or prevent the outrageous amount of concussions that occur in the
sport of hockey, I will create a brochure to show to youth hockey players. This is because
they havent entered the major league yet, and they will be able to learn of the dangers
before entering. The prevention of concussions is a very important part of playing the
game and it is so easy to do. Mouth guards are one of the ultimate questions of the league
and many players find themselves questioning whether or not they should use one. Well
what I was able to find was that mouth guards not only protect teeth from pucks and
sticks, they are also known to absorb the shock from a blow to the head preventing any
brain movement inside the skull. Another solution could be wearing a visor. The rule to
wear one has been grandfathered into the NHL. This means that players who are now
entering the National Hockey League have to wear one, but older players have the choice
to wear one or not. Therefore, many older players are getting concussions ending their
careers far too early. Teaching children at a young age to protect their heads as much as
possible is the goal. The last solution that I found could be the brand of equipment that

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the athlete wears. The most important thing to think when picking equipment is what is
going to protect you the best while youre playing. Many brands of equipment protect
certain parts of the player more than others, and this needs to be emphasized.
Opposed Views
Of course there are going to be opposing views to many topics, even whether or
not concussions can be prevented or whether there are long-term effects or not. A group
of doctors performed multiple fMRIs on young men who a received at least two
concussions. They found that, Results point to the relative plasticity of younger adults'
cognitive abilities following concussion (Terry 1). What these doctors believe a solution
to the problem is not that prevention is the answer, but the ability of the player to recover.
This means the plasticity of the players brain is what comes into play when recovering
from a concussion. They dont believe strictly in prevention since not everything can
100% protect the brain.
Justification
My solution is feasible because it protects the players from dangerous hits.
Buying protective equipment may cost extra money, but in the end the game is safer for
the athlete and a concussion has a lesser chance of occurring. My solution solves the
problem because prevention stops the long-term effects from happening. In fact, the
initial concussion will never occur since the extra precautions were taken. My solution is
the best solution because it prevents the initial problem from even happening. Almost like
a domino effect, if the initial concussion doesnt occur, neither does post-concussion
syndrome or second concussion syndrome.
Conclusion

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Throughoutthelengthofthispaper,Iwasabletogetintotheseamsofthelawsuit
betweenmysubculture,concussionvictimsoftheNationalHockeyLeague,andthe
NationalHockeyLeague.Usingtheinformationacquiredinthislawsuit,Ifoundout
someofthelongtermeffectsthatconcussionshaveonexandcurrenthockeyplayers.I
justreallywantedtoaddresstheproblemthatishappeninginmysubculture,which
involvespeoplenotexactlyknowingthelongtermaffectsofaconcussion.Italso
involvesthepreventionoftheconcussionsintheleague.Thisleadstomanyplayers
futuresbeingputindangeriftheycontinuetoplayafterhavingaconcussion.Withthe
longtermeffectsofconcussionsbeingknown,manylivescanbesaved,andtheonesthat
couldntbecanfinallybeputtorest.

AppendixA
InterviewQuestions
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Howlongagodidyoureceiveyourconcussion(s)?
Whatwereyoursignsandsymptoms?
Howlongwasyourrecoveryperiod?
Doyoustillfeelconcussionsymptomsfromtimetotime?Ifso,whichones?
Howmanyconcussionshaveyoureceived?
Doyoufeelthisaffectshowyouplaythegametoday?

ArmandVezinasResponses
1. IreceivedmyconcussionbackinDecembersoaboutthreemonthsago.
2. Inthemomentsfollowingthehit,Iexperienceddizzinessandheadpain.
Eventuallythedizzinesswentaway,butthatswhenthenauseastartedaswellas
theheadaches.

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3. Ittookaboutonetothreemonthsforthesymptomstogoaway.Inthefirstmonth
theywerentasbad,butbymonththreetheywerealmostcompletelygone.
4. Yeah,Istillgetheadacheseveryonceinawhile.Sometimestheyretinybutother
timestheycanbemigraines.
5. Ihavereceivedthreeconcussions.
6. YeahitdefinitelyaffectshowIplaytoday.Iplaywithalotmorecaution,andIm
afraidtoplayaggressivelyinthecornerssincethatiswheretwoofmy
concussionsoccurred.
KilianMcNamarasResponses
1. IreceivedmyfirstconcussionwhenIwasfourandthesecondoneaboutayear
agowhenIwas18.
2. Mysignsandsymptomswereheadaches,blurryvision,poorbalance,andtrouble
3.
4.
5.
6.

rememberinginformation.
Myrecoveryperiodwasforaboutonemonth.
No,IdidthenecessarytaskssothatIcouldmakeafullrecovery.
Ihavereceivedtwoconcussions.
No,bydoingallofthetasksthedoctorsandtrainersinstructedmetodo,ithelped
mehaveafullrecoveryanditdoesntimpactmygametoday.

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WorksCited
Alberts, Jay L., and Susan M. Linder. "The Utilization of Biomechanics to Understand
and Manage the Acute and Long-term Effects of Concussion.." Kinesiology
Review 2015 4.1 (2015): 39-40. OneSearch. Web. 5 Apr. 2015.

Gallucci,John."AthleteConcussion:OrchestratingtheSafeandSuccessfulReturnto
Play."PhysicalTherapyProductsNov.2013:1213.OneSearch.Web.18Mar.

Mcindoe,Sean."EverythingYouNeedtoKnowAbouttheNHLConcussionLawsuit."
Grantland.N.p.,27Nov.2013.Web.17Mar.2015.

McNamara,Kilian."ConcussionInterview#2."Emailinterview.18Mar.2015.

ResearchersDiscover28NewCasesofBrainDamageinDeceasedFootballPlayers.
Dir.SteveFainaruandMarkFainaruWada.PBS.ESPN,03Dec.2012.Web.17
Mar.2015.

Robbins,CliffordA.,DanielH.Daneshvar,andJohnD.Picano."Selfreported
ConcussionHistory:ImpactofProvidingaDefinitionofConcussion."OpenA
AccessJournalofSportsMedicine5(2014):99.OneSearch.Web.17Mar.
2015.

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Swanson,JerryW."Concussion."Definition.MayoClinic,02Apr.2014.Web.16Mar.

2015.
Terry, Douglas P., Carlos C. Faraco, Devin Smith, and Max J. Diddams. "Lack of Longterm FMRI Differences after Multiple Sports-related Concussions." Brain Injury
26.13-14 (2012): 1684-696. OneSearch. Web. 5 Apr. 2015.

Vezina,ArmandF."HowHaveConcussionsImpactedYou?"Telephoneinterview.18
Mar.2015.