Ensuring and maintaining brain health of the combat sport athlete

Abstract

Professional boxing and mixed martial arts (MMA) are popular sports with high risk for both acute and chronic traumatic brain injury (TBI). Acute catastrophic neurological injuries include subdural hematoma (SDH), epidural hematoma (EDH), subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) and second-impact syndrome (SIS). Late-life neuropsychologic sequelae of repeated brain injury include chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), dementia pugilistica, chronic post-concussion syndrome, posttraumatic dementia, posttraumatic cognitive impairment, posttraumatic Parkinsonism and chronic posttraumatic headache. Urgent measures are needed to ensure and maintain the brain health of the combat sport athlete. In the commentary that follows, some of these measures are discussed.