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- Feb 10, 2012
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I'm very concerned about the lack of responsibility of MMA events promoting fights between old time fighting veterans. As an MMA fan, I certainly understand the hype behind bringing an old champion back to action. However, as a neurologist, I am very concerned with their safety. Here is why:
1) Risk of subdural hematomas
WIth aging, the bridging veins draining the blood from the brain to the cerebral venous sinus becomes more prone to rupture, leading to subdural hematomas. As the brain is more atrophic due to aging and prior injury, the veins hang in the subdural space, and can rupture from sheering stress.
Believe me, we are gonna start seeing this happening. The problem of the subdural hemorrhages is that the bleeding flow can be very slow. The brain accommodates initially, but then the increase pressure in the brain and the irritation that the blood causes lead to headache, weakness, seizures, etc, and can eventually kill if not treated appropriately - blood may have to be removed surgically.
2) Risk of strokes
With aging, our arterial vessels become calcified and lose the connective tissue that gives its flexibility and compliance. Abrupt neck movement, head trauma or compression may hurt the carotid or vertebral arteries that run in the neck, leading to dissection (partial rupture) or throw a cloth up to the brain, leading to a potentially devastating stroke.
3) Accelerating chronic traumatic encephalopathy (dementia)
Blows to the head lead to the accumulation of a protein inside of the neurons (tau). Over time this can lead to dementia. With aging, there's decreased ability to deal with brain injury and its toxic products, leading to more accumulation of tau, which causes dementia.
There are multiple other risks. Bones become weaker with aging, predisposing to fractures. Skull fractures can lead to life threatening injuries (e.g. epidural hematoma from meningeal artery tear). Other organs may also be more prone to injury. Moreover, post-fight whole body scan may miss an early injury.
I just hope referees do their job and protect the fighters the best they can, stopping fights early. More conservative rules should apply (e.g. banning elbows to the down opponent, etc). There should be an age limit for fighters, which should be based on fighting time, blows to the head, etc.
I'm an MMA fan, and to make sure it continues we need to protect our fighters!
thoughts?
1) Risk of subdural hematomas
WIth aging, the bridging veins draining the blood from the brain to the cerebral venous sinus becomes more prone to rupture, leading to subdural hematomas. As the brain is more atrophic due to aging and prior injury, the veins hang in the subdural space, and can rupture from sheering stress.
Believe me, we are gonna start seeing this happening. The problem of the subdural hemorrhages is that the bleeding flow can be very slow. The brain accommodates initially, but then the increase pressure in the brain and the irritation that the blood causes lead to headache, weakness, seizures, etc, and can eventually kill if not treated appropriately - blood may have to be removed surgically.
2) Risk of strokes
With aging, our arterial vessels become calcified and lose the connective tissue that gives its flexibility and compliance. Abrupt neck movement, head trauma or compression may hurt the carotid or vertebral arteries that run in the neck, leading to dissection (partial rupture) or throw a cloth up to the brain, leading to a potentially devastating stroke.
3) Accelerating chronic traumatic encephalopathy (dementia)
Blows to the head lead to the accumulation of a protein inside of the neurons (tau). Over time this can lead to dementia. With aging, there's decreased ability to deal with brain injury and its toxic products, leading to more accumulation of tau, which causes dementia.
There are multiple other risks. Bones become weaker with aging, predisposing to fractures. Skull fractures can lead to life threatening injuries (e.g. epidural hematoma from meningeal artery tear). Other organs may also be more prone to injury. Moreover, post-fight whole body scan may miss an early injury.
I just hope referees do their job and protect the fighters the best they can, stopping fights early. More conservative rules should apply (e.g. banning elbows to the down opponent, etc). There should be an age limit for fighters, which should be based on fighting time, blows to the head, etc.
I'm an MMA fan, and to make sure it continues we need to protect our fighters!
thoughts?
