Researchers at the Montreal Neurological Institute of McGill University have identified the neurological basis of depression in male athletes with persisting post-concussion symptoms.
The study, published in this week's issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, has important clinical implications for the treatment of individuals who have suffered a cerebral concussion.
Depression is one of a number of persisting symptoms experienced by athletes following sports concussion. The prevalence of depression in the general population is around 5%, whilst the prevalence of depression in head trauma patients can reach an astounding 40 %.
“Until now, very little was known about the neurological basis of the depression frequently reported by athletes following concussion,' says Dr. Alain Ptito, neuropsychologist and researcher at the MNI, and lead investigator for the study. Traditional testing methods for concussion yielded normal results with no obvious cognitive or neurological deficits. Persistent complaints have been perceived as subjective and ill-defined without neurological basis. Injury to the brain following concussion takes place at a microscopic level and is therefore difficult to measure in a patient.