Sports Sciences Commons^™

The Long-Term Behavioral Effects Of Concussions And Post-Concussion Syndrome, Hannah Belleville

Honors College

The focus of this thesis is to examine the effects of concussions on college athletes, specifically their social activity and behavioral changes. Concussions are mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBI) that occur after receiving a blow to the head or a whiplash injury that causes an altered state of consciousness, including but not limited to, being unconscious. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) reports that in the past five years college athletes have suffered 10,500 concussions. Unlike professional athletes, who have the luxury of being able to rest until fully healed, college student athletes have the demands of academics often rushing …