Young athletes who experience a sports-related concussion are more likely to suffer a prolonged period of symptoms if they also have a family history of mood disorders, psychiatric illnesses or migraines, according to a study from the Vanderbilt Sports Concussion Center (VSCC) published in Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics.

Data in sports concussion studies will continue to be disputed as long as the injuries are diagnosed by differing standards instead of universal guidelines, a Vanderbilt investigator concludes in a recent review.

Researchers at the Vanderbilt Sports Concussion Center (VSCC) are using novel sound wave technology as part of an attempt to more rapidly and accurately diagnose sports concussions on the sidelines during games.

Recent scientific findings have raised the fear that young athletes may fare worse after sustaining a sports-related concussion than older athletes.