Studies Raise Issue of Head Blows’ Effects on Teens

Teens might have impaired thinking years later if they receive two or more significant blows to the head on the playing field, a new study indicates.

“This is a major public health issue that has been given short shrift,” said Michael W. Collins, a neuro-psychologist at Henry Ford Health System in Detroit, a lead author of one of six articles on brain injury in the Journal of the American Medical Assn.

A second study revealed that nearly 63,000 high school athletes a year suffer mild concussions.

A study of how often such episodes occur among high schoolers did not explore the long-term effects, only the rates of concussion in football, wrestling, soccer, basketball, softball, baseball, field hockey and volleyball at 235 high schools nationwide from 1995-96 through 1997-98.

It has long been known that multiple mild concussions are more likely than a single episode to lead to long-term problems.

Collins’ research involved 393 college football players and found that about one in three had suffered a concussion at some time in the past and one in five had suffered two or more.

A third article in the journal reported that amateur soccer players scored lower on tests of memory and planning than other amateur athletes did, and that repeated blows to the head may be the culprit. While some research has implicated “heading” the ball, some experts believe the more likely explanation is the frequent collisions between players and players’ heads hitting the ground or a goal post.

Pro Basketball

The Phoenix Suns signed Corie Blount to a two-year contract, beating out the Lakers and three other teams that were interested in the power forward. Terms weren’t disclosed, but the Suns have only a $1.1-million salary cap exception to offer in the first year of the contract.

The Lakers will return to UC Santa Barbara for training camp from Oct. 5-11. All practice sessions at the school’s Robertson Gym will be closed to the public. The team also signed non-guaranteed contracts with forward Andy Panko and guard Donald Williams, who both played on their summer league team.

New Jersey Net draft choice Evan Eschmeyer, selected 34th overall, ruptured a shoulder muscle while working out at home and will have surgery today. His status will be evaluated after that.

Boxing

Johnny Tapia, who lost his World Boxing Assn. bantamweight title on points to Paulie Ayala on June 26, is backing out of a fight with Jorge Eliecer Julio of Colombia for the World Boxing Organization title because he wants to take a vacation. “I want to take some time off from my boxing career and spend some time with my family,” Tapia said. . . . Four boxers from the U.S. squad that won eight medals at the Pan American Games this summer are to compete as part of a dual meet Sept. 27 against Cuba. The 12-man team is led by Jose Navarro of Los Angeles, who won the Pan Am silver medal at 112 pounds.

Miscellany

Chris Albright scored less than two minutes into his international debut as the U.S. men’s national soccer team tied Jamaica, 2-2, in an exhibition at Kingston, Jamaica. Forward Jason Kreis scored the other U.S. goal. . . . The U.S. women’s team will play Brazil at Denver on Sept. 26.

The International Ice Hockey Federation, which oversees the Olympic tournament, has given the NHL two more months to decide whether to allow its players to compete in the 2002 Winter Games, pushing the deadline to mid-November from Sept. 15. . . . Former Iowa State basketball player Travis Spivey, 21, will be sentenced in November after pleading guilty to having sex with a 15-year-old girl in June. . . . Former NFL quarterback Art Schlichter, released last week after serving less than half of a prison sentence of more than four years, pleaded not guilty to new charges that he used prison pay phones to bet on football and hockey games through a Las Vegas bookmaker last November. . . . Patrick Rafter will miss Australia’s Davis Cup match against Russia because of the shoulder injury that sidelined his U.S. Open tennis defense.