Q: Sports concussions have been a hot topic, with football instituting new rules to protect players. I would think that a boxer would be at greater risk. What, if any, procedures and precautions are mandated for that sport?
—Dan Cowles, Cumming
A: Professional boxers and Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighters who suffer concussions (whether or not they are knocked out), usually are given a medical suspension and have to be cleared by a neurologist before they return to the ring, Dr. Domenic F. Coletta Jr., told Q&A on the News in an email. Coletta has been a ringside doctor at high profile professional fights since 1988 and is the chairman of the Association of Ringside Physicians (www.associationofringsidephysicians.org). "It's difficult to regulate boxing, especially the club fighters at small, inner-city gyms that have no medical supervision," Coletta said. He said the association "makes every effort possible to educate the boxing community," which includes doctors, referees, commissions, trainers and athletes to the signs, symptoms and dangers of concussions and other traumatic brain injuries. Those include chronic conditions, such as Dementia Pugilistica, which sometimes affects boxers who have fought in a large number of bouts. "The use of neuropsychologic testing, such as the ImPact tool (a computerized concussion evaluation system), is being used more frequently to evaluate a boxer who is showing signs, often subtle, of deterioration in cognitive and/or physical health," Coletta said.
Andy Johnston wrote this column. Do you have a question about the news? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or email q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
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