Concussions in Adolescence and Risk of Multiple Sclerosis

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Published in the Annals of Neurology, a retrospective case controlled cohort study of over 80,000 patients looking at a relationship between concussion in childhood or adolescence and the risk of developing MS.¹

The conclusion…concussion in adolescence, especially if repetitive, was associated with an increased risk of developing MS. The authors suggest this may be related to the initiation of an autoimmune related process secondary to head trauma, and cite the research as another strong reason to prevent young people from repetitive head blows.

References:

1. Montgomery S, Hiyoshi A, Burkill S, et al. Concussion in adolescence and risk of multiple sclerosis. Ann Neurol. 2017;82:554-561.