http://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress internet news portal provides the latest news on Health and Medicine. (HealthDay)—Young athletes and their parents and coaches are being reminded of the importance of wearing mouth and face protection during recreational and organized sports. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-young-athletes-urged-face-protecting-gear.html Health Sat, 20 Apr 2013 13:50:01 EST news285680812 The human skin is home to countless microorganisms that we can't see, but these microbes help define who we are. Our invisible passengers – known as the skin microbiome - contribute to our health in numerous ways including educating our immune system, protecting us from pathogens, and mediating skin disorders. In a new study, researchers investigated how the skin microbiome is transmitted between players in a contact sport, using roller derby as their model system. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-impact-day-roller-derby-skin.html Other Tue, 12 Mar 2013 07:42:38 EST news282292950 (Medical Xpress)—Too many athletes may be going back onto the field, court or rink too soon after a concussion, according to a new study that recommends athletes undergo post-exertion neurocognitive testing before being cleared to return to play. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-01-return-to-play-decisions-commonly-post-exertion-neurocognitive.html Health Thu, 31 Jan 2013 08:40:01 EST news278841524 A study done by investigators at the Boston University Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy (CSTE) and the Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System, in collaboration with the Sports Legacy Institute (SLI), describes 68 cases of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) among deceased athletes and military veterans whose brain and spinal cords were donated to the VA CSTE Brain Bank. Of the 68 cases, 34 were former professional football players, nine had played only college football, and six had played only high school football. The results, which will be published in the December issue of the scientific journal, Brain, represent the largest case series of CTE published to date, doubling the number of published CTE cases internationally. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-cte-cases-veterans-high-school.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Mon, 03 Dec 2012 11:45:38 EST news273757467 (HealthDay)—Soccer is an extremely popular team sport, and one of the few that doesn't require any protective head gear. But, a small study of professional soccer players from Germany suggests that even in players without evidence of a serious head injury, playing soccer may cause changes to certain areas of the brain. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-soccer-brain.html Health Tue, 13 Nov 2012 17:20:01 EST news272048530 Much has been written in recent years about the short- and long-term consequences of concussions sustained in sports, combat, and accidents. However, there appear to be no steadfast rules guiding the definition of concussion. Researchers investigated the signs, symptoms, and clinical histories used by athletic trainers to define concussion in individual college athletes engaged in contact sports. The investigators found a heterogeneous collection of acute clinical characteristics—a "concussion spectrum," which they discuss. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-10-concussion-spectrum-college-athletes-helmets.html Neuroscience Tue, 02 Oct 2012 10:55:07 EST news268394100 Most professional English football teams don't comply with international guidelines on concussion among players, which ensure they are safe to return to play, indicates research published online in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-09-english-football-teams-dont-international.html Health Wed, 05 Sep 2012 18:30:19 EST news266064119 A new study suggests that head impacts experienced during contact sports such as football and hockey may worsen some college athletes' ability to acquire new information. The research is published in the May 16, 2012, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-05-impacts-contact-sports-college-athletes.html Neuroscience Wed, 16 May 2012 16:00:01 EST news256391926 An Indiana University of Pennsylvania sociologist's study of mixed martial arts competitors found that these men have unique ways of managing fear that actually allow them to exhibit confidence. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-12-explores-men-ability-ways-confidence.html Psychology & Psychiatry Tue, 13 Dec 2011 10:19:36 EST news242993963 Testing athletes for concussions may induce mental fatigue in subjects whether or not they have a head injury, according to Penn State researchers. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-12-concussion.html Neuroscience Tue, 06 Dec 2011 15:09:03 EST news242406534