Brain Researcher's Suggestion: Boxed with helmets

In Swedish boxing there have been no deaths since 1989 when an amateur boxer in Landskrona died after being knocked down.

If you look specifically at Swedish professional boxing there is only one death throughout the 20th century according to the state investigation "Fighting in focus" published in 2003. It was 1941 when a boxer passed away after a match in the USA.

But during the second half of 2019, the professional boxing world was hit by five deaths, which once again sparked the debate about the risks of the sport.

- Five deaths in one year is an unusually high figure, says neuroscientist Sanna Neselius.

She herself has a background as a boxer with five SM golds and an EM bronze as an amateur, and then three matches as professionals. She was an associate physician in the Swedish Boxing Association for over a decade and today works as a brain scientist.

What distinguishes most concussions in martial arts from other sports is the rotation that results from a blow to the chin.

- Many people come to me and wonder when they can start saving and go to matches again. I would say that it takes at least three months for a concussion with rotational forces to heal, and during that period you should avoid hitting your head. I would recommend it to be on the safe side. In more serious cases, it can be as much as eight months before the injury has healed completely, says Neselius.

It will never be possible to eliminate the risks of boxing, but how can you make the sport safer?

- If you lean towards the research I have done and the knowledge that already exists, you could discuss this with helmets again. If you look at the death with Patrick Day in October he was knocked down but also got a big bang when his head hit the carpet. For example, a helmet protects against that blow. It would also protect against eye damage.

Helmets could significantly reduce damage?

- Absolutely. Then it is very important that the boxers themselves and the coaches think about sparring. I have heard horror examples of boxers who have gone 100 round tough match saves before a big title match. It goes without saying that the risk then is enormous that you may have sustained injuries which then causes a brain haemorrhage.

The Professional Boxing Commission, which is responsible for Swedish professional boxers, estimates that today there are 35 Swedish boxers who are licensed and ready to go, as well as another ten names that are "dormant".

In Sweden, a new license cannot be granted if you have once suffered a brain haemorrhage.

- There are two theories about this with brain bleeding. In Germany, for example, it is considered that when such an injury heals, the injury is gone. We in Sweden believe that such damage cannot be cured. There is sensitive scar tissue left and if you get another blow you can be in danger of death, says Commission Secretary Olof Johansson.