Stade Toulousain center Florian Fritz was knocked out during the Top 14 play-off against Racing 92 on May 9, 2014 at the Ernest-Wallon stadium.

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Rémy Gabalda / AFP

  • A study on concussions is underway at Inserm, in collaboration with the Toulouse University Hospital.

  • This is a work on the recovery of athletes after a shock to the brain.

  • Inserm is looking for very athletic young men to participate.

Harsh and staggering rugby players who need support to get off the pitch.

It is often the image that comes to the brain before the expression "concussion".

However, "it is very caricature", underlines the neurosurgeon David Brauge, in charge of a pilot study of Inserm with the University Hospital of Toulouse, for which he is still looking for volunteers.

According to this specialist, an expert with the French football federations (FFF) and rugby (FFR), almost all disciplines are concerned, and most concussions, for lack of obvious symptoms, go unnoticed.

Even more in amateur sport, much less endowed with doctors and cameras than the pros.

"To date, no additional examination can tell where the athlete is in his concussion", observes the specialist.

To no longer stick to the player's feelings alone (headaches, memory loss, etc.), a study is therefore underway, which will end in December 2021.

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“Today, concussions cannot be seen on MRI [magnetic resonance imaging].

We are working on new MRI sequences that would make it possible to distinguish them.

Thus, we could determine from how long the person has fully recovered.

»This is essential for safely resuming one's favorite sport.

Three MRIs on the menu

To date, 13 professional rugby players have agreed to undergo an MRI when they still experience symptoms of a head shock within 72 hours of a match, and then a second once the symptoms have resolved (usually a few more days). late), and finally a third control three months later.

Six "control subjects", not concussed, underwent the same examinations, modeled in time on those of professional rugby players.

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By comparing all the images collected, the idea is to try to find visual markers of concussions, in order to be able to work on objective and no longer subjective data.

“We are looking to increase the number of volunteers,” explains David Brauge.

They must be men aged 18 to 35, seasoned athletes with at least three weekly sessions in a club and - very important - having never practiced contact sport.

In other words, a triathlete, a table tennis player or a volleyball player is welcome, but a judoka, a footballer or a handball player must abstain.

Claustrophobes can also skip their turn, since during each of the three half-day visits to the laboratory, the guinea pig must not only undergo a neuropsychological workup, but also undergo an MRI for an hour (for applications or more information: volunteers.tonic@inserm.fr).

It is long, but it is the price to pay for science to advance.

"We are talking about a real public health problem," continues Professor Brauge, citing a study carried out across the Atlantic, according to which "21% of sports-related injuries in American high school students are concussions.

"And we're not just talking about US football here ...

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  • MRI

  • Inserm

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  • Toulouse

  • Health

  • Rugby

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