Treating concussions in professional sports

For years I have been fascinated by the pharmacological properties of Hydergine and have prescribed it for mild forms of Alzheimer’s when I was in medical practice. In several of my previous blog posts, I describe the many functions of this drug and suggest it may be useful in protecting against possible concussions following head injuries of athletes in contact sports like hockey, football and soccer. (Readers may wish to review these previous blog posts.) Additional coaches are sometimes recruited by professional sports teams in an effort to win games. Teams should also be recruiting medical professionals to possibly help them prevent and/or reduce the incidence of encephalopathy and concussions, and provide the best diagnosis, treatment and care immediately following any injuries. In the case of cardiac arrests or drowning, we immediately perform CPR but in the case of head injuries we waste valuable time asking the victim if they know where they are, or what day it is, or the name of the current leader of the country. We should apply a more consistent, effective approach to evaluating athletes with head injuries and be more swift to administer hydergine or similar drugs in an effort to minimize or avoid the immediate and long-term adverse effects of brain injuries and optimize recovery.