25 January, 2016 – The International Concussion & Head Injury Research Foundation “ICHIRF” is a London based initiative looking at the long-term effects of concussion on European men and women who have competed in contact sports.
This ground-breaking study seeks to establish whether retired sportsmen and sportswomen have an increased incidence, or suffer an earlier onset, of neuro-degenerative disorders such as Parkinson’s Disease, Alzheimer’s Disease and the condition currently described as chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).
The issue of concussion, and its diagnosis and treatment in sport, remains a contentious topic. This debate is set to be further fuelled by the release of the film ‘Concussion’, starring Will Smith, which tells the story of the doctor in the USA who connected incidents of repeated concussion in former NFL players to a particular form of brain damage, known as CTE.
ICHIRF is the European wing of a collaboration between existing and on-going projects in Australia, Switzerland and the USA. The research project will be impartial and inclusive of all sports where concussion is a recognised risk but, because horseracing is the sport with the highest recorded rates of concussion, the initial screening focus will be on retired jockeys (professional and amateur) living in GB, Ireland and France.
Among the first volunteers for the study is former jockey, Richard Dunwoody. During a 17-year race-riding career, Dunwoody rode 1,699 winners, was champion jump jockey three times and twice won the Grand National before a neck injury forced him to retire in 1999. Now a photographer and explorer, Dunwoody will undergo MRI scanning, blood tests and a full behavioral analysis as part of the research.
Richard Dunwoody said: “As professional jockeys, with on average a fall every 14 rides, it was accepted that we would suffer concussion but we gave little thought as to what the long-term effects of repetitive head injuries would be, so this is an important research project, not only for racing, but for all sports. It will be of great benefit to establish the facts regarding the effects of concussion and to be able to minimise risks for athletes in the future.”
Joining Dunwoody in volunteering for screening is Stan Mellor and fellow former champion jockeys, Sir Anthony McCoy, John Francome and Peter Scudamore. Funding and support for the project has come from a range of sources, including the Injured Jockeys Fund (IJF), Godolphin and the NFL, as well as private backers.
The study has been welcomed by sporting stars such as Barry McGuigan and Sir Clive Woodward, who said: “Concussion has now become a major concern for all contact sports. Only through high quality, independent research can we uncover the true facts surrounding this complicated condition. I fully support the work being done in this area by ICHIRF. If you have been concussed, or just want to be a control subject, I would encourage you to sign up for this ground-breaking study.”
The ICHIRF research project is led by Dr Michael Turner, who has over 40 years of experience working in sports medicine. Formerly the Chief Medical Adviser to British Horseracing and currently performing the same role for the Lawn Tennis Association, Dr Turner founded ICHIRF in 2014. ICHRIF’s Chairman is former Minister for Sport and BOA Chairman, Lord Moynihan and Professor Paul McCrory, recognized as one of the world leaders in the field of concussion, chairs of the project’s Scientific Committee.
Dr Turner said: “Through impartial, objective analysis of a significant pool of data, we will seek to establish whether there is any correlation between repeated concussion and long-term damage to the brain. The over-arching objective is to acquire sufficient data to better predict the outcome of repetitive brain injuries and thereby facilitate better a understanding of individual risk.”
Retired sportsmen and women from other sports can already enroll in the research (e.g. rugby union, rugby league, football, boxing and other equestrian sports) and ICHIRF is also appealing to members of the public who have never had a concussion to contribute to the study as the ‘control group’. These volunteers will enable a direct comparison to be made with the ‘concussed group’.
Dr Turner added: “For the first time, a state of the art, controlled, multi-sport research study will look exclusively at concussion in European sportsmen and women, starting with a detailed study of over 200 former jockeys. Members of the public are crucial to our success as we need a cohort of people of similar age, gender and weight to compare to the group who have been concussed.”