8-21-14 football concussion study

A just-released study by researchers at the UW-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health concludes that there’s no difference in concussion rates among Wisconsin high school football players using different brands and ages of football helmets. Tim McGuine co-authored the study of more than two thousand players during a two-year period. He says there were some surprises in the study, including a finding about youth football players.  The study says while parents often want to buy the newest, most expensive football helmet to protect their child, there was nothing in the study to show that any specific brand of helmet performed better than another. The study was paid for by U-W and did not involve any outside money.  McGuine says the study also challenges the idea that coaches don’t care about concussions and just want the kids to play football.  McGuine was a guest on AM 1170 WFDL’s Between the Lines program.