Is Kolb in danger from concussions? Maybe

Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt was asked in late December if he was concerned that quarterback Kevin Kolb might suffer more concussions after sustaining one Dec. 11 against San Francisco. "I don't think there are any kind of studies or anything that says that's the case," he said. "I personally haven't ... I don't know that we have, and I don't think there is any information that would be the case." The news sounded good. Unfortunately, it wasn't accurate. That is patently false, said Dr. Dean Karahalios, a neurosurgeon at the NorthShore Neurological Institute in suburban Chicago. There is substantial evidence that if someone is concussed, they have a higher likelihood of being concussed again. We dont know whether they are made more susceptible through their injuries or whether theyre genetically predisposed to concussions because of the way their head is structured or the cushion around their brain, but the evidence is certainly there. This is not intended as an accusation directed at Whisenhunt. Its likely that he wasnt aware of the evidence Karahalios cites. Hes a football coach. He has a lot of other things to worry about. Were guessing he doesnt have time to peruse the latest medical journals. But what Karahalios' statement does underscore are two obvious points. The first is how much better the league-wide education process must become on this very serious issue. The second is what it could mean for Kolbs future. Kolb has already had two documented concussions in his NFL career and alluded, vaguely, during a local radio interview last season to a third that may or may not have happened. Based on what Karahalios said, Kolb has an increased susceptibility to more concussions. And there is also mounting evidence about the impact of multiple concussions on the brain. We werent concerned about multiples before, Karahalios said. Now we have this sneaking suspicion that despite the most rigorous scenario and safeguards enacted before we let athletes back to play, sustaining more concussions is more probable, and that has some serious long-term ramifications. No one knows what that number is. But well-publicized autopsies on several former NFL players who died before the age of 50 have revealed that they were suffering from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), brain damage caused by repeated head trauma. Does that mean Kolb could suffer the same fate? We dont know. Repeat: We dont know. The overarching point Karahalios stressed is how much more we need still need to learn in the areas of understanding, prevention and treatment. For example, Karahalios said the baseline test used by the NFL and NHL is based on good methodology and exhaustive research, but still, "its all weve got right now. In the future, well have much better ways of determining if someone has sustained injuries and the severity of those injuries. The same goes for treatment, which currently is confined to rest and allowing nature to heal the brain. Think about that for a moment. Rest? No pill? No shot? With how many other injuries or illnesses are we that deep in the dark? Karahalios said there are promising drugs and treatments currently being studied, but none is ready for use. So athletes are left to trust in what little medical information they can gather, what their bodies are telling them and that deep pool of resolve and toughness that got most of them to this stage in the first place. Kolb said earlier this month that he discussed with team doctors the idea of returning in about a month or so for another neurological test. He also struck a positive note when pondering his future. "Ive been through some things early in my career in Philly -- some of the same situations here and there -- so its helped me to deal with certain things," he said. Nobody knows what Kolb will be dealing with 20 or 30 years down the road. But the preliminary findings should give us all pause, when discussing bloated athletes contracts, to remember what these guys put on the line every day.