This is related to NFL - but won't be all that different for martial artists. Studies are gaining more steam because big organized team sports are connected to them... so I guess we can count that as a blessing of sorts. http://vitals.nbcnews.com/_news/201...view-of-nfl-concussions?lite&ocid=msnhp&pos=1 Glad to see it's being looked at more in depth these days.
Stuff like this is good but also worries me a bit. If the research ends up helping people in contact sports with injuries such as this then I'm all for it, what worries me is regulation or even banning of these sports in the future due to further knowledge of how harmful contact sports can be. I know that's a little far fetched, especially with a sport like football, but I can see findings of "getting hit in the head could mess you up" having repercussions in the martial arts world with combative sports involving striking.
They've been trying for years to ban boxing. As much as I like boxing and have spent a good portion of my life doing it... I can see why they'd go after it. But I doubt that it'll ever get a total ban. There is no money behind a ban. There is money in the sport. And if there's one thing you can count on with the human animal... it's that money rules much of his decision making process.
More studies like these could lead to better ways of dealing with head trauma in these sports, and potentially better training methods? I can't see any of these sports being banned any time soon. Cigarettes have a whole lot more weight against them and they are still a long way from being banned if ever. I can see them using it to ban sports which aren't as established and lucrative, e.g. MMA. possibly on a more regional level.
