Headfirst: A Concussion Podcast

Dr Reece Granger BSc (Hons), BChiro
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Headfirst: A Concussion Podcast, discusses all things concussion. From the physiology, effects, treatment and rehabilitation process. All with the aim of providing the tools and education to help patients. DISCLAIMER: All information discussed and provided is not a substitute for professional medical advice of doctors or healthcare practitioners. If a listener believes they are suffering from a similar injury to one discussed by the author, please seek medical care of your doctor or physician and do not rely on the author's advice.

  1. 9h ago

    Monologue: Should Kids Be Heading a Soccer Ball? The Rule-Change Debate

    Send us Fan Mail Note: This episode is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. While I’ve done my best to accurately interpret the cited journal articles, please read the original sources yourself for full context before drawing conclusions. This episode picks up where last week's left off — not questioning the "probable CTE" label itself, but asking what to do given the uncertainty around it. We dig into why a child's developing brain (myelination, the hippocampus) may respond to repeated heading differently than an adult's, then lay out the strongest evidence for restricting heading in kids under 12, including real-world results from youth hockey's body-checking bans. We give equal time to the case for caution, including genuine peer-reviewed findings that complicate the picture. We also break down an angle rarely covered: the physics of the ball itself, using a Guinness World Record Premier League shot to show why "the ball got lighter" doesn't necessarily mean heading got safer. Finally, we look at what happens when rule changes are actually tried, and the kind of resistance to change that has nothing to do with the science at all.   02:45 - Segment One: Why a Child’s Brain Is Different 07:15 - Segment Two: The Case For Changing the Rules 15:40 - Segment Three: The Case Against — Or At Least, For Caution 21:25 - Segment Four: The Ball Itself — Why “It’s Not Heavy and Wet Anymore” Doesn’t Settle It 27:30 - Segment Five: What’s Already Been Tried 31:30 - Segment Six: The Old Guard — Resistance That Isn’t About the Science  34:30 - Segment Seven: Where This Leaves Us   * Dr Julie Stamm Episode 28: Kids, Youth Sport and Concussion with Dr Julie Stamm * Dr Julie Stamm Episode 66: The Brain on Youth Sports, Athletic Trainers and Concussion Research with Dr Julie Stamm * Dr Robert Cantu Episode 81: Concussion, CTE and Repetitive Head Impacts with Dr Robert Cantu     Twitter: @first concussion Facebook: Headfirst: A concussion podcast Instagram: Headfirst_ Concussion   Email: headfirstconcussion@gmail.com Episode — Reference List 1. Stamm, J.M. The Brain on Youth Sports: The Science, the Myths, and the Future. Rowman & Littlefield, 2021. 2. Mackay, D.F., Russell, E.R., Stewart, K., MacLean, J.A., Pell, J.P., Stewart, W. Neurodegenerative disease mortality among former professional soccer players. New England Journal of Medicine. 2019;381(19):1801–1808. 3. Russell, E.R., Mackay, D.F., Stewart, K., et al. Association of field position and career length with risk of neurodegenerative disease in male former professional soccer players. JAMA Neurology. 2021. 4. Cantu, R.C. Concussion and Our Kids: America’s Leading Expert on How to Protect Young Athletes and Keep Sports Safe. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 5. Emery, C.A., et al. Body checking and injury rates in youth ice hockey: comparison of Alberta and Quebec leagues. JAMA. 2010. 6. Black, A.M., Macpherson, A.K., Hagel, B.E., et al. Policy change eliminating body checking in non-elite ice hockey leads to a threefold reduction in injury and concussion risk in 11- and 12-year-old players. British Journal of Sports Medicine / cited via PubMed. 2016. 7. Krolikowski, M.P., Black, A.M., Palacios-Derflingher, L., et al. The effect of the zero tolerance for head contact rule change on the risk of concussions in youth ice hockey players. American Journal of Sports Medicine. 2016. 8. Reduction of high school ice hockey injuries with implementation of new checking/boarding rules. PubMed-indexed study, referenced 2021. 9. Hutchison, M.G., et al. Concussion characteristics in the National Hockey League before and after the introduction of Rule 48. JAMA Network Open. 2023. 10. The impact of body checking on youth ice hockey injuries (Pee Wee/Bantam age-group analysis). Referenced in Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine, via SAGE Journals. 11. Rodrigues, A.C., Lima, M.D.M., de Souza, L.C., Furtado, C., Marques, C.E., Gonçalves, L., Lima, M.V., Lasmar, R.P., Caramelli, P. No Evidence of Association Between Soccer Heading and Cognitive Performance in Professional Soccer Players: Cross-Sectional Results. Frontiers in Neurology. 2019;10:209. 12. Auger, J., Markel, J., Pecoski, D.D., Leiva-Molano, N., Talavage, T.M., Leverenz, L., Shen, F., Nauman, E.A. Factors affecting peak impact force during soccer headers and implications for the mitigation of head injuries. PLOS ONE. 2020;15(10):e0240162. 13. Koizumi, A., Hong, S., Sakamoto, K., Sasaki, R., Asai, T. A Study of Impact Force on Modern Soccer Balls. Procedia Engineering. 2014;72:423–428. 14. Kirkendall, D.T., Garrett, W.E., et al. Heading in Soccer: Integral Skill or Grounds for Cognitive Dysfunction? (Review discussing ball physics, F = ma, and leather-vs-synthetic ball history.) 15. Guinness World Records. Fastest shot on goal in English top division football (soccer) — David Hirst, Sheffield Wednesday, 183 km/h, 16 September 1996. 16. The Ringer. What happens when soccer bans heading? 2017. (Twellman, Barker.) 17. WBUR Only A Game. (Don’t) use your head. 2015. (Comstock.) 18. BBC coverage of grassroots English heading-ban trials and the Raúl Jiménez injury, 2020. 19. Scottish Football Association public statement on proposed under-12 heading ban, following Mackay et al. 2019.

  2. Jul 28

    Monologue: Probable CTE - What We Know, What We Don't and Why the Words Matter

    Send us Fan Mail This episode unpacks what "probable CTE" actually means — where the term comes from, what the science can and can't currently tell us, and why a single case (former Socceroos captain Paul Wade) has reignited debate about diagnosing a disease that's only ever been confirmed after death. It walks through the genuine case for and against using this label in living patients, and why the language we use around it matters. Note: This episode is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice or a diagnostic tool. While I've done my best to accurately interpret the cited journal articles, please read the original sources yourself for full context before drawing conclusions.   06:00 - Segment One: What Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy Actually Is   09:45 - Segment Two: Why You Can't Diagnose It in the Living — Yet   12:00 - Segment Three: "Probable CTE" — Where the Term Actually Comes From   17:09 - Segment Four: Why This Topic Divides Even the Experts — The Dose-Response Problem   21:30 - Segment Five: The Case For Diagnosing Probable CTE in Living Patients   24:00 - Segment Six: The Case Against — Or At Least, the Case for Caution   29:27 - Segment Seven: Why the Words We Use Actually Matter   32:50 - Segment Eight: Where This Leaves Us     Episode — Reference List 1. Martland, H.S. Punch drunk. Journal of the American Medical Association. 1928;91(15):1103–1107. 2. McKee, A.C., Cairns, N.J., Dickson, D.W., et al. The first NINDS/NIBIB consensus meeting to define neuropathological criteria for the diagnosis of chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Acta Neuropathologica. 2016;131(1):75–86. 3. Bieniek, K.F., Cairns, N.J., Crary, J.F., et al. The second NINDS/NIBIB consensus meeting to define neuropathological criteria for the diagnosis of chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Journal of Neuropathology & Experimental Neurology. 2021;80(3):210–219. 4. Mez, J., Daneshvar, D.H., Kiernan, P.T., et al. Clinicopathological evaluation of chronic traumatic encephalopathy in players of American football. JAMA. 2017;318(4):360–370. 5. Montenigro, P.H., Baugh, C.M., Daneshvar, D.H., et al. Clinical subtypes of chronic traumatic encephalopathy: literature review and proposed research diagnostic criteria for traumatic encephalopathy syndrome. Alzheimer's Research & Therapy. 2014;6(5):68. 6. Cantu, R.C., Budson, A.E. Management of chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics. 2019;19(10):1015–1023. 7. Katz, D.I., Bernick, C., Dodick, D.W., et al. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke consensus diagnostic criteria for traumatic encephalopathy syndrome. Neurology. 2021;96(18):848–863. 8. Dickstein, D.L., Pullman, M.Y., Fernandez, C., et al. Cerebral [18F]T807/AV1451 retention pattern in clinically probable CTE resembles pathognomonic distribution of CTE tauopathy. Translational Psychiatry. 2016;6(9):e900. 9. Arena, J.D., Stewart, W., Schneider, A.L.C., et al. Performance of traumatic encephalopathy syndrome criteria in identifying individuals with chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Nature Medicine. 2026;32:2037–2046. 10. Iverson, G.L., Gardner, A.J. Risk for misdiagnosing chronic traumatic encephalopathy in men with anger control problems. Frontiers in Neurology. 2020;11:739. 11. Iverson, G.L., Gardner, A.J. Risk of misdiagnosing chronic traumatic encephalopathy in men with depression. Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences. 2020;32(2):139–146. 12. Iverson, G.L., Gardner, A.J. Symptoms of traumatic encephalopathy syndrome are common in the United States general population. Brain Communications. 2021;3(1):fcab001. 13. Grashow, R., Weisskopf, M.G., Baggish, A., et al. Premortem chronic traumatic encephalopathy diagnoses in professional football. Annals of Neurology. 2020;88(1):106–112. 14. Eagle, S.R., et al. Interaction of medical conditions and football exposures associated with premortem chronic traumatic encephalopathy diagnosis in former professional American football players. Sports Medicine. 2024;54:743–752. 15. Stewart, W., Buckland, M.E., McInnes, K., et al. Primum non nocere: a call for balance when reporting on CTE. Lancet Neurology. 2019;18(3):231–233. 16. Hazrati, L-N., Schwab, N. Embracing the unknown in the diagnosis of traumatic encephalopathy syndrome. Neurology. 2021;96(18):835–836. 17. McKee, A.C., et al. Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE): criteria for neuropathological diagnosis and relationship to repetitive head impacts. Acta Neuropathologica. 2023;145(4):371–394. 18. Atherton, K., Han, X., Chung, J., et al. Association of APOE genotypes and chronic traumatic encephalopathy. JAMA Neurology. 2022;79(8):787–796. 19. SBS News. Former Socceroo becomes first Australian footballer to share probable CTE diagnosis. July 2026. 20. beIN SPORTS. Former Socceroos captain reveals probable CTE diagnosis. July 22, 2026. 21. The Washington Post. Ex-Socceroos captain Paul Wade says he has probable CTE, urges no heading for junior players. July 22, 2026.

  3. Jul 20

    Concussion and Return-to-Drive with Dr Julianne Schmidt

    Send us Fan Mail Dr. Schmidt is the Georgia Athletic Association Endowed Professor at the University of Georgia and Co-Director of the UGA Concussion Research Center. Her research program focuses on the continuum of concussion management, including injury assessment, clinical recovery, rehabilitation strategies, and evidence-based return-to-activity protocols. She is particularly recognised for advancing the evidence surrounding post-concussion return-to-drive decision-making, an emerging area of clinical importance given the cognitive, visual, and motor demands of driving following mild traumatic brain injury. Her sustained contributions to concussion science were recognised in 2025 with her induction as a Fellow of the National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA), one of the profession's highest distinctions. With more than 3,500 citations in the scientific literature, Dr. Schmidt's work has substantially influenced contemporary concussion research, clinical guidelines, and interdisciplinary approaches to patient care.   01:10 - Journey into Concussion and Return-to-Driving 05: 15 -What is a concussion? 06:50 - Why Don’t We Really Think of Concussion and Return-to-Drive? 09:00 – Drink Driving Paradox and Concussion 11:30 – Messaging Around Return-to-Drive 15:10 – What Does Return-to-Drive Protocols  21:00 – Development of Protocols  28:00 – Heavy Machinery  34:00 - Where to Find and Help Dr Julianne Schmidt’s Work    Twitter: @first concussion Facebook: Headfirst: A concussion podcast Instagram: Headfirst_ Concussion   Email: headfirstconcussion@gmail.com

  4. Jul 14

    Return-to-Learn (RTL) and Concussion in Preforming Arts Populations with Dr Allyssa Memmini

    Send us Fan Mail Dr. Allyssa Memmini, PhD, LAT, ATC, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Health, Exercise and Sports Sciences at the University of New Mexico and an internationally recognised researcher in concussion management. Her work has focused on improving recovery pathways for individuals with concussion, particularly university students and performing artists—groups that have historically lacked evidence-based return-to-activity guidelines. During her doctoral studies at the University of Michigan Concussion Center, she developed one of the first structured Return-to-Learn protocols specifically designed for post-secondary students, helping universities better support students' safe return to academic participation following concussion. 01:22 – Journey into Athletic Training and Concussion Research  04:40 - What is a concussion? 6:45 - Difficulties in assessing and diagnosing concussion in collegiate/ university athletes 07:50 – Barriers & Difficulties in Assessing Students and Athletes for Concussion 12:10 - What’s the Return-to-Learn Process Look Like  21:20 – Concussion in Preforming Arts  24:50 – Concussion in Sport 29:40 – Return-to-Learn in Preforming Arts 33:20 – Favourite Moments in Sport/ Work 35:45 – Where to Find and Support Dr Memmini   Assistant Professor Allyssa Memmini  https://coehs.unm.edu/faculty-staff/profiles/memmini-allyssa.html   Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=m1a6H_QAAAAJ&hl=en   Twitter: @first concussion Facebook: Headfirst: A concussion podcast Instagram: Headfirst_ Concussion   Email: headfirstconcussion@gmail.com

  5. Jul 7

    The Buffalo Concussion Treadmill Test (BCTT) with Dr John Leddy

    Send us Fan Mail Dr. John J. Leddy is a primary care sports medicine physician with UBMD Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine and Professor of Clinical Orthopaedics at the University at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. He serves as the Medical Director of the University at Buffalo Concussion Management Clinic, where he has played a leading role in advancing the clinical assessment and management of concussion. In collaboration with Dr. Barry Willer, Dr. Leddy co-developed the Buffalo Concussion Treadmill Test (BCTT), a validated exercise tolerance assessment that has become an internationally recognised tool for guiding safe, individualised return-to-activity protocols following concussion. His work has significantly influenced contemporary concussion rehabilitation by challenging the traditional recommendation of prolonged rest and supporting the use of carefully prescribed sub-symptom threshold aerobic exercise as an evidence-based treatment strategy. Dr. Leddy's contributions to sports medicine and concussion research have been recognised through numerous prestigious awards, including the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine's Best Overall Research Award and the 2022 Stockton Kimball Award for Outstanding Scientific Achievement and Service from the University at Buffalo. He has authored more than 200 peer-reviewed publications, with his research receiving over 20,000 citations, reflecting his substantial impact on the scientific understanding and clinical management of concussion worldwide. His body of work continues to inform international clinical guidelines and best-practice approaches to concussion diagnosis, rehabilitation, and return-to-sport decision-making.       01:30 - Journey into Medicine, Concussion research and Introduction to Buffalo Concussion Treadmill Test 11:20 – Shifting From ‘Cocooning to Exercise’ Induced Recovery  19:25 - Differences Between the Treadmill and Bike Test 25:30 – Completing Exertion Testing Without Heart Rate Monitor  30:25 – Full Return-to-Play  35:50 – ‘Myth Around Concussion/ Evolving Research’ 40:20 – Supporting and Where to Find Professor John Leddy Professor John Leddy  https://www.buffalo.edu/news/experts/john-leddy-faculty-expert-concussions.html https://www.researchgate.net/profile/John-Leddy-3     Twitter: @first concussion Facebook: Headfirst: A concussion podcast Instagram: Headfirst_ Concussion   Email: headfirstconcussion@gmail.com

  6. Jun 30

    Tour de France, Concussion and ‘Life and Death: A Cycling Memoir’ with Dr Bridie O'Donnell

    Send us Fan Mail Dr Bridie O'Donnell is a valedictorian graduate of the University of Queensland Medical School who paused her medical career to become one of Australia's most accomplished cyclists. A multiple-time Australian National Time Trial Champion, she represented Australia on the international stage for more than a decade, racing for the national team in Europe and competing at three UCI Road World Championships as well as the Commonwealth Games. In 2016, at the age of 41, she made cycling history by setting the UCI Women's Hour World Record, covering 46.882 kilometres at the Adelaide Super-Drome. Beyond competition, Dr O'Donnell has become one of Australia's most influential voices in sport—as a leading advocate for women in cycling and high-performance sport, a broadcasting pioneer who became the first woman to commentate the Tour de France for SBS, and the author of Life and Death: A Cycling Memoir. She has also served in senior leadership roles in sport, including as Head of Sport at the Victorian Institute of Sport and Chair of the independent review into Australian cycling.   01:30 – Journey into Medicine and Professional Cycling  04:30 – Mentality of Entering as Older Athlete 07:00 – Approaching Professionalism  10:10 – Reconciling Injury form Athlete vs Doctor Point of Views 16:30 – Functioning on Low Caloric Intake 18:40 – Tour de France, Current Cycling HIA Protocol’s, Addressing Cycling Injuries  27:40 – Course Surfaces and Selection,  32:30 – Power Imbalances and Women in Sports 39:45 – Dr O’Donnell UCI Record  42:30 - Favourite Moments From her Career     Dr Bridie O'Donnell @bridie_od Book: Life and Death: Bridie O'Donnell: a Cycling Memoir Twitter: @first concussion Facebook: Headfirst: A concussion podcast Instagram: Headfirst_ Concussion   Email: headfirstconcussion@gmail.com

  7. Jun 23

    Concussion, Epilepsy and The Blood-Brain Barrier with Dr Colin Doherty

    Send us Fan Mail Professor Doherty holds the Ellen Mayston Bates Chair in Neurology at Trinity College Dublin's School of Medicine and serves as a Consultant Neurologist in the Epilepsy Service at St James's Hospital. He is also a Principal Investigator at the Research Ireland FutureNeuro Centre, one of Ireland's flagship national research programmes for neurological disease. His research spans brain imaging in epilepsy, mild traumatic brain injury, and neurological disorders, uniquely positioning him to explore the critical intersection between head injuries and seizure disorders.   01:30 - Journey into Medicine and Research Epilepsy, Blood Brain Barrier and Concussion 09:00 - Concussion, Sub-Concussive Blow, Repetitive Head Impacts and Epilepsy 17:00 – Epilepsy & Seizures Like Activities During Concussion 28:00 - Blood-Brain Barrier and Concussion 35:00 – How is Blood-Brain Barrier Damaged 44:00 – Multi-disciplinary Groups and How to Make Sport’s We Love Safer  47:50 - Where to Find Professor Colin Doherty, help support and follow your research? https://futureneurocentre.ie/breakthroughs/lasting-blood-brain-barrier-damage-linked-to-cognitive-decline-in-retired-athletes/ Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=1AS5w58AAAAJ&view_op=list_works&sortby=pubdate   Twitter: @first concussion Facebook: Headfirst: A concussion podcast Instagram: Headfirst_ Concussion   Email: headfirstconcussion@gmail.com

  8. Jun 16

    Concussion Policies and Litigation; The more things change, the more they stay the same with Dr Eric Windholz

    Send us Fan Mail Welcome back to Headfirst: A Concussion We are honoured to introduce returning guest Dr Eric Windholz, a leading expert in regulatory theory practice and sports law. Dr. Windholz has made significant contributions to academic literature with numerous publications in esteemed journals and substantial involvement in various books and chapters and currently Associate Professor at Monash University. Dr. Windholz also holds notable roles, including serving on the Editorial Board for the Australia New Zealand Sports Law Journal and as a Committee Member for the Law Institute of Victoria Sports Law Committee. Join us as Dr. Windholz explores complex topics such as athlete coverage, workers' compensation in sports, and clarifies the differences between class actions and individual lawsuits.   Episode 28 - Sports Law and Concussion Episode 49 – Australian Sports Commission Concussion Updates, Navigating Workers Compensation and Concussion in Sports  Episode 96 - Class Actions, AFL Concussion Claims and the Legal Fallout     01:35 - The more things change, the more they stay the same ...  05:30 - Class action update 11:50 – Class Action Litigation vs Individual Trial  14:50 - Technology updates - Helmets 23:18 – Zurich Health Insurance and Angus Brayshaw  28:06 – Aiden O'Driscoll from Western Bulldogs   35:30 - Adrain Whitehead; Carlton Player Who Got Workers Compensation   Dr Eric Windholz Journal: Professional athletes and injury insurance: A better way forward https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1037969X251337131 Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=7n5Zr5sAAAAJ&hl=en  X/Twitter: @ELWindholz   Subscribe, review and share for new episodes which will drop weekly Social media: Twitter: @first concussion Facebook: Headfirst: A concussion podcast Instagram: Headfirst_ Concussion   Email: headfirstconcussion@gmail.com

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About

Headfirst: A Concussion Podcast, discusses all things concussion. From the physiology, effects, treatment and rehabilitation process. All with the aim of providing the tools and education to help patients. DISCLAIMER: All information discussed and provided is not a substitute for professional medical advice of doctors or healthcare practitioners. If a listener believes they are suffering from a similar injury to one discussed by the author, please seek medical care of your doctor or physician and do not rely on the author's advice.

Information

  • Creator
    Dr Reece Granger BSc (Hons), BChiro
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    141
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Headfirst: A Concussion Podcast
  • Show Website
    Headfirst: A Concussion Podcast

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