AFL launches review of concussion expert Paul McCrory’s work after claims of plagiarism | concussion in sports

The AFL is launching a comprehensive and independent review of the work and advice of concussion physician Paul McCrory, who has spent years treating and diagnosing athletes with concussions and other serious head injuries.

The AFL told Guardian Australia the review would be conducted after the league was unable to answer key questions it was asked about concussion research McCrory is said to have conducted for the governing body, or the evidence that he used to inform about the concussion policy.

The questions were asked earlier this month after McCrory allegedly plagiarized the work of another neurologist researcher. McCrory has since been charged with further plagiarism and is said to have apologized, telling website Retraction Watch that he had requested the papers in question be withdrawn and that the mistakes “were not intentional or intentional”. He has not responded to requests for comment from Guardian Australia. He resigned as chair of the Concussion in Sport group on March 5, amid allegations of plagiarism.

Following repeated requests for comment and specific questions about McCrory’s involvement in its concussion policy, the AFL said in a statement, “The AFL will conduct an independent review of the work, research and advice provided to it by Associate Professor Paul McCrory.

“The top priority of our code is protecting the health and well-being of everyone participating in our game and that is why we made this decision, following a series of revelations over the past few weeks about matters affecting the AFL, an independent one previously unaware of carrying out the review,” the statement said.

“These matters include a case of admitted scientific plagiarism by Associate Professor McCrory and the suggestion of other cases of plagiarism.”

Last Wednesday, Guardian Australia revealed that McCrory voluntarily “made an enforceable undertaking to the Medical Board of Australia in May 2018 that he will not perform any neurodiagnostic procedures, nerve conduction studies or electromyography until approved by the Board”.

A spokesman for the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) confirmed the obligation is still in force and will remain in effect until removed from the public register. When asked why the commitment was made, the spokesman said: “Privacy provisions in national law prevent us from making any further comments”.

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The AFL said it would also look into this “recent revelation.”

“While Associate Professor McCrory did not hold a permanent role with the AFL, was not employed by the AFL, and was not the only medical advisor to the AFL on concussion issues, he was an important and long-standing advisor on concussion issues, and he was understood of making the AFL a pre-eminent expert in the field, including most recently as Chair of the Concussion in Sport Group and in that capacity having previously worked with many leading national and international professional sports organizations,” the AFL said.

Associate Prof Alan Pearce, a neuroscientist who has done extensive research into the long-term effects of repeated brain trauma, said the decision to conduct an independent review highlighted a major “credibility issue” within the AFL.

“Because they’ve been claiming since 2007 that they’re doing world-leading research and nothing has been shown to prove it,” Pearce told Guardian Australia. “Is that just rhetoric to kick the can out in the street? It’s a problem of academic integrity. It weakens confidence in all concussion science conducted by the Concussion in Sport Group.”

The Concussion in Sport Group is an international body of experts that has met every four years since 2001 to provide blueprints to sports codes around the world on how to deal with head injuries. The consensus statements they created have been used to inform concussion management policies in professional leagues, including the NFL, World Rugby and the AFL.

The AFL’s concussion policy relies heavily on this document, as does their concussion policy for amateur and community leagues playing Australian Rules Football.

McCrory is the lead author of four of the five consensus statements.

The most recent statement, from 2016, states that there is no proven cause-and-effect relationship between concussions and degenerative brain diseases such as chronic traumatic encephalopathy or CTE, the neurodegenerative disease associated with repetitive head injuries and concussions increasingly associated with contact and collision sports brought.

McCrory was a high-profile public speaker on concussion in sports worldwide. He has also expressed personal doubts about the relationship between concussion and CTE on numerous occasions.

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The AFL said in its statement: “The Concussion in Sport Group has provided guidance to many leading sports around the world, including the AFL, in translating evolving research into sports-related concussion and head injuries into practical concussion treatment protocols.

“As is customary in academic institutions and other organizations where allegations of plagiarism are made or admitted, for reasons of integrity, the AFL believes it is important to determine the status and reliability of prior research activities and results, as well as clinical work by Dr. McCrory was involved for the AFL.

“This independent review is being conducted by an independent senior counsel and a medical professor with experience in medicine and medical research ethics.”

More details of the review will be announced shortly, the AFL said.