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Sports-Related Concussions & Subconcussive Injuries

Gradual Return To Play And Longer Recovery Period Recommended, Especially for Younger Athletes

Dr. William P. Meehan, III, Director of the Sports Concussion Clinic at Boston Children's Hospital. discusses return to play after a sports-related concussion, including successful completion of a graduated exercise protocol, consideration of all clinical factors, including the results of computerized neurocognitive tests, the age of the athlete, and the level of play.

High School Football Playoffs: Not A Time For Concussion Safety To Take Back Seat To Winning


As the 2013 high school football season enters the home stretch, with teams fighting to stay alive in the playoffs, or preparing for traditional end-of-the-season games on Thanksgiving morning, the risk of concussion is an ever-present concern. 

Football player holding his head

But now is not the time to put winning ahead of safety.

Even in the best of times, studies show that high school football players face what one recently called a ‘culture of resistance' to reporting to sideline personnel that they are experiencing concussion symptoms.

As the 2013 high school football season enters the home stretch, with teams fighting to stay alive in the playoffs, or preparing for traditional end-of-the-season games on Thanksgiving morning, the risk of concussion is an ever-present concern. But now is not the time to put winning ahead of safety.

Baseline Neurocognitive Testing: Three New Studies Highlight Difficulty Of Obtaining Valid Results

The use of baseline and postconcussion computerized neurocognitive testing has become an increasingly common practice in the assessment and management of concussions at the college, high school, and even youth level. But, as three new studies show, obtaining baseline test results reflecting a valid assessment of an athlete's "true" baseline ability needed for comparison to postinjury performance is fraught with challenges.

NOCSAE Ruling On Helmet Sensors Generates Controversy

The July 2013 decision by NOCSAE that modification of helmets with third-party after-market add-ons, absent retesting and recertification as configured, renders the certification void may be necessary to protect the integrity of its helmet standard, but at the cost of depriving athletes of cutting-edge concussion safety products.

New Concussion Report's Failure To Discuss Impact Monitoring Unfortunate Omission

The MomsTEAM staff and I are still digging into the Institute of Medicine and National Research Council's three-hundred-some-odd page report on sports-related concussions in youth sports,[1]  but one thing jumped out at me at my first pass: When I did a search in the report for a discussion of impact monitoring devices (a/k/a hit sensors), I found only one brief mention of sensors in the committee's recommendation that the Centers for Disease Control fund large scale data collection efforts for research purposes, including data from impact sensors.

Conspicuous by its absence from the new IOM/NRC report on concussions in youth sports was any mention of the use of real-time impact monitoring systems on the sports sideline. Unfortunately, the lack of any such discussion will just end up making it that much more difficult to get the message out that the benefits of real-time impact monitoring, and place an additional obstacle in the path to their use.

NFHS Responds to IOM/NRC Report on Sports-Related Concussions

The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) responded to the release in October 2013 by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) and the National Research Council (NRC) of a detailed report on “Sports-Related Concussions in Youth – Improving the Science, Changing the Culture" with a statement supporting the report’s conclusion that a "culture change is a national priority.”  

Baseline Neurocognitive Testing: Is It Really Necessary?

While computerized neuropsychological testing has become increasingly popular in concussion management in recent years, its use, particularly the need for baseline NP testing, remains controversial and, if anything, the trend appears to be away from recommending routine testing of all athletes, or even all athletes in contact or collision sports with a high risk of concussion.

How 10+ Concussions Changed My Life and Inspired Me to Help Kids

A former athlete and father of three who suffered 10 or more concussions playing sports didn't want them to experience the long-term symptoms he struggles with every day, so he started a company in the emerging field of impact sensor system products.

'Culture of Resistance' for Self-Reporting Concussions, Study Finds

Young athletes in the U.S. face a "culture of resistance" to reporting when they might have a concussion and to complying with treatment plans, which could endanger their well-being, says a new report from the Institute of Medicine and National Research Council.

Multiple Concussions: No Lingering Effect On Cognitive Function, Says Study

Adolescent athletes with a history of multiple concussions perform just as well on brief computerized tests of neurocognitive function than those without such history, although those who a history of two or more concussions self-reported more concussion symptoms, says a new study.
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