By Frank Ayala & Alex Stepanek

What Exactly is a Concussion? Considered a mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI) Clinical syndrome with immediate and transient impairment of neural functions. No universal agreement on definition of concussion 10 % of all athletic injuries are classified as a concussion

What Happens Medically Result of a blow to the head or other part of the body causing an acceleration or deceleration of the brain inside the skull Stretching, twisting, and separation of dendritic branches Neurons temporarily dysfunctional but not destroyed

Symptoms of a Concussion Headache, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, balance problems, feeling slowed down, fatigue, trouble sleeping, drowsiness, sensitivity to light or noise, loss of consciousness, blurred vision, amnesia, or difficulty concentrating. Symptoms aren't usually evident until several minutes to hours after the blow

Concussion Education CDC, NFL, NBA, NHL, NFSA, NCAA all are intent on concussion education Some laws establish that athletes, parents, and coaches be informed about concussion information

Assessing Concussions Thorough clinical evaluation on the field of play is critical for identification and management Include history of concussions, observations, palpation, and special tests like balance Goal for on field evaluation is to identify life threatening conditions, if exist treat as a medical emergency

Assessing Concussion cont. Evaluation of signs and symptoms, cognitive functinoing, and postural stability is the goal Use results from neuropsychological tests, physcial tests, and injurt evaluation to diagnose Symptom checklist and symptom scale ImPACT, CogSport, HeadMinder CRI, ANAM- SMB are all computerized testing

Multiple Concussions Junior Seau Increased risk after first 3x greater risk if suffered 3 within last 7 years Longer recovery time 3+ concussions, 8x more likely for LOC, 5x for amnesia Most take place within 10 days of origional

Resuming Participation Take out of play immediately Should be individualized Standard is 7 days minimal Slowly resume participation, 24 hours/level, 72 for multiple concussions Have evaluation before resuming Athletes may lie Consider age, history, sport type, severity

Career Ender After suffering 2 concussions in a season, seriously consider ending season After 3 in a career, consider ending career in sport 3+ concussions had 5x more cognitive impairment, 3x memory problems, association with Alzheimer’s Disease, Dementia, depression Parkinson’s Muhammad Ali

Prevention Education Testing, baseline Technology (UNL)

Citation President's Council on Fitness, S. &. (2011). Assessment and Return to Play Following Sports-Related Concussion. President's Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition, Vol. 12 (Issue 1), p.g