Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ

Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Professor Co-Authors Youth Concussions Guide

A Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ faculty member has worked with researchers around the world to put together an easy-to-follow guide for parents and coaches to recognize concussions in young athletes and respond appropriately.

The , which is open access and freely available to the public, was published Nov. 5 in response to concerns that a qualified athletic trainer is not always on hand at youth sporting events, so coaches and parents should know the signs of concussion and what to do if they see them.

Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Interim Associate Dean & Associate Professor Dr. Ann Guernon, who recently co-chaired the Athlete Development and Sports Rehabilitation Networking Group for the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine, was among the authors of the article. Others include Dr. Ruairi Connolly, Dr. Jaclyn Stephens, Dr. John Leddy, Dr. Aoife Murray, Julia Drattell LAT, ATC, CES, Dr. Jacob McPherson, Dr. Karen McCulloch, Dr. Quratulain Khan, Akuadasuo Ezenyilimba, Dr. Zainab Al Lawati, Dr. Will Panenka, Dr. Samir Belagaje, Tracey Wallace, Noemi Lansang and Dr. Jennifer Wethe.

‘Recognize and remove’

The bottom line is “recognize and remove,” the authors say. Evidence shows that earlier recognition and removal of the athlete is correlated with a quicker return to competition.

“So if you're telling parents that you can reduce your child's recovery time by half, that's probably pretty good motivation to remove them and get them into a health care provider as quick as possible,” said co-author John Leddy, a sports medicine physician at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo. “They don’t have to diagnose it. They just have to suspect it. If they suspect it, then the advice is to take that athlete out of the sport, remove him or her from further risk, and get them seen by a medical professional who knows how to evaluate this condition.”

Lead author Ruairi Connolly, a physiatrist at Cork University Hospital in Ireland, said that while the article is based on two leading scientific documents in the field, the team purposely wrote the guide using accessible language. They collected feedback on the wording in their draft from coaches and parents before the article was published in the Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.

The article also includes a QR code that links to a two-page “” that can be used by non-medically trained individuals to identify and manage a suspected concussion.

Designating a parent

Co-author Jennifer Wethe, former Director of the Mayo Clinic Arizona Concussion Program, suggested that parents adopt a “safety officer model” in which there is a designated parent who knows what to look for. 

“Coaches are very busy. Getting this into the hands of motivated parents is how I think this information can make it to the grassroots level,” she said. “Don't underestimate the power of highly motivated parents who are concerned about something like this. I see a lot of explaining away injuries unless there is something very specific to follow. Parents and coaches need a protocol, something they can go through step by step.”

The researchers stress that concussions happen in many sports besides football. Wethe cited ice hockey, biking, soccer, volleyball – even cheer squads. Connolly cited rugby and something as simple as “someone falling over outside playing in the schoolyard.”

Female sports

Stephens, who is in CSU’s Department of Health and Exercise Science, emphasized that young women athletes also need to be considered, since some studies have shown a higher prevalence of concussion among female athletes, which may be related to differences in neck muscle strength. 

“If we only think about concussion as a professional football problem, we're failing to consider female athletes,” she said.

Stephens and co-author Ann Guernon, an associate professor of speech-language pathology at Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ, recently co-chaired the Athlete Development and Sports Rehabilitation Networking Group for the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. 

The is based on the ACRM’s definition of concussion/mild traumatic brain injury as well as the 6th International Consensus Statement on Concussion in Sport.

SIDEBAR

Steps for parents and coaches

1. Observe: During practice and games watch for signs of injury such as loss of balance, confusion, or holding the head after a hit.

2. Ask the athlete: How do you feel? What happened? If they have trouble remembering or have gaps in their memory, it may be a sign of concussion. Ask if they have headaches, dizziness, blurry vision, or balance problems.

3. When to seek urgent medical care: If the athlete shows any of the following signs, seek medical help immediately:

• Loss of consciousness (even briefly)
• Repeated vomiting
• Severe or worsening headache
• Seizures or convulsions
• Becoming more lethargic and/or confused
• Weakness or numbness in limbs
• Severe neck pain

What to do if you suspect a concussion

The golden rule: “If in doubt, sit them out.”

If you suspect a concussion, remove the athlete from play immediately. Continuing to play with a concussion can cause serious complications, including second-impact syndrome, a very rare but potentially life-threatening swelling of the brain that can occur when a second concussion happens before the brain heals from the first concussion.

Recovery and return to play

1. Rest first: The first 24-48 hours after a concussion should involve relative mental and physical rest. The athlete can walk and do light activities of daily living. They should reduce screen (phone) use, demanding schoolwork and intense exercise during this time.

2. Slowly resume activity: After the initial relative rest period, light physical activity can be introduced slowly, but only under the supervision of a health care professional – such as primary care physicians, pediatrician, sports medicine specialists and athletic trainers.

3. Follow medical guidance: Never allow the athlete to return to play until evaluation by a health care professional experienced in concussion management has been completed. Gradual return to full sport participation should follow the health care providers’ recommendations. Persistent symptoms lasting over four weeks warrant referral to a concussion specialist.

Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ is a modern, enterprising, Catholic university with a growing student enrollment from GED through doctoral level programs. As part of the global Lasallian network of 65 universities, Lewis is known for preparing graduates who impact the world for the better. Visit www.lewisu.edu for further information.