The organization’s recommendations (which cover all ages, not just professional athletes) are:

1. Any athlete who is suspected to have suffered a concussion should be removed from participation until he or she is evaluated by a physician with training in the evaluation and management of sports concussions

2. No athlete should be allowed to participate in sports if he or she is still experiencing symptoms from a concussion.

3. Following a concussion, a neurologist or physician with proper training should be consulted prior to clearing the athlete for return to participation.

4. A certified athletic trainer should be present at all sporting events, including practices, where athletes are at risk for concussion.

5. Education efforts should be maximized to improve the understanding of concussion by all athletes, parents, and coaches.

According to an Associated Press article in the News & Observer:

The doctors group recognizes it isn’t necessarily feasible. One official called it a gold standard to strive for.

“We understand completely that is undoable in today’s environment, but we think that is a correct way to organize our priorities,” said Dr. Jeffrey Kutcher, chairman of the academy’s sports neurology section. He said that if a certified athletic trainer is not available to a school, perhaps contact sports should be avoided.

The overall message is the same one we’ve been hearing all year: Concussions are serious medical conditions that need to be spotted and treated immediately.

In the past few months, we’ve learned that concussion rates are soaring for student athletes (Blog: Concussion Rates Soaring), and that the long-term effects of concussion are potentially devastating (Blog: Concussion Linked to Dementia). While the recommendations from the AAN may seem extreme, the goal is to raise awareness and to keep brains safe. Who can argue with that?

RESOURCES

The American Academy of Neurology’s Position Statement On Sports Concussion

Associated Press article in the News & Observer: Brain Doctors Issue Warning on Concussions

HensonFuerst Brain Injury page

The primary federal program directed specifically at preventing concussion in high school sports is Heads Up: Concussion in Youth Sports, a program of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This program provides information for coaches, trainers, athletes, and parents, including information about how long a child should sit on the sidelines after concussion. For example:

“Several factors may affect decisions about when it is safe for an athlete to participate in sports again, which are referred to as return-to-play decisions. For example, research has shown that athletes who have sustained one concussion are at increased risk of sustaining another concussion. An athlete who sustains a repeat concussion before the brain recovers from the first—within hours, days, or weeks—may recover more slowly or may have increased likelihood of long-term consequences. Research has also shown that children and adolescents are more likely than adults to sustain a concussion and take longer to recover from one, although the reasons for this difference remain unclear.” (from the GAO report)

What is clear is that concussion–more precisely known as mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI)–is more common than estimated, more damaging to young brains than most people think, and not as respected as it should be. What we’ve learned from studying adult athletes is that repeated mild head trauma can lead to permanent and debilitating brain injury, including early dementia and death.  No one encourages young people to get injured, but there is a strong culture encouraging kids to get back in the game, and to play through the pain. The government’s report is the first step in making sure everyone is aware of the potential severity of every head injury.

(For more information about brain injury, visit HensonFuerst dedicated web page:  HensonFuerst TBI page.)

http://www.democratherald.com/articles/2009/06/02/news/local/6aaa03_bill060209.txt