Faculty Mentor
David Jackson
Major/Area of Research
Physician Assistant Studies
Description
Background: Concussions comprise 24.8% of the total injuries in high school athletes, putting developing brains at risk for neurocognitive dysfunction. Recent research has been geared towards finding the most effective process for (a) diagnosing, (b) treating and (c) preventing concussions. The most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that 329,290 children were diagnosed with a sports related concussion or traumatic brain injury (TBI) in 2012.
Methods: A systematic review of current literature was performed using the Long Island University online library database and Google Scholar. Search terms included: (a) concussion, (b) sports, (c) high school; (d) screening; (e) risk factors; (f) symptoms; (g) complications, and (h) pathophysiology, including the years 2011 to 2018 and in the English language.
Results: A concussion is a form of traumatic brain injury resulting in transient neurologic impairment that can resolve spontaneously or have lingering symptoms without structural changes on routine neuroimaging studies. Concussions are the most common injury among high school student-athletes, rising from 9.1% of all injuries in the 2005-2006 school year to 24.8% in the 2016-2017 school year. The overall prevalence is 2.5 concussions per 10,000 athletic exposures (competition or practice). Football has the highest overall rate of concussion with 6.4 per 10,000 athletic exposures, while soccer has the highest rate among girls’ sports with 3.4 per 10,000 athletic exposures. In gender comparable sports, girls have a higher rate of concussion than boys. In general, concussion rates are higher in competition than in practice. Current protocols center around early recognition of symptoms and removal from the field of play. Several screening tools have been developed, including the Sport Concussion Assessment Tool (SCAT-5) to aid in identifying potential concussions on the sideline and initiating proper treatment. Gradual return-to-school and return-to-play criteria have been developed to allow adequate healing time and prevent re-injury. Concussions, especially repetitive, may have long term effects such as (a) post-concussive syndrome, (b) post-traumatic seizures, (c) chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), and (d) decreased neurocognitive function. The CDC offers recommendations for concussion prevention based on each sport, but in general, strict enforcement of the rules and proper protective equipment are key.
Conclusions and Recommendations: Prevention and early recognition of symptoms can help reduce the number of concussions as well as long term effects. Athletes should wear all required protective equipment and the equipment should be fully functional. For contact sports, emphasis should be placed on proper form and safe techniques, as well as a limit on the number of full-contact practices per season. These measures can help to prevent concussions from occurring. In addition, officials should be trained to look for concussion symptoms and not hesitate to remove a player from action if they suspect a concussion. Athletes should not be permitted to return to play unless they are cleared by a medical practitioner and there should be stiff penalties for coaches who pressure players into returning prematurely.
Included in
All Shook Up: A Review of Sport-related Concussions in High School Athletes
Background: Concussions comprise 24.8% of the total injuries in high school athletes, putting developing brains at risk for neurocognitive dysfunction. Recent research has been geared towards finding the most effective process for (a) diagnosing, (b) treating and (c) preventing concussions. The most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that 329,290 children were diagnosed with a sports related concussion or traumatic brain injury (TBI) in 2012.
Methods: A systematic review of current literature was performed using the Long Island University online library database and Google Scholar. Search terms included: (a) concussion, (b) sports, (c) high school; (d) screening; (e) risk factors; (f) symptoms; (g) complications, and (h) pathophysiology, including the years 2011 to 2018 and in the English language.
Results: A concussion is a form of traumatic brain injury resulting in transient neurologic impairment that can resolve spontaneously or have lingering symptoms without structural changes on routine neuroimaging studies. Concussions are the most common injury among high school student-athletes, rising from 9.1% of all injuries in the 2005-2006 school year to 24.8% in the 2016-2017 school year. The overall prevalence is 2.5 concussions per 10,000 athletic exposures (competition or practice). Football has the highest overall rate of concussion with 6.4 per 10,000 athletic exposures, while soccer has the highest rate among girls’ sports with 3.4 per 10,000 athletic exposures. In gender comparable sports, girls have a higher rate of concussion than boys. In general, concussion rates are higher in competition than in practice. Current protocols center around early recognition of symptoms and removal from the field of play. Several screening tools have been developed, including the Sport Concussion Assessment Tool (SCAT-5) to aid in identifying potential concussions on the sideline and initiating proper treatment. Gradual return-to-school and return-to-play criteria have been developed to allow adequate healing time and prevent re-injury. Concussions, especially repetitive, may have long term effects such as (a) post-concussive syndrome, (b) post-traumatic seizures, (c) chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), and (d) decreased neurocognitive function. The CDC offers recommendations for concussion prevention based on each sport, but in general, strict enforcement of the rules and proper protective equipment are key.
Conclusions and Recommendations: Prevention and early recognition of symptoms can help reduce the number of concussions as well as long term effects. Athletes should wear all required protective equipment and the equipment should be fully functional. For contact sports, emphasis should be placed on proper form and safe techniques, as well as a limit on the number of full-contact practices per season. These measures can help to prevent concussions from occurring. In addition, officials should be trained to look for concussion symptoms and not hesitate to remove a player from action if they suspect a concussion. Athletes should not be permitted to return to play unless they are cleared by a medical practitioner and there should be stiff penalties for coaches who pressure players into returning prematurely.