Concussion Awareness

[souleman]

I attended a coach’s seminar this evening (Thursday March 12th, 2009) which addressed concussion awareness, field diagnosis and a treatment for concussions called ImPACT. The acronym stands for Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing. Most of you coaches have already been exposed to this information but I thought it very important. Therefore I thought I’d present it again in the event that it may be new info to some of you.
The following is from a pamphlet that I picked up at the seminar that was presented by Bethesda Hospital in St. Paul, MN. Bethesda is known as a premier brain injury hospital and treatment facility. It said;
“According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the most common brain injury in sports is a concussion. In fact, approximately 300,000 sports-related concussions occur in the United States each year. In any given season 10% of all college players and 20% of all high school players sustain brain injuries. The American College of Sports Medicine estimates that roughly 85% of concussions suffered go undiagnosed”.
Also from the pamphlet;
“The signs and symptoms of a concussion can be subtle and may not appear immediately. Symptoms can last for days, weeks or longer. Immediate signs and symptoms of a concussion may include confusion, amnesia, and headache, loss of consciousness, nausea, unequal pupil size and slurred speech. Delayed signs and symptoms may include irritability, headaches, depression, sleep disturbances including insomnia or difficulty in waking, poor concentration, getting lost or becoming easily confused, loss of sense of smell or difficulty with gait or in coordinating use of limbs.”
Even though loss of consciousness is a definite indicator that a concussion occurred it is not the only indicator. A frontal or temporal blow to the head may not cause a loss of consciousness and yet cause a concussion.
One of the main things I took away from the seminar and something we all have to be aware of is something called second impact syndrome. This occurs mostly in teen age athletes because their brain is still developing and during this time it is susceptible to this. Second impact syndrome can occur within 7 to 10 days (usually) from the initial concussion. Obviously it can happen with a second blow to the head during that period. I was also lead to believe that this can actually be brought about by over exertion as well. Second impact syndrome is, at the least, debilitating but can also be deadly. ESPN did a documentary on a football player that died as a result of second impact syndrome. See the video at http://www.veoh.com/browse/morelike/v16286687cePE8CWX . (Please watch the video)
OK, let’s face it, if one of our kids lands on their melon while vaulting, they are probably going to have a concussion. We better know what to do and have a plan.
An introduction to ImPACT in the pamphlet read;
“One baseline and post concussion tool used is a neurocognitive test called ImPACT. An individual completes a computer-based assessment testing memory skills and reaction times. ImPACT test scores are a tool that can be used, along with presence or absence of symptoms, to help determine safe return to sports and daily activities”.
I came away with the idea that we as coaches should have our athletes perform the test via computer and determine their baseline score. As I said, this is a pre injury baseline that is being determined. The test does have a charge to it but I think it’s only like $10. Once that baseline is documented (test result) it is kept. In the event of a perceived concussion, another test can be taken to determine the extent of the concussion. The baseline results are also a valuable tool for the treatment of any concussion. As you know, five minutes after an athlete’s bell has been rung he’ll tell you he’s fine so he or she can get back in the game. Utilizing ImPACT or a similar testing procedure during the time the brain is healing will let the doctors, you as a coach, and the athlete himself know when he or she is truly ready to get back into the game. You can see more about ImPACT at http://www.impacttest.com/ .
As I said at the top, Most of you are probably already aware of all of this. If that’s the truth I apologize for such a long entry and for boring you to death with this. On the other hand, if it enlightens one coach or athlete where it makes a difference, then the post was worth it. Later………………….Mike

[KirkB]

Thanks for taking the time to post this, Souleman. My kids play lacrosse, and have had their bells rung on occasion. This knowledge is very helpful!

Kirk

[rainbowgirl28]

Concussions are extremely serious. Fortunately they are rare in the pole vault, but this makes PV coaches less likely to notice the warning signs.

[souleman]

Another thing that I didn't mention is that a whiplash type occurrence can cause brain injury (concussion) also. Apparently what happens is the brain actually can move around in the scull and "scape" against the seems of the scull which in turn can cause the injury. We've all seen kids land goofy in the pit and see their heads bounce or snap off the pad. This is something we need to keep in mind according to the doctor that spoke at the seminar. Kirk, funny you mentioned lacrosse. Two of the coaches that were there tonight were lacrosse coaches. Later.........Mike

[chasing6]

Another thing that I didn't mention is that a whiplash type occurrence can cause brain injury (concussion) also.

This actually happened to one of the girls on my HS team back in the day. New, stiff landing area + poor landing = bad times. Thankfully she was up and running again in a few days.

On a lighter note, I once got my bell rung in a football game and almost failed the field test questions because our trainer forgot that it was the forth quarter. She was very embarrassed to say the least, and I was able to get back into the game.