Don?t look for knockouts.
Doctors say minor amnesia or confusion could mean serious damage even if young athletes do not lose consciousness.
“Any trauma that causes any period of mental changes should be evaluated further,” said Dr. Teri McCambridge, a pediatrician with Orthopedic Associates who will likely evaluate many of those teen athletes this year.
“Any kind of amnesia and they?re out,” McCambridge said.
Researchers are reporting that the effects of multiple concussions on young athletes can be cumulative, she said. Especially “with a second trauma before the brain is fully healed. They can have more serious injury or even death.”
McCambridge treats athletes from six Baltimore-area schools and Towson University, working with trainers from Towson Sports Medicine.
Concussions can happen to any athlete ? male or female ? in any sport, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Traumatic brain injury, caused by a blow or jolt to the head, can disrupt the way the brain normally works. Coaches, athletic directors and trainers play a key role in helping to prevent concussions and in managing it properly if it occurs.
New research published in the Journal of Neurosurgery and five other studies published since last fall?s sports season find young athletes cannot be put back in the game as quickly as adults.
“Normally, if there was no loss of consciousness or other serious symptoms within a week, we could clear them to go back and play,” said Stephanie Adams, head athletic trainer with Towson Sports Medicine.
Not any more.
None of the teens they treat return to the field without McCambridge?s approval, she said.
Even seemingly mild concussions can have significant effects, according to an article in this month?s Journal of Neurosurgery.
“There is no such thing as ?just a bell ringer?,” said author Michael Collins, assistant director of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center?s sports concussion program.
“Our study showed that many athletes with mild concussions whose symptoms disappeared within 15 minutes still showed significant decline in memory processing and other symptoms within one week post-injury, which means they weren?t healed,” Collins said.
High school athletes with a history of three or more concussions who suffered a new concussion were up to nine times more likely to experience common symptoms compared to athletes with no history, the article states.
WHAT TO DO
If your teen reports any symptoms of a concussion, or if you notice the symptoms yourself, seek medical attention right away.
» Keep your teen out of play. Athletes who return to play too soon risk a greater chance of a second concussion causing permanent braindamage.
» Tell all of your teen?s coaches about any recent concussions.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
