In 2004, Jake Snakenberg was a 15 year-old freshman football
player at Grandview High School in Aurora, Colorado when he died after
suffering a concussion too soon after a previous concussion. This second concussion
followed a mild head trauma (concussion) that recently occurred. For Jake and
many other teenage athletes in the past have lost their life to “Second Impact
Syndrome” due to consecutive head trauma injury before the brain had fully
healed from the initial injury. of
concussions do not involve loss of consciousness Disturbance in brain fu
A
concussion is defined as a disturbance in brain function that occurs following
a blow or violent shaking of the head. Less than 10% of people with concussions
actually demonstrate a loss of consciousness. Persons sustaining a sports
concussion will typically demonstrate amnesia, confusion, feeling foggy and a
headache. Commonly reported symptoms following a
concussion include the following:
Headache
Dizziness
Blurred Vision
Feeling Slowed
Down
Nausea
Vomiting
Balance Problems
Sensitivity to Light or Noise
Change in Emotional Behavior
Irritability
Fogginess
Attention/Concentration
Difficulties
Memory Problems
Sleep
Disturbance
Drowsiness
Fatigue
To take action to prevent death and chronic post-concussive symptoms,
concussion awareness is on the rise with 31 states passing concussion
legislature since 2010. The State of Kansas passed the Kansas School Sports
Head Injury Prevention Act in 2011. This law requires any athlete with
suspected signs or symptoms of a concussion be removed from athletic
participation and be cleared by a physician (M.D. or D.O.) before returning to
play. Once a concussed athlete’s brain or cognitive function has returned to
baseline and symptoms of a concussion are resolved, athletes can begin a
supervised return to exertion protocol to prepare the body to return to
contact. Taking these appropriate steps to ensure the brain is ready for
activity decreases the incidence of chronic headaches, sleeplessness, poor
academic performance and possible death that have plagued many youth athletes
by returning to the field or court too soon.
Affiliated physicians of Lawrence Memorial Hospital are medically managing
patients who are diagnosed with a concussion by implementing neuro-cognitive
testing. Physicians at Mt. Oread Family Practice and Eudora Family Care are
utilizing ImPACT™, a
computer test program, which measure how the brain is functioning. Utilizing
this tool as part of a comprehensive examination provides physicians with
important information to determine if an athlete is safe to return to sports
participation.
ImPACT™ is a computerized battery of neurocognitive tests that can be used
as a baseline prior to a concussion and post-concussion testing. Following a
concussion and medical examination, the post-concussion test can track the
recovery of the brain compared to the baseline test taken when brain function
was not altered. This testing is an
important part of the medical decision to return the player back to sport
participation safely.
It is important
for parents, coaches and the athletes to be aware of concussions and its impact
it has in the health of an individual. Early recognition of a possible
concussion to prevent further head trauma is imperative. Education by parents
and coaches to the athletes in regards to the symptoms and signs of a
concussion should be explained at the beginning of each sport season to
athletes in all sports. For more information regarding signs/symptoms of
concussions can be found at the Center for Disease Control.
Sports
Concussion Services
LMH affiliated
physicians at Mt. Oread Family Practice (Lawrence, KS) and Eudora Family Care
(Eudora, KS) provide concussion management services to patients following a
sports related concussion utilizing ImPACT™ testing. LMH Therapy Services in
partnership with these physicians provide concussion prevention and education
geared toward youth athletes, parents and coaches. Pre-season baseline testing
is available at the affiliated practices for a $25 charge. Post-concussion evaluation and management
are available for athletes with sports-related concussions to consult in return
to play decisions. Parents who are interested in individual baseline testing or
post-concussion evaluations for their child/adolescent athlete may contact the
practices directly.
Mt. Oread Family
Practice: (785) 842-5070
Eudora Family
Care: (785) 542-2345
