Guidelines

What Is a Sports Concussion?

Concussions are traumatic head injuries that occur from both mild and severe blows to the head. Some head injuries may appear to be mild but research is finding that concussions can have serious, long-term effects, especially repeat head injuries or cumulative concussions.

A concussion is typically caused by a severe head trauma during which the brain moves violently within the skull. The brain cells all fire at once, much like a seizure. Some studies show that patients who suffer a concussion appear to have the brain activity of people in a coma.

A concussion may result from a fall in which the head strikes against an object or a moving object strikes the head. A suddenly induced turning movement such as a blow that twists the head (like a punch to the side of the face) is more likely to produce unconsciousness. However, significant jarring in any direction can produce unconsciousness.

With concussion being so much in the news coupled with the new evidence of the long-term effects of this traumatic brain injury it is worth reading the latest consensus statement on concussion in sport and become familiar with the concussion assessment tools that are recommended to use in helping those involved with sport to decide if a concussion has occurred and if so what to do.

Consensus statement on concussion is sport.pdf Adult SCAT 3.pdf Child SCAT 3.pdf Pocket SCAT.pdf