EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE UNTIL 9 AM ET, December 23, 2015
New AAN Tools Remind Parents, Coaches and Players: “When in Doubt, Sit It Out”
#AskConcussion TweetChat Scheduled for 1 p.m. ET December 28
MINNEAPOLIS -
As the nation expands its conversation about sports concussion this week, the American Academy of Neurology, the world’s most trusted authority on concussion, will host a TweetChat at 1 p.m. ET, Monday, December 28, to help educate parents, coaches and athletes about the AAN’s guideline for diagnosing and treating sports concussion. In addition, new educational tools are available at AAN.com/concussion, including a downloadable infographic. The AAN’s sports concussion guideline recommends that any athlete suspected of experiencing a concussion immediately be removed from play and not returned until assessed by a licensed health care professional trained in concussion. The guideline suggests athletes should return to play slowly and only after all acute symptoms are gone. Other guideline findings include: •Among the sports in the studies evaluated, risk of concussion is greatest in football and rugby, followed by hockey and soccer. The risk of concussion for young women and girls is greatest in soccer and basketball. •The first 10 days after an athlete experiences a concussion appears to be the period of greatest risk for being diagnosed with another concussion. “The Academy’s new infographic is a great visual snapshot of sports concussion facts for parents, coaches and athletes to keep top of mind this season,” said co-lead guideline author Christopher C. Giza, MD, with the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and a member of the AAN. Giza will join Jeffrey S. Kutcher, MD, FAAN, Executive Director of The Sports Neurology Clinic in Brighton, Michigan, and a Fellow of the American Academy of Neurology, to host a special TweetChat on the AAN’s Twitter channel on December 28, 2015, from 1 to 2 p.m. ET, using the hashtag #AskConcussion. “The time to address sports concussion is now,” said Kutcher. “With nearly four million sports-related concussions being diagnosed each year in the United States, our communities and teams need to learn as much as possible about preventing and recognizing the condition.” As two of the world’s foremost concussion experts, the AAN member neurologists will be available to answer general public questions regarding the symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of sports concussion. Download the Academy’s app, Concussion Quick Check, to quickly help coaches and athletic trainers recognize the signs of sports concussion and to locate a neurologist near you. To learn more about sports concussion, visit http://www.aan.com/concussion.