Blog
Expert Voices: Alyssa Memmini, Ph.D., LAT, ATC on performing artists' Return-to-Stage after concussion
Alyssa Memmini, a member of Concussion Alliance’s Expert Advisory Board, recently led a team that developed a return-to-the-stage protocol for collegiate performing artists after a concussion.
Study Highlights the Importance of Delaying Return to Activities in Symptomatic Concussion Patients
A paper published in the Journal of Neurotrauma found that children with persistent symptoms had imaging “evidence of ongoing microstructural reorganization or neuroinflammation,” highlighting the importance of delaying a child’s return to play following a concussion if symptoms are persisting.
No significant reduction in relapse of symptoms due to premature Return to Learn
A study found a significant reduction in symptom relapse rates related to premature Return to Learn but not for Return to Play, indicating the need for more emphasis on implementing Return to Learn protocol.
Duration of continued athletic participation after sport-related concussion impacts recovery outcomes
A study evaluated the duration of continued participation after a suspected sport-related concussion (SRC) and its impact on recovery outcomes in collegiate athletes. The researchers found that continued participation (within a range of 0-90 minutes) after SRC was associated with worse outcomes.
Concussion education in schools is inconsistent, overly athlete-focused
A study found significant gaps in school-based concussion education in a scoping review, "including a lack of clear guidelines for concussion education content, questionable sustainability of the education delivery and the need for long-term evaluation of outcomes.”
Many PA high schools’ sports concussion protocols fail to meet state mandates or include current best practices, full-time trainers may help
A study found significant gaps in a high proportion of PA schools with regard to both state mandates and current best practices, though protocols were much higher quality in schools with a full-time athletic trainer (AT).
Risk-seeking and impulsivity may shorten patients’ time to return to play, increasing risk
A study found associations between certain personality traits and the time until return to play after a concussion. Experience seeking and impulsivity are personality traits that indicate a shorter return to play after a concussion. In contrast, conscientiousness is a personality trait that investigators associated with a more extended return to play delay.
Exercise for concussion monitoring and rehabilitation; two recent studies
A study of concussion patients to determine the impact of “initiating physical activity as soon as 24 to 48 hours after concussion to reduce persistent postconcussive symptoms.” They found that adolescent concussion patients who initiated physical activity before their first clinic visit (clinic visits were an average of 9.8 days after concussion) were better off.
The longer adolescents continued to play after a concussion, the worse the outcomes
A study found symptoms were worse, and recovery was slower in adolescents (aged 11-19 years) who continued to play after suffering a concussion.