Prevention Library
Doctors Speak on Brain Injury Prevention
Date Modified
DR. ROCCO CHIAPPINI, director of physical medicine and rehabilitation at the CROTCHED MOUNTAIN REHABILITATION CENTER: "A head injury from being struck by a baseball, a helmet-to-helmet tackle during a football game or a helmet strike in hockey can sometimes have serious residual effects. Recently, two young pitchers in New Hampshire and Red Sox pitcher Matt Clement were struck in the head by line drives. These injuries were reportedly not as serious as they might have been, but can potentially have lasting negative effects. With young athletes, it's best to be cautious and have them evaluated. In the long-term, people familiar with the person should monitor him/her for behavioral changes -- irritability, loss of focus or concentration -- and bring it to a physician's attention."
JORDAN D. METZL, M.D., co-founder and medical director of the HOSPITAL FOR SPECIAL SURGERY (HSS), SPORTS MEDICINE INSTITUTE FOR YOUNG ATHLETES: "Sports injuries are one of the most common reasons young people go to the emergency room; a concussion is the most common head injury, estimated at 300,000 per year. An athlete should never return to competition after a concussion without clearance by a health professional. With the most common form of concussion, the player is dizzy, has a dazed look, talks of having his 'bell rung' and suffers some memory loss. The athlete can return to the game if he can run the sideline without a headache or dizziness. If the player 'blacks out' for less than five minutes, he or she should not participate in contact sports without clearance from a physician. If a player loses consciousness for more than five minutes, he should go to the emergency room even if he wakes up and looks normal."
JASPER SHEALY, professor emeritus of industrial and systems engineering at ROCHESTER INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, is an internationally known expert on helmet use: "Protective helmets -- varying widely by sport -- prevent major head trauma in football and hockey, making severe head injuries rare despite hits powerful enough to rattle fillings. Football helmets use a suspension system designed for repeated hits, whereas helmets for skiing, biking and motor sports use a 'sacrificial' design intended for one-time hits. The designs represent trade-offs. Suspension-system helmets prevent football and hockey helmets from having to be replaced frequently during games due to repeated hits. But they're not as good as a sacrificial design for a severe hit where the inner liner crushes and fragments.”
JILL BROOKS, Ph.D., europsychologist with HEAD-TO HEAD CONSULTANTS, P.A.: "If there's any doubt a player might have sustained a concussion, he/she should be removed from the game/practice. Never participate in physical activity if any sign or symptom of mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI) is present. During the early minutes and hours, see a health care provider if the person is not aware of their surroundings or experiencing headaches, dizziness and/or nausea and vomiting. During the days and weeks after the injury, look out for headaches, light-headedness, poor concentration, memory trouble, fatigue, irritability, sensitivity to bright lights or noise, anxiety/depression or sleep disturbance." Brooks is also a member of the Brain Injury Association of New Jersey's Concussion in Sports Committee and assistant professor of clinical surgery at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Brunswick, N.J.
PAUL D. BLANTON, director of the UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM's Sports-Related Concussion Program: “The biggest mistake that parents and coaches make is that if the child isn’t knocked unconscious or dazed over an extended period of time, they tend to miss the possibility of a concussion. Loss of consciousness during a game is rare. The more subtle signs of concussion are irritability, headache and drowsiness." Blanton warns parents against dismissing or ignoring complaints or symptoms, and to seek a medical evaluation.