What Parents and Athletes Should Know About Concussions

Tyler Proscia's older brother had suffered two concussions as an athlete at . Tuesday night, Tyler, who is a sophomore hockey player at the high school, attended a presentation on concussions among athletes. 

"It happens a lot and it goes unnoticed," Tyler said. 

Neil Jacobsen, a senior and captain of the high school's ice hockey team, was the only other teen in the audience of about a dozen parents. His mother Cathy Jacobsen said she wanted to learn about the risks of having a concussion and also help her son recognize some of the symptoms in case one of his teammates suffered a concussion. 

"I learned it takes a while to get back into playing," Neil said. 

The  PTSA sponsored the "Concussion: What Every Parent Needs to Know" discussion with Yorktown athletic trainer . 

Byrnes, who also serves on the board of the New York State Athletic Trainers' Association, said concussions have quickly become one of the biggest hot-button issues in sports. From the NFL to high school fields across the country, it can affect all athletes and it doesn't necessarily result from a direct contact. 

"An athlete who tackles someone has to go out and do that same thing the next time," he said. "The importance of stressing this with athletes is these are individuals who are asked to go out again and again and put themselves in a position to suffer a head injury, so we want to take every precaution possible."

According to studies, he said, the number of athletes who suffer concussions is higher among high school students than professional athletes, partly because children are more susceptible to injuries and because there are more student athletes than individuals who continue to play professionally. 

At Yorktown High School, there are between 6 and 12 concussions per season, with the higher numbers occurring usually during the fall when football is in season. Approximately 70 percent of the student body at the high school plays sports, with some athletes playing more than one sport. 

The Yorktown Central School District has decided to take a proactive approach to fighting the problem, bringing in a new baseline brain activity test to help decide when players are safe to take to the playing field. Immediate post-concussion assessment and cognitive tests (ImPACT) are 40-minute computerized tests that evaluate attention process, word identification and recognition memory. Reaction speed, processing speed and concentration are also logged for evaluation.

The district received the computerized tests in mid-fall and athletes are expected to be tested soon. The test will be conducted every two years. 

"It's another tool in the assessing box," Byrnes said. "I helps us by testing things we normally wouldn't test."

After a Yorktown athlete is diagnosed with a concussion, there is a process that will take place before he or she can return to action. A post-concussion ImPACT test will be conducted within 24 to 72 hours of the injury and the results will be reviewed. Ultimatetly, it would be the school's final decision if an athlete can return to play, even with a clearance from a private doctor. 

Byrnes said there are potential long-term effects of concussions. A second-impact syndrome is a rare but catastrophic medical emergency where a second concussion is sustained while still suffering from initial concussion. In post-concussion syndrome, symptoms can last for weeks, months or years and in some cases might be permanent. 

Concussion symptoms are classified into physical (headache, dizzy, nausea, poor balance, sluggishness), emotional (agitated, quiet, depressed) and cognitive (confusion, amnesia, decreased reactions and repeated speech). 

As part of the treatment, which could take about seven days, both physical and metal rest is needed, including no television, video games, loud music, reading, using a computer or bright lights. Classroom accommodations may be necessary for some student-athletes, Byrnes said. 

Byrnes said while there is no way to completely eliminate concussions from sports, preventing them is important because sustaining one concussion significantly increases the risks for a second one. Reporting an injury could also help reduce the chances of a long term injury.

Click here to visit the YHS Athletic Training website.

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