Updated Expert Guidelines on Risks for and Management of Sports Concussion

There is no known treatment that speeds recovery or postconcussion impairment; monitoring to full recovery is critical.

Management of the millions of athletes who experience sports-related concussion annually is controversial. The American Academy of Neurology convened a panel of experts to review relevant literature published since 1955 and update the 1997 clinical practice guideline. The full guideline and supplementary materials are available at http://www.aan.com/go/practice/concussion.

The following highlights of the update are helpful to primary care clinicians who care for athletes with concussion on the field or in the office setting:

Concussion risk is greater for female athletes than for male athletes participating in the same sport (e.g., soccer and basketball).
Concussion risk is greater in American football and Australian rugby than in other sports…

Reviewing Authors

Thomas L. Schwenk, MD

Disclosures

Editorial BoardsUpToDate

Thomas L. Schwenk, MD

Disclosures

Editorial BoardsUpToDate

Hooman Kamel, MD

Disclosures

Speaker’s bureauGenentech

Grant / Research supportNational Institutes of Health/National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke; Michael Goldberg Stroke Research Fund

Editorial boardsPLOS One; Scientific Reports

Leadership positions in professional societiesNeurocritical Care Society (Research Committee Member)

Hooman Kamel, MD

Disclosures

Speaker’s bureauGenentech

Grant / Research supportNational Institutes of Health/National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke; Michael Goldberg Stroke Research Fund

Editorial boardsPLOS One; Scientific Reports

Leadership positions in professional societiesNeurocritical Care Society (Research Committee Member)