by Sophia Conti
On Monday, March 30 Adelphi University’s Center for
Health Innovation and Winthrop University Hospital hosted a Sports Concussion
Symposium, a rapid response event designed to react to emergent health issues
on Long Island. The event featured a variety of speakers and panelists,
providing an overview of concussions and the importance of recognizing its
symptoms.
Concussions are defined as a trauma-induced alteration
in a person’s mental state, with physical, cognitive, emotional, or
sleep-related symptoms. While higher-grade concussions tend to involve a loss
of consciousness, not every concussion does. A single concussion can take
weeks, months, or even years to heal completely.
“Every concussion is different,” said Dr. Kevin
Curley, an attending physician at Winthrop University Hospital. “Each
concussion can have varying combinations of symptoms.”
Multiple concussions can lead to detrimental
long-term health problems, such as chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and
traumatic brain injury. A concussion occurring before a previous one has
completely healed can lead to second impact syndrome, a fatal brain herniation.
Among the panelists was Pat LaFontaine, National
Hockey League Hall of Fame member, who attested to the severity of concussion
symptoms. “All those symptoms are for real,” LaFontaine said. “I was lucky my
brain found its way back and plugged itself back in.”
Several states, including New York, have legislated
the return-to-play criteria for concussed athletes, which often prohibit students
from playing on the same day as their head injury. Even the international
community has created guidelines for a standardized concussion assessment.
Baseline testing for athletes in balance, cognition,
and emotion is extremely important. After a hit to the head, the same tests can
be conducted to more easily diagnose a concussion. Coaches, parents, and
teachers are also crucial to concussion diagnosis, as they are most familiar
with student athletes and may be able to more easily identify changes in
behavior than a physician.
“Sports provide many positive benefits to our
children and young adults,” said Don Gronachan, vice president of physical
medicine sales at Biodex Medical Systems, Inc. “But we are concerned about the
short- and long-term safety of these young athletes.”
The CHI Rapid Response: Sports Concussion Symposium consisted
of Emilia Zarco, Robert Otto, John Wygand, and John Petrizzo in the Ruth S.
Ammon School of Education, Department of Exercise Science, Health Studies, Physical
Education and Sport Management; and Daniel McCabe and Michael Gavagan in the Department
of Athletics.
Speakers and panelists at the CHI Sports Concussion
Symposium
First row
(from left): Michael Kennedy ’81, DO,
MBA, director, Expert Medical Care; Elizabeth Gross Cohn, Ph.D., RN, director, Adelphi
University Center for Health Innovation; Gayle Insler, Ph.D., provost and
senior vice president of academic affairs, Adelphi University; Emilia Zarco,
MD, MEd, chair of the Department of Exercise Science, Health Studies, Physical
Education, and Sports Management, Adelphi University; Ann Cornell-Bell, Ph.D.,
vice president of administration, Perseus Science Group LLC; Don Gronachan, MA
’83, vice president of physical medicine sales, Biodex Medical Systems, Inc. Second row (from left): Kevin Curley, MD, Winthrop University Hospital; Rupi
Johal, MD, Winthrop Orthopaedic Associates; Mark Grossman, MD, team physician
for Adelphi Athletics; Pat LaFontaine, NHL Hall of Fame and founder, Companions
in Courage Foundation; Javan Esfaniari, M.Sc., chief scientist and technology
officer, Chembio Diagnostic Systems, Inc.
