A Heads Up on Concussions

With fall sports season beginning next month, school leaders in Millburn are doing what they can to minimize the inherent risks of concussions in contact sports.

Every year, thousands of student athletes sustain concussions, accounting for 10 percent of all sports injuries. The Center for Disease Control estimates that 300,000 concussions are sustained during sports-related activity in the United States. 

A blow to the head, which can affect memory, concentration, speech, balance, reaction time and coordination, usually causes concussion. While most symptoms last only a short time, some athletes experience more persistent symptoms, such as headaches and dizziness, which can last for several weeks or months after an injury. The risks of long-term impairment increase when athletes experience multiple concussions.

The New Jersey Department of Education has stepped up efforts to make sure school districts have policies in place for concussion testing and guidelines on when students can return to play. Of concern is trying to prevent the serious Second Impact Syndrome, a dangerous condition that can occur if an athlete returns to sports before full recovery, the state education department said.

Millburn doesn't play around when it comes to the concussion issue. According to a letter to parents from athetic director Ted D'Alessio, Millburn has strengthened its precautions to include baseline cognitive testing for athletes who participate in sports. The baseline testing in considered invaluable in assessing athletes who have sustained concussions and determining whether they are ready to return to sports.

In Millburn, the baseline screening will be part of physicals required before athletes can participate in the sports programs. Called the ImPACT Concussion Management Program, this Internet computer-based program is widely used by high schools and professional sports teams and was founded by the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center's Sports Concussion Program.

Each student will be asked to take a 30-minute computer test, which will measure attention span, memory, response and problem solving.

Once this baseline score is in place for each student, school officials will be able to use this data to re-test the student 24-48 hours post injury in the event there is suspicion of a concussion. That data can be used to evaluate the students condition with results forwarded to the team doctor and personal physicians, if requested.

In a letter sent to the parents of athletes, D'ALessio said the test, which is similar to a computer or video game, tracks information such as memory, reaction time, processing speed and concentration.

Members of the following MHS sports are required to take the baseline test every two years: football, field hockey, soccer, basketball, ice hockey, wrestling, baseball, softball and lacrosse.

"If a concussion is suspected, the test is re-taken and the data is used to better determine the seriousness of the concussion," D'ALessio said in the letter. "A decision based on actual data that will determine when a student can return-to-play. If an injury of this nature occurs either our athletic trainer or I will be in contact with you on all the details, large and small."

The information gained in Millburn's program, as with other schools using ImPACT, may anonymously be used in studies conducted by The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

"This gives us the best available information in preventing brain damage that can occur with multiple concussions," D'ALessio said. "The administration, coaches and athletic training staffs are trying to keep your child’s health and safety at the forefront of their High School athletic experience."