Concussion+Assessment+Bibliography

Davies, Susan C. "Concussions." //Principal Leadership// 11.8 (2011): 12-16. //Education Full Text (H.W. Wilson)//. Web. 1 Dec. 2012. . This article was helpful in defining concussions and concussion symptoms which is a major part of concussion assessment. For example, the article gave information such as, concussion, a mild traumatic brain injury caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head or body, needs to be taken seriously to avoid long-term damage. Although there is a risk of receiving a concussion while playing professional sports, the majority of concussions are caused by falls or other accidents. Principals should ensure that all school staff members recognize the signs of concussion and implement appropriate policies for their school's response to a suspected or known concussion. A list of four categories of concussion symptoms as identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is provided, along with a discussion on how schools need to respond to such instances. Sidebars provide information on online resources and discuss the implementation of a 504 plan for a concussion.

Johnson, Syd L. "Return to Play Guidelines Cannot Solve the Football-Related Concussion Problem." //Journal of School Health// 82.4 (2012): 180-85.//EBSCOhost//. Web. 1 Dec. 2012. [] High school football players are the single largest cohort of athletes playing tackle football, and account for the majority of sport-related concussions. Return to play guidelines (RTPs) have emerged as the preferred approach for addressing the problem of sport-related concussion in youth athletes. METHODS: This article reviews evidence of the risks and effects of football-related concussion and subconcussive brain trauma, as well as the effectiveness of RTPs as a preventative measure. Literature review utilized PubMed and Google Scholar, using combinations of the search terms 'football,sports,concussion,Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy,athlete,''youth,' and 'pediatric.' Literature review emphasized medical journals and primary neuroscientific research on sport-related concussion and concussion recovery, particularly in youth athletes. Sport-related concussion is a significant problem among student athletes. Student athletes are more vulnerable to concussion, and at risk of neurocognitive deficits lasting a year or more, with serious effects on academic and athletic performance. RTPs do little to address the problem of sport-related concussion or the chronic damage caused by subconcussive brain trauma. CONCLUSIONS: Emphasizing RTPs as the solution to the concussion problem in tackle football risks neglecting genuine reforms that would prevent concussions. More effective concussion prevention is needed. Eliminating tackling from school football for youth under 16 is recommended to reduce concussions. Additional modifications to football are recommended to enhance safety and reduce brain trauma at all levels of play.

Yang, Jingzhen, Michael J. Bowling, and Megan A. Lewis. "Use of Discretionary Protective Equipment in High School Athletes: Prevalence and Determinants."//Use of Discretionary Protective Equipment in High School Athletes: Prevalence and Determinants// 95.11 (2012): 1996-2002. //Education Full Text (H.W. Wilson)//. Web. 1 Dec. 2012. . In this article they sought to describe the use of discretionary protective equipment among high school athletes and to examine social and behavioral determinants contributing to equipment usage. They analyzed data from a 3-year (1996-1999), stratified, 2-stage cluster sample of athletes engaged in 12 organized sports in 100 North Carolina high schools (n = 19728 athlete-seasons) (an athlete-season represents an individual student who participates in a particular sport in a particular season). They used generalized logistic regression to model the association of social and behavioral determinants and demographic variables with discretionary protective equipment use. About one third of high school athletes self-reported using lower extremity discretionary protective equipment. Girls, seniors, those who played limited-contact sports, and those who played multiple sports reported higher usage. Small school size, low player/coach ratio, high proportion of team usage, and history of previous lower extremity injury were important predictors of usage. Coaches' experience, qualifications, and training, however, were not predictive of usage. Conclusions. Intervention efforts to promote use of discretionary protective equipment need to target school-level factors and should consider both team requirements and the role of peers in setting and reinforcing norms.

Piland, Scott G.; Motl, Robert W.; Guskiewicz, Kevin M.. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, January 2006, Vol. 38 Issue 1, p27-32, 6p; DOI: 10.1249/01.mss.0000183186.98212.d5 This study evaluated the factorial validity of a self-report measure of concussion-related symptom severity among a large sample of male, high school athletes. Participants were non-concussed, male, high school football players. All participants completed a single baseline self-report measure of concussion-related symptom severity, namely the graded symptom checklist (GSC). They tested the factorial validity of the measure with confirmatory factor analysis using LISREL 8.50. Results: The analysis indicated that a theoretically derived, three-factor model provided a good, but not excellent, fit for the 16-item GSC. Excellent model-data fit was demonstrated for the three-factor model for a 9-item version of the GSC. In both instances, the three factors were best described by a single second-order factor, namely concussion symptomatology. Conclusions: This study provides additional evidence for the factorial validity of a summative self-reported measure of concussion-related symptoms. The factor structure represents a cohesive group of nine symptoms that can be explained by three underlying latent variables, namely somatic symptoms, neurobehavioral symptoms, and “cognitive” symptoms, subsumed under a single higher-order factor, namely concussion symptoms.

Faure, Caroline. American Secondary Education, Fall2010, Vol. 39 Issue 1, p5-14, 10p School leaders, parents and coaches are challenged to ensure the safety of athletes participating in interscholastic programs, including concussion management. With an estimated 300,000 sport-related concussions occurring annually in the United States and a public perception that bell ringers are not concussions, many head-injured children are being allowed to continue to play through their symptoms. That decision puts those athletes at additional catastrophic risk. While several states have passed legislation to set minimum concussion management guidelines, an alarming need still exists to better educate those on Americas sport sidelines. This article provides school leaders, parents and coaches with a snapshot of appropriate concussion management practices by presenting policy recommendations for establishing uniform guidelines consistent with the current published literature. It also provides recommendations to teachers for making classroom accommodations for athletes with concussions.