Mayo Clinic Extends Baseline Concussion Testing Initiative to Arizona’s Youth Hockey Players
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–
Mayo Clinic announces the extension of the statewide high school
baseline concussion testing initiative to youth hockey players in
Arizona. In early June, Mayo Clinic announced
that it would provide baseline concussion testing to all high school
athletes in Arizona at no cost. Now, all youth athletes in the Arizona
High School Hockey Association and Desert Youth Hockey Association prior
to the start of the 2011-2012 season will receive complimentary baseline
concussion testing.
Arizona’s hockey community welcomes the move.
“On behalf of the Phoenix
Coyotes, I would like to thank Mayo Clinic for making baseline
concussion testing available to all high school and university student
hockey athletes in Arizona,” said Coyotes General Manager Don Maloney.
“Their research and testing will provide invaluable information that
will help us understand more about sports-related brain injuries and
create awareness about the importance of protecting athletes from
returning to play prematurely and risking further brain injury.”
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here for VIDEO – Baseline Concussion Testing
Jon Brooks, President of AHSHA, remarked, “We are pleased to work with
Mayo Clinic to establish a concussion awareness program for our
association. As a result, we have mandated baseline concussion testing
for all our Junior Varsity and Varsity players. We want to thank Mayo
Clinic for providing the complimentary baseline concussion testing to
our players, which will support our efforts to effectively manage player
concussions.”
Sean Whyte, Director of Hockey Operations Coach in Chief of the DYHA,
said, “Ice hockey is a very physical sport with athletes reaching speeds
over 20 mph. Over the years we have taken the appropriate steps in
helping players be more protected through developing better equipment
and enforcing rules that eliminate situations for someone to be
injured. With all that has been done, players still end up getting hurt
and receiving concussions. DYHA is very proud to team up with Mayo
Clinic in a program that will be able to determine when a player is
ready to return to the ice after suffering a concussion. Athletes who
compete before they are ready are much more susceptible to experience
another concussion, and over time, ultimately have to quit the sport. In
working with Mayo Clinic, we are setting the standard in the safety of
these children in hopes they can continue playing hockey and reach their
potential.”
The potential for serious long-term effects from concussion has caused
concern and prompted the passing of legislation in Arizona – Senate Bill
1521. The new law prohibits an athlete who has had a concussion from
returning to play until cleared by a licensed health care provider. The
particular vulnerability of the brain to concussion at young ages also
highlights the need for accurate diagnosis and proper care for youth and
adolescent athletes.
“After a concussion, if an athlete continues to play or returns to play
too early, they are at risk of experiencing another concussion that may
take longer to resolve, and with repeated concussions, there is a risk
of permanent neurological damage, or rarely, death,” said Bert
Vargas, M.D., Assistant Professor of Neurology at Mayo Clinic in
Arizona. “There is inherent risk for concussion in all sports, and
baseline testing is one of many important tools to help address the
safety of athletes at all levels.”
Baseline concussion testing measures how the brain is working before
injury, and has recently been recommended by the Arizona Interscholastic
Association for all scholastic athletes. The Computerized Cognitive
Assessment Tool will be available at no cost to the athlete. The test
can be taken from any computer with Internet access, takes 8-15 minutes
to complete and the athlete or parent can share the results with health
care providers of their choice. After a concussion, the test can be
repeated multiple times, and doctors can then monitor the results of
this test, along with a medical evaluation, to determine when athletes
can safely resume normal activities – and in the case of a student
athlete, when they can return to their sport.
“The diagnosis of concussion may be difficult, and knowing when recovery
is complete, can be even more difficult,” said David
Dodick, M.D., Professor of Neurology at Mayo Clinic in Arizona, and
President of the American Headache Society. “Routine brain imaging is
usually normal, and abnormalities on physical examination are subtle or
absent. Even when the athlete is no longer reporting symptoms, the brain
may not be fully recovered. Having baseline and after-injury concussion
tests provides the health care provider with an objective and
quantifiable measure to determine when brain function has returned to
baseline after a concussion, making it an important tool in making
return-to-school and return-to-play decisions.”
“Building on the generosity of Mayo Clinic in Arizona and the J.
Theodore Curtis Karalis Fund, we are pleased to extend our baseline
concussion testing initiative to hockey players in the desert youth
hockey league and Arizona High School Hockey Association,” Dr. Dodick
said. “This is the next step in assuring that brain health becomes a
focus and part of the routine health evaluation for all students across
the state.”
For more information or to obtain access to take the computerized
concussion test, student athletes, parents, coaches, athletic trainers
and school athletic directors in Arizona can email concussion@mayo.edu
or visit mayoclinic.org/concussion-testing.
Additionally, Mayo Clinic recently published
recommendations from its ‘Ice Hockey Summit: Action on Concussion,’
where top scientists, trainers, coaches, officials, and equipment
manufacturers from around the world gathered to discuss
concussion-related issues, to reduce concussions in hockey.
About Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a non-profit worldwide
leader in medical care, research, and education for people from all
walks of life. For more information, visit www.mayoclinic.org/about/
and www.mayoclinic.org/news.