Concussion Consensus Conference

As a neurosurgeon and a sports fan, concussions have always been a particular interest to me on a professional and personal level. In early November of last year, the Fourth International Consensus Conference on Concussion in Sport, was held in Zurich, Switzerland. The results of the meeting were released earlier this week.

Importantly, the panel found that there is “no good clinical evidence” that today’s protective equipment can prevent concussions. This observation relates to helmets, mouthguards, and other protective equipment that may be claimed to provide such protection.

The panel also suggested extra caution when allowing student athletes to return to sports after an injury, as the characteristics of a child’s body are different than those of an adult.

Importantly, the panel affirmed that the key elements of concussion management are cognitive and physical rest. The complete statement was co-published online March 12th, 2013 in the British Journal of Sports Medicine and the Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine.

You can read the entire statement here on the British Journal of Sports Medicine website.