Cary Soccer

As the science of evaluating and managing concussions has advanced, key findings emphasize the need for education of players, their families, coaches, medical staffs and the public at large on the signs and symptoms of concussion. There is also a critical need for early identification and proper management of a concussion.

The goal of the U.S. Soccer Concussion Management Program is to provide state of the art education, evaluation and management of concussions among national teams players. The program includes pre-injury baseline testing with comprehensive post-injury follow-up evaluations and return to play protocols.

At the core of the program is a network of sports neuropsychologists who will serve as referral sources for post-injury evaluations and provide team medical staff with important information about a player's post-injury neurocognitive status.

Concussion Defined

Concussion is a complex pathophysiological process affecting the brain, induced by traumatic biomechanical forces. Several common features that incorporate

• Concussion may be caused either by a direct blow to the head, face, neck, or elsewhere on the body with an "impulsive" force transmitted to the head.
• Concussion typically results in the rapid onset of short-lived impairment of neurological function that resolves spontaneously.
• Concussion may result in neuropathological changes, but the acute clinical symptoms largely reflect a functional disturbance rather than structural injury.
• Concussion results in a graded set of clinical syndromes that may or may not involve loss of consciousness. Resolution of the clinical and cognitive symptoms typically follows a sequential course.
• Concussion is typically associated with grossly normal structural neuroimaging studies

 Articles of Interest