Sports-related Head Injuries : Management and Future Problems

Abstract

  Sports related head injuries, especially concussion, commonly recur because athletes generally want to return to play promptly. Recurrent concussions may lead to acute brain swelling (aka second impact syndrome) and/or chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Management should be referred to international consensus, such as the Statement of the Conference on Concussion in Sports, the guideline update by the American Academy of Neurology, etc. All these recommendations do not allow the injured athletes to return to play on the same day rather in a stepwise manner. Our present consensus in Japan is described in the article, Neurosurgical management of sports-related head injuries, published in Neurotraumatology, 2013.

  All of us should precisely understand the contents of these publications and give appropriate advise to athletes, coaches, and their family members. A continued knowledge transfer aimed at educating the general public is also essential in this field.