Concussions and kids

I was invited to welcome members of the Sports Neuropsychology Society to Washington, D.C. this month for their annual meeting. Neuropsychologists are often the front line of diagnosis and treatment of concussion — a head injury with physical, emotional and social impacts. Concussions, and their impact on young athletes, are a topic I care about from every point of view: as a pediatric surgeon, as a healthcare CEO, and as a parent. And as a sports fan myself, I worry about our college and professional athletes, and what will happen to them if we can’t find a way to keep them safe during play.

The field of concussion diagnosis and care has made giant advances over the last decade, especially for kids whose developing brains are particularly vulnerable to serious long term effects. This is in large part thanks to the work of neuropsychologists like Gerry Gioia, PhD, Chris Vaughan, PsyD, and Cat McGill, PsyD, who have joined with patients, with community and school leaders, and with national organizations like the Sports Neuropsychology Society, to make sure that we understand how these injuries impact a young, changing brain. I’m grateful to all of them for helping keep kids healthier, so they can grow into healthier adults.