Concussions jolt families

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October 24, 2011 — Concussion is the most common type of traumatic brain injury. If not evaluated and treated right away, the results can be devastating for those injured and their families. Head trauma can lead to headaches, irritability and lack of focus. New findings on multiple concussions point toward permanent damage to the brain, affecting decision-making and coping skills and potentially leading to dementia. That said, athletes of all levels of experience and others are frequently waved-on to play or work through their injury or return to business as usual without adequate time to heal. Dr. Dan Gottlieb examines the concussion and its repercussions that complicate personal and family life — with guests Dr. Rosemarie Scolaro Moser, Chris Nowinski, and Dorothy Bedford.

Rosemarie Scolaro Moser is a neuropsychologist and director of the Sports Concussion Center of New Jersey. Her new book Ahead of the Game: The Parents’ Guide to Youth Sports Concussion will be available this spring. Her columns appear online at MomsTeam.com

Chris Nowinski is a former WWE wrestler and co-founder of the Sports Legacy Institute (SLI), a non-profit organization dedicated to solving what’s been referred to as the sports concussion crisis. He serves as a co-director of the Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy (CSTE) at Boston University’s School of Medicine. Chris lectures to children about the severity of concussions.

Dorothy Bedford tells the story of her daughter Heidi who has experienced complications from multiple concussions as a young active athlete.