Concussion Management Program

A concussion causes a short-term change in brain activity. It can come about from any bump, jolt or blow to the head.

Left undiagnosed and untreated, a concussion may worsen or stick around long-term. Misdiagnosis of concussion can also cause harm. The misdiagnosed person may lose athletic scholarships or become ineligible for future military service. Therefore, it’s important to get a proper diagnosis and start treatment quickly.

While many concussions occur while playing sports, mild traumatic brain injury isn’t confined to contact sports. You don’t even have to hit your head or experience any type of head injury. The force from an impact to the body can be transmitted through the neck to the head, causing a concussion — as can forceful shaking of the head and neck such as with a whiplash injury. Symptoms of a concussion may set in following a fall, work-related accident, automobile accident or other injury.

If you experience signs and symptoms of a concussion, you should seek care from our concussion management program.

Common symptoms after experiencing a concussion include:

• Behavior or personality changes

• Blurred or double vision

• Confusion, inability to follow directions or answering questions slowly

• Difficulty falling or staying asleep

• Dizziness or balance difficulties

• Fatigue or nausea

• Feeling dazed or stunned

• Headache or a feeling of pressure in the head

• Loss of consciousness

• Ringing in the ears

• Problems maintaining focus or concentration

• Sensitivity to light or noise

• Trouble remembering things

Evaluation and management of your concussion begins with a discussion. We ask several questions, such as:

• What were you doing when you got hurt?

• Did you hit your head or lose consciousness?

• Can you remember your day — including sounds surrounding the injury — before and after the injury?

• Have you experienced light sensitivity, nausea or other symptoms?

• How have your symptoms worsened or improved over time?

Along with these questions, our concussion management program team uses special exams to evaluate your neurologic status, vision, balance and more. Immediate Post Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT) is another tool in the “concussion management toolbox” that may provide insight into the extent of concussion effects. Athletes often take this computerized test before starting a sport to establish baseline scores. If a concussion is suspected, the test is repeated with the scores compared to the patient’s baseline scores to identify a significant decline that may indicate that the concussion has caused problems with cognition. Although CT scans and MRIs do not diagnose concussions, these imaging exams may be used in rare cases to help rule out other potential injuries to the brain such as brain bruising or bleeding.

Treatment depends on the specific case. Previously, treatment involved long periods of rest. However, this approach prolongs symptoms. We take a more aggressive approach to concussion care, resuming physical activities sooner and prescribing medications when appropriate to relieve specific symptoms in patients with concussion.

Based on your needs, you may get prescribed one or more of the following:

• Light cardiovascular exercise, such as walking or riding a stationary bike

• Prescription of medications to treat many of the symptoms commonly associated with concussion, such as persistent headaches, cognitive difficulties, sleep disruption and emotional problems

• Referral to neuropsychology for cognitive testing and return to school or work accommodations

• Rest for 24 to 48 hours

• Return to work and other social settings following a short rest period

• Speech therapy to correct memory problems

• Vestibular therapy to overcome dizziness and regain balance

Concussion management often requires multiple specialists. The Ochsner Concussion Management Program is home to a multidisciplinary team who has access to even more specialists across the Ochsner system.

Whether you need therapy to improve your balance or memory or a referral to another expert, we can do it all. We also keep your primary doctor updated on your progress, so there are no gaps in your continuum of care.

No. However, if our team suspects a more serious brain injury or skull fracture, a CT scan or MRI can help with that diagnosis.

Most concussion symptoms in kids and adolescents resolve within three to four weeks. In some cases, though, they can take a month or longer. Your child’s care team will create an appropriate care plan before letting your child return to play or school — both of which will be done in a progressive fashion to ensure that concussion-related symptoms don’t return. Our goal is to return each student-athlete back to the classroom and field of play as quickly, and as safely, as possible.