Reflections on two decades of concussion research, policy and practice

Abstract

Background: The author has been involved in concussion research, policy and practice for two decades. He was first exposed to the topic from a science and engineering perspective while undertaking his doctoral research on head injury biomechanics in the 1990s. Since that time concerns about concussion in sport have come and gone, and returned, our understanding of concussion has improved considerably, and policy and practical approaches to its prevention and management have developed iteratively.Content: The presentation will provide a historical perspective and reflections on the last twenty years and identify the differences and similarities in key areas between then and now in our knowledge and approach to concussion. For example, our understanding of the biomechanics of concussion has improved greatly from a theoretical basis and primate experiments twenty years ago to a substantial knowledge base on humans in sporting situations. Although opportunities to improve padded headgear for contact sports exist, key drivers are still missing, e.g. product standards and rules. Issues related to the prevention and management of concussion in community level sports will be highlighted. In contrast to professional sports, where rules and guidelines around concussion have changed considerably, many challenges remain in community sport. Background: The author has been involved in concussion research, policy and practice for two decades. He was first exposed to the topic from a science and engineering perspective while undertaking his doctoral research on head injury biomechanics in the 1990s. Since that time concerns about concussion in sport have come and gone, and returned, our understanding of concussion has improved considerably, and policy and practical approaches to its prevention and management have developed iteratively. Content: The presentation will provide a historical perspective and reflections on the last twenty years and identify the differences and similarities in key areas between then and now in our knowledge and approach to concussion. For example, our understanding of the biomechanics of concussion has improved greatly from a theoretical basis and primate experiments twenty years ago to a substantial knowledge base on humans in sporting situations. Although opportunities to improve padded headgear for contact sports exist, key drivers are still missing, e.g. product standards and rules. Issues related to the prevention and management of concussion in community level sports will be highlighted. In contrast to professional sports, where rules and guidelines around concussion have changed considerably, many challenges remain in community sport.