Mayo Clinic/Arizona State University Concussion Summit Focuses on High School Athletes

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Scottsdale, Ariz. — Coaches, athletic trainers, athletic directors, medical professionals and others concerned about protecting high school athletes from the effects of concussions will gather for the Arizona Concussion Summit sponsored by Mayo Clinic and Arizona State University on Saturday Aug. 20, at the Arizona Ballroom, Room 221, Memorial Union at ASU, 10 a.m. to noon.

Recognizing the importance of concussion awareness in the state, Governor Jan Brewer has issued a proclamation declaring Aug. 20, 2011 Concussion Awareness Day in Arizona.

Olympic Gold Medalist, World Champion, and U.S. Ski Hall of Fame member Picabo Street will be among the speakers at the event, which is intended to provide education and awareness of the risks involved in athletic brain injuries and the need for careful management of concussions in student athletes. Steven Threet, retired quarterback of the Arizona State Sun Devil football team will also address the audience. Other speakers include:

• Donald Hughes, Special Advisor to the Governor for Health Care Innovation
• Wyatt Decker, M.D., Mayo Clinic Vice President and CEO Mayo Clinic in Arizona
• David Dodick M.D., Professor of Neurology Mayo Clinic in Arizona and President of the American Headache Society
• Martha Dennis Christiansen, Ph.D, Associate Vice-President, Arizona State University
• Superintendent Kenneth Baca, Tempe Union School District
• P. David Adelson, M.D., Director of Neuroscience Institute, Barrow Neurological Institute at Phoenix Children's Hospital
• Steven Erickson M.D., Head Team Physician, Arizona State University
• Bert B. Vargas M.D., Assistant Professor of Neurology Mayo Clinic in Arizona
• Diane Padilla, Assistant Athletic Trainer, Arizona State University Sun Devil Athletics

"Concussion has become a major public health concern that transcends athletics, age, and gender. The potential for long term neurological effects on children and adolescents is of particular concern and we want to amplify the awareness and facilitate the education of all those who intersect with youth athletes by bringing together key players for a day of discussions," said Dr. Dodick, who organized the event in collaboration with Dr. Martha Christiansen, Associate Vice-President at Arizona State University.

The summit will focus on recognizing the signs and symptoms of concussion, the changes in brain function that occur after concussion, the particular vulnerability of the developing brains of children and adolescents, the proper evaluation and management of the concussed athlete, and the role of baseline and after-injury testing in helping health care providers make return-to-activity decisions. Picabo Street and Steven Threet will also provide their thoughts on the effects of concussion as elite athletes performing at the highest level.

Arizona recently joined several other states in passing Senate Bill 1521, which mandates that all athletes who are recognized as having a concussion, be removed from play and cleared by a licensed health-care provider before returning-to-play. Following the passage of the legislation, Mayo Clinic announced that together with the generous support from the Theodore Curtis Karalis Fund, it would provide baseline concussion testing to all high school athletes in Arizona at no cost. Mayo Clinic will also provide after-injury testing and extended their program to all youth hockey athletes within the Arizona High School Hockey Association and the Desert Youth Hockey League.

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