David Dodick

PHOENIX — In response to growing concerns about concussions and head injuries in youth sports, Arizona Pop Warner Football and Cheer and Mayo Clinic have announced a groundbreaking collaboration that will provide intensive medical research about the effects of sports-related injuries. As part of the program, all participants ages 10 years and older in Arizona Pop Warner’s flag and tackle football programs, as well as all participants in the organization’s cheerleading programs, will be required to complete a comprehensive evaluation prior to play that will provide a baseline for future testing in the event of an injury. This baseline evaluation will provide immediate data when testing young athletes after an injury, helping physicians determine the nature and extent of the injury and helping to assess a timeline for return to competition. David Dodick, M.D., a neurologist at Mayo Clinic in Arizona and an expert in concussion care and director of the Mayo Clinic Concussion Program, was invited to join President Barack Obama and other medical experts at the White House in late May. The effort between Arizona Pop Warner Football and Cheer and Mayo Clinic is one of the first  of its kind since President Obama’s call-to-action on May 29 at the White House, assembling prominent athletic organizations, athletes and medical experts to join the Healthy Kids & Safe Sports Concussion Summit. The two organizations are working to get the concussion protocol executed before the start of the 2014 season. MEDIA CONTACT: Jim McVeigh, Mayo Clinic Public Affairs, 480-301-4222 mcveigh.jim@mayo.edu. MEDIA CONTACT: Morgan Ringwald, Arizona Pop Warner Football and Cheer, 480-249-6601, morgan@agencyG.com

One goal changed her life. Now almost two years after a devastating concussion, Sydney Urzendowski is changing the goals of her [...]

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — September 19, 2012.  Mayo Clinic has assembled the nation's leading experts including professional sports league representatives to discuss the clinical and scientific aspects of concussions and the related growing public health concerns at the Symposium on Concussion in Sport, Sept. 28–29, at Mayo Clinic in Arizona. The symposium will be held at the Mayo Clinic campus in Scottsdale, 13400 East Shea Blvd., from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Sept. 28 and from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sept. 29. Among the experts scheduled to present are concussion representatives from each of the major professional leagues: National Football League, National Basketball Association, National Hockey League, Major League Baseball and Major League Soccer. The symposium is designed to help physicians recognize the signs and symptoms of a concussion, evaluate athletes, recognize when it is safe to return to play, and understand the short- and long-term neurological consequences of concussion. "Concussion is a major public health priority that transcends age, gender and sport," says David Dodick, M.D., a neurologist at Mayo Clinic and director of the symposium. "The underreporting and recognition of concussion and the potential for short-term catastrophic consequences and disabling long-term neurological impairment from repeated concussions have prompted the passage of legislation in many states that requires the immediate removal from play of an athlete suspected of having a concussion; mandatory concussion education of all those who intersect with an athlete; and return-to-play clearance by a qualified health care provider."

ROCHESTER, Minn. — August 27, 2012.  With the fall sports season getting under way, Mayo Clinic experts are available to discuss the full range of athletic injuries. Common football, soccer and other falls sports injuries include concussions, stingers, MCL and ACL sprains/tears, meniscus tears, hip pointers, hamstring pulls, muscle contusions and ankle sprains.

MULTIMEDIA ALERT: Graphics and animation on common injuries available on the Mayo Clinic News Network.

• Edward Laskowski, M.D., co-director of the Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine Center at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. His specialties include sports medicine, fitness, and strength and stability training. Dr. Laskowski has served on the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, the Chicago Marathon medical staff and the 2002 Winter Olympics medical staff at the Olympic Polyclinic in the Olympic Village.
• David Dodick, M.D., a neurologist with Mayo Clinic in Arizona and president of the American Headache Society. Dr. Dodick can discuss head injuries including concussions.
• Michael Stuart, M.D., vice chair of orthopedic surgery and co-director of the Sports Medicine Center. He can discuss arthroscopy, knee ligament reconstruction, partial knee replacement, concussions and doping. He was a team physician for the U.S. men's Olympic team in 2010.
• Richard Berger, M.D., Ph.D., an orthopedic surgeon specializing in the biomechanics and nerves of the hand and wrist, including injury and repair. He discovered and pioneered treatment of the wrist injury that nearly ended Major League Baseball player Jayson Werth's career.
• Diane Dahm, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon with Mayo's Sports Medicine Center and Sports Performance Training Program in Minnesota who has served as an Olympic and professional sports team physician. She is an expert on ACL injuries, reconstruction and sports activities following knee arthroplasty and shoulder trauma.
• Jay Smith, M.D., of The Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Department at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. is an expert on sports injuries including shoulder injuries and biomechanics. He has been a team trainer for the Minnesota Twins.
• Michael Joyner, M.D., is an anesthesiologist and specialist in exercise science with Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. Dr. Joyner is an expert on aging athletes, the relationship of environment to training, performance-enhancing drugs and how genetic variation and gender affect competition.
• Max Trenerry, Ph.D., specializes in sports psychology with Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. He can discuss the role of psychological factors in athletic performance and how to keep children interested in sports. Dr. Trenerry is also a soccer coach who routinely talks to parents and coaches about what is appropriate in coach-athlete relationships.
• Mary O'Connor, M.D., is chair of Orthopedic Surgery at Mayo Clinic in Florida. Dr. O'Connor specializes in women's health, hip and knee replacement and bone damage and treatment. She was a member of the Olympic rowing team in 1980 when the United States boycotted the games.

ROCHESTER, Minn. — July 9, 2012.  Mayo Clinic experts are available to offer comment throughout the Olympics and Paralympic Games on everything from the physiology [...]

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — June 28, 2012.  More than 40,000 student athletes in Arizona have taken advantage of computerized baseline concussion evaluations offered by Mayo Clinic, in the program's first year. That amounts to nearly 40 percent of the state's roughly 100,000 high school athletes. Baseline concussion evaluations measure how the brain is working before injury, and are mandatory tests for professional and college athletes. Mayo covers the cost of the cognitive evaluations for all high school and junior high school-aged interscholastic and club athletes in the state. The program was made possible through the support of benefactors and Mayo Clinic. The test takes 8–15 minutes to complete, and athletes or their parents can share the results with health care providers of their choice. After a concussion, the test can be repeated to determine if there has been a change in the cognitive capabilities of the athlete and, once symptoms have resolved, the test can be repeated to determine whether the athlete has returned to pre-injury baseline. The results of this test, combined with a thorough neurological evaluation, ensure that the health care provider can make an informed and objective determination on when and whether the athlete can safely resume normal activities — and in the case of student athletes, when they can return to their sport. "The diagnosis of concussion, assessment of its severity and knowing when an athlete can return to physical activity, competition, work or school is not always clear," says Mayo neurologist David Dodick, M.D., at Mayo Clinic in Arizona and president of the American Headache Society. "Having a baseline concussion assessment for each athlete will assist in a physician's ability to identify and quantify a change in brain function, and determine if and when the athlete has returned to his or her baseline." After a concussion, if an athlete continues to play or returns to play too early, there is a significant risk of experiencing another concussion. Dr. Dodick adds. "Repeat concussions may take longer to resolve and come with a risk of permanent neurological damage or, rarely, death," he says. Children, adolescents and female athletes appear to be at a higher risk for concussions, and may also take longer to recover. While the importance of baseline testing is clear, the results should be used with a comprehensive neurological evaluation. Although the majority of concussions resolve relatively quickly, some athletes may experience symptoms that may persist for months or longer. The medical care and rehabilitation of these athletes is best achieved by a multidisciplinary team of health professionals with expertise in the evaluation and management of concussions. Providing this baseline assessment also highlights the importance of safeguarding the brain health of young athletes.