"Children's Hospital Boston is “Tackling Concussions Head On”

A live, interactive webcast featuring a panel of pediatric experts

What: A live one-hour interactive webcast about concussions that will explore various topics including:

• An overview of concussions in children;
• Why concussions are difficult to diagnose;
• What to look for and how to respond – on field and in the doctor’s office;
• What we can learn from neurocognitive testing; and
• Ways young athletes can prevent concussions

When: Monday, September 12 at 6 p.m. ET

Who:   Mark R. Proctor, MD, Director, Brain Injury Center

David Mooney, MD, MPH, Director, Trauma Program

William Meehan, MD, Director, Sports Concussion Clinic

Alex McLean Taylor, PsyD, Children’s Neuropsychology Program

Steve Clark, MS, LATC, CSCS, Assistant Athletic Trainer, Dept. of Sports Medicine and Performance, Northeastern University

Karameh Hawash, MD, Children’s Department of Neurology

P. Ellen Grant, MD, Director, Fetal-Neonatal Neuroimaging and Developmental Science Center

Alexander Rotenberg, MD, PhD, Children’s Department of Neurology

On Monday, September 12 at 6 p.m. ET, join Mark Proctor, MD, director of the Brain Injury Center at Children’s Hospital Boston, as he leads a dynamic discussion on concussions in pediatric patients during a live, interactive webcast titled “Tackling Concussions Head On.” A multidisciplinary team, including members of Children’s Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Sports Medicine departments and Neuropsychology, Neuroradiology, and Trauma programs and the Northeastern University department of Sports Medicine and Performance will discuss the signs of mild and severe concussions, on-field symptom management, the psychological toll of concussions and best practices for treatment and follow-up.

Concussions are mild to severe traumatic brain injuries that may occur when someone is struck in the head, causing the brain to shake or shift within the skull. Symptoms include headaches, nausea, vomiting and a sense of being out-of-it or feeling foggy.

Most young athletes don't recognize their symptoms as a concussion so parents, trainers and coaches should be on the lookout for signs, including being slow to respond verbally, being off-balance and looking spaced-out or glassy-eyed. Proctor and the panel will provide the information necessary to identify and respond to a possible concussion – the first critical step in care and recovery.

For more information on the webcast and to sign up for a reminder e-mail go to: http://www.orlive.com/childrenshospitalboston/videos/concussions

NOTE: A patient family is available to tell their story.

Founded in 1869 as a 20-bed hospital for children, Children’s Hospital Boston has been ranked as one of the nation’s best pediatric hospitals by U.S.News & World Report for the past 21 years. Children’s is the primary pediatric teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School and the largest provider of health care to Massachusetts children. In addition to 396 pediatric and adolescent inpatient beds and 228 outpatient programs, Children’s houses the world’s largest research enterprise based at a pediatric medical center, where its discoveries benefit both children and adults. More than 1,100 scientists, including nine members of the National Academy of Sciences, 11 members of the Institute of Medicine and nine members of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute comprise Children’s research community. For more information about the hospital visit: www.childrenshospital.org/newsroom.

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