Chicago Tribune: ‘Doubts Cast on Concussion Remedies’

Health reporter Julie Deardorff has an excellent piece today at http://www.chicagotribune.com/health/ct-met-concussion-products-health-20110625,0,761365,full.story. Some highlights:

• “Though parents routinely ask for a ‘concussion-proof’ helmet, there is no way to prevent a brain injury … short of not participating in the sport.”
• “[I]nstead of seeking out products, … parents should put their energy into familiarizing themselves with the often subtle symptoms of concussion and asking coaches about teams’ plans for addressing possible concussions on the field.”
• “Critics say the [neurocognitive] computer programs are unreliable and may actually increase risks because they likely have a high ‘false negative’ rate, meaning they may show an athlete has recovered when he or she is still cognitively impaired.”

Irv Muchnick