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Concussion in sport
One particular aspect of sports medicine Dr. Taillon is
most passionate about has been a hot topic in the media
lately, especially following the recent crop of injuries sustained
by superstars such as Sidney Crosby – concussion
in sport.
Dr. Taillon said research in this area has evolved immensely
in the last 20 years. In the past, concussions were
categorized as mild, moderate or severe, and physicians
would primarily rely on the gradual
resolve of symptoms before returning
an athlete to sport; however, exciting
research developments are happening
right here in Saskatchewan that are allowing
for a more reliable determination
of recovery all before the athlete
returns to contact play.
“As you know, concussion in sport is
a real focus now with all these super-
-Dr. Paul Taillon, SASM President
stars being sidelined. Anywhere from
25 to 35 players are out in the NHL at
any given time because of post-concussion symptoms,”
Dr. Taillon explained. “So there is a lot of attention and Dr. Paul Taillon, SASM President
development of some science, but also some useful tools
so that we can be more sure that when [athletes] return,
they’re safe.”
The U of S recently received research funding that allowed
Rhonda Shishkin, head athletic therapist for Huskie
Athletics, to develop a computerized database that encompasses
information from three sports teams – a men’s
hockey team, a women’s hockey team and a football team.
As part of the pilot project, all of the athletes participated
in baseline testing, such as simple memory and concentration
tests, balance testing and computerized neuropsychology
testing to gather the data.
In November, one of the university athletes suffered a
concussion. Dr. Taillon says because the athlete’s prior
test results were stored in the database, the sports medicine
team was able to follow the athlete’s recovery more
closely.
“Because we have that baseline, we are able to check that
they have recovered in terms of their balance, and also
[check recovery through] these cognitive tests for memory
and reaction speed,” Dr. Taillon explained.
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Overall, this research allows the health care team to be
more sure when returning an athlete to sport, which becomes
very important when dealing in a university setting,
Dr. Taillon explained.
“They are students first and athletes second, and we want
to safeguard their brains.”
Keeping athletes safe is a rewarding experience – it’s fun
to watch the sport and be involved with the athletes, Dr.
Taillon says, adding that it presents almost a reverse set
of protocol than other types
“So there is a lot of attention and
development of some science,
but also some useful tools so that
we can be more sure that when
[athletes] return, they’re safe.”
of medical practice.
“[Athletes] want to get better
as fast as possible, so it’s
almost the reverse of ordinary
medicine where you’re
pushing people to get better.
Here, you’re actually holding
them back so that they
can be rehabbed and safe to
return to the sport.”
SMA News Digest Spring 2012 17