Concussions are an important issue facing the short- and long-term health of athletes. News media play an important role in shaping public perceptions of concussions. However, such coverage often provides inaccurate information, disinformation, and/or trivializes concussions. To address the problem, the Concussion Legacy Foundation (CLF) provides…

Concussions are complex injuries with a variety of heterogeneous symptoms and neurocognitive effects spanning physical, cognitive, social, and emotional realms, with distinct differences person to person in symptom severity and presentation. Current literature suggests a disparity between male and female athletes in their concussion recovery…

Objective: The purpose of this pilot study was to determine the feasibility of implementing a concussion educational program to college faculty and to explore the effect of the program on faculty knowledge regarding concussion and the effect on learning and return to school. Methods: The study utilized a mixed method design, with a pretest and…

Objective: To identify (1) university educators' perceptions of academic adjustments (AA), and (2) if teaching experience correlated with AA perceptions following concussion. Participants: Two hundred twenty educators. Methods: University educators were invited to complete a survey containing four subsections; this manuscript focuses on AA…

Background: Dangers of sports-related concussion are well documented, and those participating in sports involving significant contact are at an even higher risk relative to the general population. Despite extensive concussion education, athletes still make decisions that would be considered unsafe, such as underreporting and continuing to play…

Context: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has declared concussions as an epidemic in sport participation. To provide a safer environment, state legislation and athletic governing bodies have mandated concussion education as a part of concussion management strategies throughout secondary and postsecondary levels. However, governing…

Background: More than 460,000 female and male student-athletes compete in college sports each year, with 5.5 concussions reported per 1,000 athlete exposures. The majority of these concussions occurred during competition and are somewhat more likely to be reported by female athletes. Aims: To evaluate moderating effects of gender differences in…

Background: Concussion underreporting is endemic, and social norms are an established predictor of concussion reporting behavior. However, pluralistic ignorance--a situation in which most individuals in a group hold the belief that their peers' views differ from their own, despite views actually being similar--has not been studied in this context.…

Background: Sports related concussions continue to be a public health concern and improving reporting behavior a focus of educational programs. While educational programs have addressed changes in knowledge of concussion symptoms, it has been challenging to design educational programs which have lasting effects on reporting behavior. Aims: The…

One factor in reducing the likelihood of sports-related brain injuries is the recognition of risks. However, using colloquial terms may deemphasize the severity of these risks. We hypothesized that using colloquial language to describe sports-related brain injuries will lead to greater willingness to take on the risk. We conducted two experiments,…

Due to the complexity and unpredictability of a concussive injury, it is difficult to formulate and provide appropriate individualized care for concussed student-athletes. Therefore, faculty in higher education play an important collaborative role in supporting student-athletes' academic recovery following a concussion. This area of concussion…

The catastrophic consequences associated with the mismanagement of concussions can threaten the health and well-being of student-athletes. The primary purpose of this article is to increase awareness of concussions and provide stakeholders--parents, coaches and athletic trainers--with an appropriate framework for concussion care at every level of…

Background: Concussion education for coaches is being increasingly recommended by leading sports organizations, yet the effectiveness of available materials has not often been assessed. This study evaluated the impact of the National Collegiate Athletic Association's (2017) publication: "Concussion safety: What coaches need to know" (the…

Concussions in college students can lead to a number of academic, physical, and emotional consequences. This project involved training college staff--including residence hall advisors--about the signs, symptoms, and risks related to concussions. The importance of training in concussion recognition and management is discussed in relation to campus…

Context: Concussion legislation mandates that health care providers have experience in concussion management. Unfortunately, standards for current continuing and clinician education are ill defined. Objective: (1) Determine if a didactic-based educational intervention would increase knowledge and perceived expertise and (2) examine the…