Sports Concussions Are Focus of UC Symposium

CINCINNATI—Neurotrauma experts from the University of Cincinnati Neuroscience Institute (UCNI) and Mayfield Clinic will present the second annual sports-related head injury symposium, "You Can’t Ice the Brain!” on Friday, April 29, at Drake Center. The event will run from 8:30 a.m. until noon, with registration and continental breakfast beginning at 8 a.m.

The symposium is appropriate for athletic directors, coaches, athletic trainers, occupational therapists, physical therapists, school nurses, athletes and parents. Specialists will share updated information about the frequency and effects of sports-related concussions and how to identify the signs of a concussion.

They will provide detailed information about what happens to the brain during a concussion, how the condition should be managed, how to determine severity and when it is safe for an athlete to return to play. A panel discussion will explore the question, "How does this impact my sports program?”

Featured speakers include Lori Shutter, MD, director of the Neurocritical Care Program at UCNI and a neuro-intensivist for the Mayfield Clinic; William Knight, MD, a neuro-intensivist for UCNI and the Mayfield Clinic; and Sheital Bavishi, DO, a rehabilitation specialist with UCNI.

The symposium is free for students, $15 for non-students. Athletic Training continuing education units will be provided by the Greater Cincinnati Athletic Trainers Association. Participants are asked to register by April 26, 2011, by calling (513) 558-8773 or by sending an e-mail to Peggy.Wilkerson@uchealth.com.

The Drake Center is located at 151 W. Galbraith Road in Cincinnati. The event will take place in the West Pavilion, third floor.