UO research helps kids get their lives back after a concussion

Sometimes it’s a teen who got injured playing sports. Other times it’s a student who banged his head in a seemingly innocuous fall or maybe was in a car crash. Whatever the cause, the concussion cases that come in front of the Eugene Youth Concussion Management Team represent youths who are not able to completely return to school and their activities. While most youths fully recover from their injury, some have a complicated trajectory and require additional supports. The six-member team brings together University of Oregon faculty members and local private practitioners – each with their own specific area of expertise – to collaborate on complex cases. Together, they identify the barriers to recovery and develop a plan to manage the symptoms in order to get injured youths back in the classroom. Three years ago, the UO’s McKay Sohlberg , director of the Brain Injury and Concussion Clinic within the College of Education , was approached by Ryann Watson-Stites, a pediatric neuropsychologist at the Slocum Center for Orthopedics & Sports Medicine and an adjunct faculty member in human development, with an idea to launch a regional concussion team. That was in response to a growing recognition within the medical community that multiple disciplines are needed to help treat the most complex traumatic brain injuries. The concussion management team was a natural outgrowth of the research Sohlberg was doing with the Brain Injury and Concussion Clinic. Sohlberg works with youths who have difficulties with attention, memory or organization. “Managing the lingering effects from a concussion requires a multi-faceted, integrated approach that addresses a range of symptoms and conditions such as anxiety, sleep disruption and headaches,” Sohlberg said. “Coordination between all school and clinical providers as well as the students and their parents is key. When we have communication, care is […]

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