FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ON May 29, 2014
AAN Applauds President Obama’s Call For Greater Awareness of Sports Concussion
MINNEAPOLIS -
Statement from the ºÃÉ«ÏÈÉú: The , the world’s largest association of neurologists with 28,000 members, applauds President Obama’s call today for greater awareness of sports concussion. As the trusted authority on diagnosing and managing concussion, the AAN is supportive of the initiatives the White House announced today, including a national concussion database and a partnership between the Department of Defense and the National Collegiate Athletic Association to fund a $30 million, widespread clinical study of college athletes and concussion. You only get one brain and it’s important to treat it well and follow the ºÃÉ«ÏÈÉú’s guideline recommendations on sports concussion. Among the most important recommendations the Academy has made is that any athlete suspected of experiencing a concussion should immediately be removed from play. AAN sports concussion guideline co-author Christopher Giza, MD, represented the Academy at today’s White House Healthy Kids and Safe Sports Concussion Summit, along with former pro football player Ben Utecht, who experienced a career-ending traumatic brain injury in 2009 while playing for the Cincinnati Bengals. To learn more about concussion, visit or download the Academy’s new app, , to quickly help coaches and athletic trainers recognize the signs of concussion. – Timothy A. Pedley, MD, FAAN, President, ºÃÉ«ÏÈÉú