about the pediatric concussion clinicabout the pediatric concussion clinic university...
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About the Pediatric Concussion Clinic
University Neurosurgery’s Pediatric Concussion clinic,
led by Dr. Christina Notarianni, is working closely with
local coaches and athletic trainers to address sports-
related concussions with early intervention and admin-
istration of effective monitoring and treatment proto-
cols.
Through the use of a computerized cognitive assess-
ment aid for pediatric concussions, our team is able to
identify possible impairment. The child’s performance
can be compared to normative data to further assist
the clinician in determining a need for a more compre-
hensive evaluation and whether the athlete may safely
return to activity.
University Neurosurgery is located at 1811 E. Bert
Kouns Industrial Loop, Suite 200, Shreveport, Louisi-
ana 71115.
More About Dr. Notarianni
Dr. Christina Notarianni is the only fellowship trained
pediatric neurosurgeon in north
Louisiana and one of only a few
in the State of Louisiana. She is
a native of New Orleans, trained
at LSU Health Sciences Center
and completing her pediatric
neurosurgery fellowship at the
University of Tennessee in Mem-
phis and St. Jude Children’s Re-
search Hospital. She is an Asso-
ciate Professor of Neurosurgery
at LSU Health Shreveport.
What is a concussion?
A concussion is a kind of trauma to the brain. Although
common, this kind of injury is often a challenge to diag-
nose and treat. Direct blows to the head, collisions, and
whiplash are all ways a concussion can happen. The brain
may temporarily dysfunction with this injury, causing symp-
toms like impaired memory, speech and balance. The loss
of consciousness and severe headache can also occur .
Signs of a Concussion
appears to be dazed or stunned
is confused about assignment
forgets plays
is unsure of game, score, or opponent
moves clumsily
answers questions slowly
loses consciousness (even temporarily)
Headache
Nausea
balance problems or dizziness
double or fuzzy vision
sensitivity to light or noise
feeling sluggish
feeling “foggy”
concentration or memory problems
Symptoms may vary from person to person, and may wors-
en with exertion. Athletes should not return to play until
symptom-free.
University Neurosurgery cares about the health of
young athletes in our community. We have made
a commitment to support local athletes by reach-
ing out to middle and high schools in the area
and implementing concussion management pro-
tocols. These include a basic outline of return-to-
play guidelines.
Return-to-Play
The athlete must
be completely free
of any symptoms
of a concussion at
rest and with exer-
tion. Athletes must
be cleared by a
medical professional to return to play.
What is ImPACT?
ImPACT is a brief (20-minute) neurocognitive test
that has been scientifically validated to measure
effects of sports-related concussions. Follow-up
tests can be administered over days or weeks so
clinicians can continue to track the athlete’s re-
covery from the injury.
ImPACT protects an athlete by answering difficult
questions about an athlete’s readiness to return
to play. While traditional neurological and radio-
logical procedures such as CT and MRI are helpful
in identifying serious brain injuries (e.g. skull frac-
tures and hematomas), they are ineffective at
identifying the functional effects of concussion.