Neurologist Says CTE Not Most Serious Risk from Concussion, Book Defines New Era

(Newswire.net — December 21, 2015) National Harbor, MD — “When in doubt, sit them out,” is one of the most important phrases to learn in sports concussion today, according to neurologist Harry Kerasidis, co-founder of XLNTbrain LLC. Sustaining a second concussion before a first concussion has healed leads to a 90 percent chance of long-term cognitive impairment. Worse yet, nearly 50 percent of the time, the athlete’s brain may swell, leading to death within minutes.

“It’s called Second-Impact Syndrome’ and its the most serious consequence of concussions,” said Dr. Kerasidis, who recently authored Concussion-ology: Redefining Sports Concussion Management for All Levels. “Players are flipping a coin with their lives when they continue to play even when they realize they’ve been knocked with a possible concussion.”

Dr. Kerasidis says one of the biggest problems in sports is the “tendency to minimize” the concussion injury. He goes into further detail about common concussion questions in this new video too.

“Concussions can heal with minimal short-term effects. But if the recovery process is not taken seriously, the injury can advance onset of cognitive decline, behavioral anomalies and possibly CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy) down the road,” said Dr. Kerasidis, also the founder of Chesapeake Neurology Associates, as well as Medical Director at Calvert Memorial Hospital in Maryland.

Still, these risks do not have prevent participation in sports. “The benefits of playing sports far outweigh the risk of injury from sports, as long as you are properly managing sports concussions,” he said. “We are moving into a new era of sports concussion management, where people need a universal set of protocols to follow, so I provided a guide in Concussion-ology.” 

Youth Sports Brain Injury Facts*:

• The leading cause of death from a sports-related injury is a brain injury.
• Sports and recreational activities contribute to approximately 21 percent of all traumatic brain injuries among American children.
• More than 775,000 children, ages 14 and younger, are treated in hospital emergency rooms for sports-related injuries each year. Most of the injuries occurred as a result of falls, being struck by an object, collisions, and overexertion during unorganized or informal sports activities.

* Source: Stanford Children Health 

In Concussion-ology, Dr. Kerasidis points to wide-ranging changes with how sports concussion are handled, enabled through technological advances. For example, he employs his own online concussion baseline test, based on the latest science called XLNTbrain.com. In the book, he also covers what areas of the brain are affected by concussions, and the resulting behavior changes that can be affected as well.

“People will begin to expect proper sports concussion management,” he said. “I hope to instill a healthy respect for the brain, while sharing the tools and protocols I’ve developed so athletes “return-to-play” safely. Together we can save the game while protecting the athletes’ futures.” 

“Concussion-ology: Redefining Sports Concussion Management For All Levels”

By: Dr. Harry Kerasidis

ISBN: 978-1-50492-515-0

Available in softcover & e-book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Author House. 

About the Author

Harry Kerasidis, M.D., is a neurologist specializing in sports concussions, co-founder of XLNTbrain.com, and Chesapeake Neurology Associates. He also serves as Medical Director at Calvert Memorial Hospital for the Center for Neuroscience, the hospital’s Sleep Disorders Center and Stroke Center. More information available at XLNTbrain.com. 

# # #