The Comprehensive Sports Concussion Program of the LifeBridge Brain & Spine Institute is a program in which neurology and rehabilitation experts collaborate to monitor and treat sports-related concussions in high school- and college-aged athletes to predict when it is safe for an athlete to resume participation in contact sports.
Concussion is the most common type of traumatic brain injury. Common causes include sports injuries, bicycle accidents, car accidents, and falls, as well as blows to the head or acceleration or deceleration forces without a direct impact.
Repeated concussions can cause cumulative brain damage or severe complications. Concussion in school-aged athletes is an under-recognized health risk; those who experience concussion are at long-term risk of persistent health problems and decreased life-long potential.
This program is structured to medically manage those individuals who sustain a recent brain injury and to work with those with unresolved long-standing symptoms that relate to mild brain injury. Best outcomes occur when the injury is treated immediately, clear information is provided, and consistent follow-up services are offered. However, for those who have not received such care and for whom symptoms remain, much can be done to improve or eliminate the symptoms' effects. Our comprehensive, coordinated programming ensures the best treatment.
Our Team
Kevin Crutchfield, M.D., is a stroke neurologist with expertise in cranial blood flow and transcranial-Doppler sonology. He serves as an independent neurologist for the NFL's Baltimore Ravens, MLB's Baltimore Orioles and MLS's D.C. United. Board certified in psychiatry and neurology, Dr. Crutchfield earned his doctorate in medicine from Georgetown University, interned at Fitzsimmons Army Medical Center in Aurora, Colorado, and completed a residency in neurology at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. He was a senior staff fellow in metabolic neurology at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, and trained in transcranial-Doppler sonology at Johns Hopkins Hospital. He holds a faculty appointment at the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences and remains an active researcher and consultant to the US military regarding the long-term effects of traumatic brain injuries.
Julie O'Reilly, PsyD, is a licensed psychologist and neuropsychologist who specializes in traumatic brain injury. She earned her doctorate in psychology from the Georgia School of Professional Psychology; interned at The University of Minnesota Medical School, Department of Neurology; and completed a two-year residency in neuropsychology at Johns Hopkins Hospital and the Kennedy Krieger Institute and Children's Hospital. She received clinical and research appointments at The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine during her residency through the Department of Psychiatry. Dr. O'Reilly served as a Board Member of the Brain Injury Association of Maryland for five years.
For more information about the treatment of concussion at the Brain & Spine Institute, call 1-888-747-8899 OR 410-601-WELL.
Concussion Discussion
In July 2011, Maryland introduced a landmark youth sports concussion law. But what effect has it had on raising overall awareness about concussions? Join Kevin Crutchfield, M.D., director of the LifeBridge Health Comprehensive Sports Concussion Program, Mark Huslage, coordinator of the LifeBridge Health Brain Injury Programs and Bryan Pugh, executive director of the Brain Injury Association of Maryland, for a roundtable discussion on the state of concussion awareness in Maryland.
Concussion Public Service Announcements
Listen to our Public Service Announcements featuring Baltimore Ravens Center Matt Birk and Kevin Crutchfield, M.D., director of the Comprehensive Sports Concussion Program at LifeBridge Health.
PSA 1 - Baltimore Raven Matt Birk and Kevin Crutchfield, M.D. of LifeBridge Health - 01:02
PSA 2 - Baltimore Raven Matt Birk and Kevin Crutchfield, M.D. of LifeBridge Health - 01:00
Symptoms
Frequently defined as a brain injury with or without a transient loss of brain function, concussion can cause a variety of physical, cognitive, and emotional symptoms that usually go away entirely within three weeks but may persist, or complications may occur.
A concussion may cause moderate changes in a person's thinking, emotional, or physical abilities, and these changes can significantly impact everyday life.
Typical symptoms of mild brain injury include:
- Sleep disturbance
- Fatigue
- Headaches that get worse
- Short-term memory loss
- Loss of balance or dizziness
- Blurred vision
- Confusion
- Loss of sense of taste or smell
- Ringing in the ears
- Increased sensitivity to sound, light, distractions
- Weakness, numbness, or decreased coordination
- Reduced attention/concentration
- Difficulty organizing daily tasks
- Difficulty making decisions
- Anxiety/depression or mood changes
- Irritability
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An adult who has experienced a head injury should be taken to the emergency department immediately if he/she:
- Cannot be awakened
- Has one pupil (the black part in the middle of the eye) larger than the other
- Has convulsions or seizures
- Has slurred speech
- Is getting increasingly confused, restless, or agitated
A child who has experienced a head injury should be taken to the emergency department immediately if he/she:
- Has any of the danger signs for adults (above)
- Will not stop crying
- Cannot be consoled
- Will not nurse or eat
Diagnostics
At the LifeBridge Health
Brain & Spine Institute, a multidisciplinary team of
physicians provides the clinical evaluation and excellent care necessary to evaluate, diagnose, and treat concussion. This team includes:
- Physical medicine and rehabilitation physicians (physiatrists)
- Neurologists
- Neurosurgeons
- Neuropsychologists
- Case managers/educators
- Speech language pathologists
- Physical therapists
- Occupational therapists
- Psychotherapists
- Pain management physicians
- Vocational specialists
- Driver evaluation and training specialists
Patients may be referred to other specialists, including neuro-psychiatrists, neuro-ophthalmologists, and neuro-otologists.
Treatment
Healthcare experts at the Brain & Spine Institute conduct neurologic and neuropsychologic evaluations, which may be brief screenings or more comprehensive studies, to assess the brain functions that are vulnerable after a mild brain injury; these include mental processing speed, attention/concentration, and other executive functions (e.g., working memory, behavior regulation, task initiation, and planning and organization). The evaluators make appropriate referrals for patients to individually tailored partial or comprehensive treatment programs that promote healthy recovery (including after-injury plans for accommodations at home, school, or work). Patients may be referred to any of the following programs at LifeBridge Health.
Mild Brain Injury Rehabilitation Program
The
Mild Brain Injury Program provides specialized medical management for those who have sustained a recent brain injury and for those with long-standing symptoms associated with mild brain injury that have not resolved. Best outcomes occur when mild brain injury is treated immediately, clear information is provided, and consistent follow-up services are offered. This holistic, comprehensive approach provides both the medical and mental health services necessary to resolve complex neurologic problems. A dedicated case manager is available to clients and families to provide education and resource coordination.
The RETURN!-To Work Vocational Program at Sinai Rehabilitation Center
The
RETURN!-To Work Vocational Program at Sinai Rehabilitation Center is designed to successfully rehabilitate and train individuals with acquired brain injuries and return them to the workforce. Using a supported employment model, the program provides both neuro-rehabilitation and case coordination for individuals who seek work in the community. When the person is ready, job development, placement, and coaching are provided to ensure the best vocational match and successful adjustment to the work setting. Job coaching and case coordination are provided long-term in this model of treatment.
A Team Approach
The key to recovery for patients is their receiving care from healthcare providers who understand what causes the changes that occur as a result of concussion, and the team of professionals at the LifeBridge Health Brain & Spine Institute is knowledgeable and skilled in the treatment of concussion.
For more information about the treatment of concussion at the Brain & Spine Institute, call 1-888-747-8899 OR 410-601-WELL (9355).
To make an appointment with a
physical,
occupational, or
speech therapist, please call: 410-601-5855.