All Articles by William P. Meehan, III, M.D.

When athletes see a hit coming, they instinctively flex their neck muscles. Since it is the acceleration of the brain after a force is applied or transmitted to the head that results in concussion, reducing the acceleration of the head after impact can reduce the risk of sustaining a sport-related concussion. One way to do that is by strengthening the neck muscles.

A first-of-its-kind study reports that the drug Amantadine shows promise in treating adolescents who have not spontaneously recovered from concussion following a 3 to 4 weeks of cognitive and physical rest.

Medicine has not yet figured out how many concussions is too many.  The number that leads to permanent deficits in memory, concentration, and other cognitive processes, and/or increases the risk of dementia and other problems later in life, is different for each athlete.

Athletes who have sustained a concussion are at increased risk for sustaining another compared to athletes without a concussion history. Although experts offer several possible explanations, the precise reasons are unknown.

Whether mouth guards prevent concussive brain injury remains unclear, says MomsTeam concussion expert, William P. Meehan, III, M.D.