Concussion awareness measure proposed

The Health and Human Services Committee heard testimony Jan. 27 on a bill that would establish a state policy on concussions for child athletes.

LB260, introduced by Omaha Sen. Steve Lathrop, would adopt the Concussion Awareness Act, which would provide schools and organizations with information and training about concussions. Similar measures have been adopted in 10 other states, Lathrop said, and Nebraska also should take steps to increase awareness.

“What we would be doing is providing information,” he said. “We’re not mandating training.”

Among other provisions, the bill would:

• make concussion and brain injury training available to coaches of all organized athletic teams involving school-aged children;
• provide concussion and brain injury information to athletes, parents and guardians prior to participation in practice or competition; and
• require that a child athlete who appears to have suffered a concussion or brain injury be removed from practice and competition until a licensed health care professional provides written clearance for his or her return.

The required information made available to athletes, parents and guardians would include the risks, signs and symptoms of a concussion and actions to be taken in response to sustaining a concussion.

The bill also would require notification of a parent or guardian if a child is removed from an athletic activity due to suspected concussion or brain injury.

Lori Terryberry-Spohr, brain injury program manager at Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital, testified in support of the bill. Young athletes are particularly vulnerable to what is known as second-impact syndrome, she said, which involves sustaining a second concussion before an initial head injury has healed.

Terryberry-Spohr said there have been at least nine documented cases of catastrophic injury related to sports in Nebraska in the last 12 years. Increasing awareness of the danger of second-impact syndrome could help young people avoid severe injury, she said.

Rusty McKune, head athletic trainer at the University of Nebraska-Omaha, also testified in support of the bill, saying the state should provide information so that parents, coaches and athletes can work together to reduce the risks of head injuries.

“The bill will provide us with the opportunity to change a culture,” McKune said. “It will let our young athletes know that every concussion is serious enough to report.”

Brady Beran of Lincoln, who suffered a head injury during a 2004 high school football game, also supported the measure. Beran said he sat out a play early in the game after a hard tackle, only to collapse on the sidelines after a helmet-to-helmet collision later in the game. Following a 5-week coma, during which he suffered a severe stroke and a host of other setbacks, Beran said he spent two months in rehabilitation and is still recovering years later.

“Education is the key on concussion issues,” he said. “Had we been aware of the seriousness, this injury might have been prevented.”

No opposition testimony was given and the committee took no immediate action on the bill.