Episode 45: The SLP and Sports-Related Concussion Management with Alaina Davis PhD, CCC-SLP, CBIST
Each year there are over 3.8 million reported and unreported sport-related concussions (Broglio et al., 2014). A concussion can result in cognitive-communicative deficits in attention, memory, executive functions, and social communication. Further, repeated concussions lead to increased risk for chronic deficits that impact one’s function in academic, vocational, and social activities.
This episode highlights sports-related concussions among adolescents and young adults who participate in contact and combat sports. Alaina and Leigh Ann will discuss the role of the speech-language pathologist in preventative activities, assessment, and management for return-to-learn/activity.
Topics covered:
The stats on Sports-related concussion and the SLP’s role
Preventative Measures
Evaluation tools
Therapy and Management
Resources mentioned in the episode:
Academy of Certified Brain Injury Specialists
National Federation of State High School Associations
National Collegiate Athletic Association
ImPACT: Baseline and Post-Injury testing for concussion care
Clinical Evaluation Tools for Concussion Assessment: a HUGE list (includes info on Post Concussion Symptom Scale mentioned in the episode)
Related Articles
Brown, J., O’Brien, K., Knollman-Porter, K., & Wallace, T. (2019). The Speech-Language Pathologists’ role in mild traumatic brain injury for middle and high school-age children: Viewpoints on guidelines from the centers for disease control and prevention. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1044/2019_AJSLP-18-0296
Dachtyl, S. & Morales, P. (2017). A collaborative model for return to academics after concussion: Athletic training and speech-language pathology. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 26, 716-728. https://doi.org/10.1044/2017_AJSLP-16-0138
Lockwood, J. Frape, L., Lin, S., & Ackery, A. (2018). Traumatic brain injuries in mixed martial arts: A systematic review, 20(4), 245-254. https://doi.org/10.1177/1460408617740902
Meulenbroek, Peter & Cherney, Leora. (2019). The Voicemail Elicitation Task: Functional Workplace Language Assessment for Persons With Traumatic Brain Injury. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research. 62. 1-14. 10.1044/2019_JSLHR-L-18-0466.
Sohlberg, Mckay & MacDonald, Sheila & Byom, Lindsey & Iwashita, Heidi & Lemoncello, Rik & Meulenbroek, Peter & Ness, Bryan & O’Neil-Pirozzi, Therese. (2019). Social communication following traumatic brain injury part I: State-of-the-art review of assessment tools. International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology. 21. 10.1080/17549507.2019.1583280.
Meulenbroek, Peter & Ness, Bryan & Lemoncello, Rik & Byom, Lindsey & MacDonald, Sheila & O'neil-Pirozzi, Therese & Sohlberg, Mckay. (2019). Social communication following traumatic brain injury part 2: Identifying effective treatment ingredients. International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology. Early Online.
books
Payne, J. C., Wright-Harp, W., & Davis, A. S. (2014). Traumatic Brain Injury. In J. C. Payne, Adult Neurogenic Communication Disorders: A Comprehensive Ethnobiological Approach. (pp. 175-164). San Diego, CA: Plural Publishing. ISBN 13: 978-1-59756-503-5.
Sohlberg, M. M., & Turkstra, L. S. (2011). Optimizing cognitive rehabilitation: Effective instructional methods. New York, NY, US: The Guilford Press.
Dr. Alaina Davis is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Howard University. She is also a Medical Speech-Language Pathologist with over 10 years of experience and a Certified Brain Injury Specialist Trainer. Dr. Davis’ research focuses on sports-related concussions and cognitive-communicative disorders among adolescents and young adults. Her work also addresses health disparities among persons with culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds who have neurologically-based communication disorders. More specifically, her work has addressed culturally appropriate and relevant methods to determine differences from disorders in African American adults. She is published in professional journals and has co-authored chapters on traumatic brain injury.
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