About the Pediatric Concussion Clinic

University Neurosurgery’s Pediatric Concussion clinic,

led by Dr. Christina Notarianni, is working closely with

local coaches and athletic trainers to address sports-

related concussions with early intervention and admin-

istration of effective monitoring and treatment proto-

cols.

Through the use of a computerized cognitive assess-

ment aid for pediatric concussions, our team is able to

identify possible impairment. The child’s performance

can be compared to normative data to further assist

the clinician in determining a need for a more compre-

hensive evaluation and whether the athlete may safely

return to activity.

University Neurosurgery is located at 1811 E. Bert

Kouns Industrial Loop, Suite 200, Shreveport, Louisi-

ana 71115.

More About Dr. Notarianni

Dr. Christina Notarianni is the only fellowship trained

pediatric neurosurgeon in north

Louisiana and one of only a few

in the State of Louisiana. She is

a native of New Orleans, trained

at LSU Health Sciences Center

and completing her pediatric

neurosurgery fellowship at the

University of Tennessee in Mem-

phis and St. Jude Children’s Re-

search Hospital. She is an Asso-

ciate Professor of Neurosurgery

at LSU Health Shreveport.

What is a concussion?

A concussion is a kind of trauma to the brain. Although

common, this kind of injury is often a challenge to diag-

nose and treat. Direct blows to the head, collisions, and

whiplash are all ways a concussion can happen. The brain

may temporarily dysfunction with this injury, causing symp-

toms like impaired memory, speech and balance. The loss

of consciousness and severe headache can also occur .

Signs of a Concussion

appears to be dazed or stunned

is confused about assignment

forgets plays

is unsure of game, score, or opponent

moves clumsily

answers questions slowly

loses consciousness (even temporarily)

Headache

Nausea

balance problems or dizziness

double or fuzzy vision

sensitivity to light or noise

feeling sluggish

feeling “foggy”

concentration or memory problems

Symptoms may vary from person to person, and may wors-

en with exertion. Athletes should not return to play until

symptom-free.

University Neurosurgery cares about the health of

young athletes in our community. We have made

a commitment to support local athletes by reach-

ing out to middle and high schools in the area

and implementing concussion management pro-

tocols. These include a basic outline of return-to-

play guidelines.

Return-to-Play

The athlete must

be completely free

of any symptoms

of a concussion at

rest and with exer-

tion. Athletes must

be cleared by a

medical professional to return to play.

What is ImPACT?

ImPACT is a brief (20-minute) neurocognitive test

that has been scientifically validated to measure

effects of sports-related concussions. Follow-up

tests can be administered over days or weeks so

clinicians can continue to track the athlete’s re-

covery from the injury.

ImPACT protects an athlete by answering difficult

questions about an athlete’s readiness to return

to play. While traditional neurological and radio-

logical procedures such as CT and MRI are helpful

in identifying serious brain injuries (e.g. skull frac-

tures and hematomas), they are ineffective at

identifying the functional effects of concussion.