The University of Toronto/Toronto Rehab Varsity Athlete Concussion Program has been in place since 2000. The comprehensive program includes three components: 1) a prospective, blinded research program, 2) a comprehensive clinical managment protocol, and 3) an educational component.
Using the baseline-testing-post-injury neurospsycholgical (NP) measurement paradigm, the program has assessed more than 1500 athletes at baseline, with serial post-injury testing of more than 100 athletes who have suffered concussions. Our program is dynamic and has evolved to a state of the art clinical management program informed by research.
There are three primary research goals:
1. To identify and quantify neurocognitive and emotional effects and recovery following concussion, or mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI).
2. To determine an evidence-based return-to-play (RTP) guideline protocol that is useful and practical for physicians, and
3. To implement a sensitive and specific, valid and reliable brief neuropsychological (NP) battery as a 'gold standard' for assessing the neurocognitive and emotional effects of mTBI.
There are three primary clinical management goals:
1. To develop and implement a practical, evidence-based model for the prudent clinical management of concussions.
2. To monitor neuropsychological (NP) and emotional/psychological changes associated with concussion in varsity sports at the University of Toronto, and
3) to inform evidence-based return to play decisions.
Our educational goals include the following:
1. To disseminate knowledge to athletes, student body and university community
2. To disseminate our findings to the scientific community
3. To disseminate information about evidence-based best practice to the medical community,
4. To provide the latest information on sport concussion to the public,
5 .To provide educational opportunities to undergraduate and graduate students, and
6. To inform policy at the University of Toronto and other Canadian Interuniversity Sport Institutions.