Pediatric Concussion Program
505 East 70th Street, Helmsley Tower, 3rd Floor
New York, NY 10021
The Weill Cornell Medicine Pediatric Concussion Program brings a rational, science-based approach to the assessment and management of concussion. Our team consists of specially trained pediatric neurologists, neuropsychologists, neuro-ophthalmologists, and vestibular and physical therapists who provide integrated state-of-the-art care for patients and their families following traumatic brain injury.
Services & Programs
Our pediatric concussion experts thoroughly assess your child to determine if a concussion has occurred, evaluate cognitive function, and let you know when your child can return to normal activities. Allowing your child to fully recover from a concussion is essential for preventing other complications down the road. Your child will benefit from:
• Our Team Approach: Our multidisciplinary teams of pediatric neurologists, neurosurgeons, sports medicine doctors, intensive care physicians, neuro-ophthalmologists, neuroradiologists, and neuropsychologists assess and monitor your child's symptoms and function. We will match your child to the most appropriate experts based on his or her age and symptoms.
• Comprehensive Evaluation: We will perform a physical exam and assess your child's cognitive function through tests of attention, memory, vision, reaction time, and other mental abilities. In some cases, we perform neuro-imaging such as MRI.
• A Roadmap to Recovery: Your child will receive a customized recovery schedule, recommending a period of rest and reduced activity followed by a gradual return to physical and mental activities, with the goal of a full return to regular levels of schoolwork and sports when your child has fully recovered. We use a series of cognitive, balance, and neuropsychological tests to help determine when your child is ready to return to play and school.
• Parents are Part of Our Team: You know your child better than anyone. As parents, you are vital members of our team. We will ask you to let us know if your child experiences any sleep problems or headaches, is having trouble concentrating in school, or seems anxious, irritable, or out of sorts. That kind of information is helpful to us in assessing your child's recovery from a concussion.
• Expertise in Post-Concussive Syndrome: While most children recover fully from a concussion after resting and refraining from activities for a recommended period of time, some continue to experience lingering symptoms such as headaches and/or dizziness for several weeks or even months after the injury. Our specialists have expertise in such post-concussion syndrome and may provide cognitive rehabilitation for these patients.
What Sets Us Apart
• A research-based approach towards the diagnosis and treatment of concussion.
• A multi-disciplinary approach, including early assessment and when needed treatment with neuropsychologic interventions including cognitive behavioral therapy.
• Early initiation of a graded exercise program to accelerate recovery when indicated.
Resources
- Weill Cornell Medicine Concussion PSA (video)
- A-Head Check: Immediate Head Injury Evaluation (Brain Trauma Foundation/CDC) [PDF]
- Symptoms of Concussion (CDC) [PDF]
- Signs and Symptoms of Traumatic Brain Injury (CDC) [PDF]
- Diagnosing and Treating Brain Injury (Brainline)
- Brain Trauma Foundation (BTF)
- Brainline
- Patient Portal
Pediatric Concussion Program News
- NYPH Brain Health Twitter Post (3/22/2017)
- Dr. Kosofsky quoted in Blood Test Could Predict Recovery Time After Concussions (Science, 6/6/2017)
- Observer: New Technology Offers Sideline Diagnosis of Brain Injuries
Patient Stories
- Lola’s Story: A young hockey player learns how to recover from her brain injury.
- Brandon’s Story: A high school freshman shares his concussion story in Mind Meld (Weill Cornell Medicine, Winter 2015).
Research
Our doctors are conducting research to identify factors that may raise a child's risk of developing post-concussion syndrome, such as a history of migraines. They are also studying how eye tracking, brain imaging with MRI, and tests of neurocognitive performance can predict the risk of post-concussion syndrome. Additionally, our doctors are team physicians for several major league sports teams and gather baseline measurements for test result comparison in the event an athlete suffers a head injury.
The Weill Cornell Medical College (WCMC) pediatric concussion clinical research team is dedicated to raising awareness and to pursuing research that will improve diagnostics and therapeutics for this widespread injury.
Student Athletes Invited to Participate in Concussion Study: Exercise Therapy as Treatment for mTBI (ETT)
In school gyms and on sports fields across the country, there has been growing attention to the risk of concussion and the need to carefully assess and manage children who may have suffered brain injury. But less attention has been paid to post-concussion syndrome: headaches and/or dizziness that can last for several weeks or even months after injury. Barry E. Kosofsky, MD, PhD, Chief of Child Neurology in the Department of Pediatrics at Weill Cornell Medicine, directs the Pediatric Concussion Clinic and Research Program at Weill Cornell, and is studying risk factors for contributing to the extended duration of post-concussion syndrome in children over the age of 14. Dr. Kosofsky is leading a longitudinal clinical research study called ETT to test whether early initiation of a graded exercise program can accelerate recovery. That study utilizes sophisticated physiologic measurements during exercise, as well as eye tracking, electrophysiologic assessments (EEG and ERP), and neurocognitive performance to assess individuals at risk for long-term deficits to identify those who might need earlier treatment.
To participate: If you are an athlete who sustained a concussion or a coach or parent of someone who had a head injury, please call our concussion hotline at (212) 746-1112. You will be directed to our physicians for evaluation and contacted by our research team at your request.
