National Academy of Neuropsychology to Focus on Effects of Sports Concussions at 2008 ...( DENVER Oct. 9 -- The National Ac...),Health

DENVER, Oct. 9 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Academy of Neuropsychology (NAN) will be spotlighting the effects of sports concussions during its 2008 Annual Conference to be held October 22nd through 25th at The Sheraton New York Hotel & Towers in New York, New York. The event will kick off with a full day Sports Concussion Symposium the day before the conference on October 21, which includes an athlete panel featuring former NHL players Pat LaFontaine and Eric Lindros, and former NFL player Mel Owens, who will discuss their personal experiences with sports concussion.

Sports-related concussions have increasingly become a focus of the sports and popular media because they occur frequently and can produce a wide range of symptoms from mild and transient to catastrophic. The Centers for Disease Control have recently upgraded their estimates to indicate that 1.6 to 3.8 million sport-related concussions occur each year. Concussions occur in all age groups and at all levels of play. While the majority of athletes recover within 10-14 days, a subgroup of players can develop chronic debilitating symptoms. Youth athletes are particularly at risk for enduring or even catastrophic injury.

According to Dr. Ruben Echemendia, President of NAN, "Sports-related concussions are a significant public health concern that are often poorly understood, managed inappropriately or dismissed as insignificant injuries. The goal of our symposium and conference programming is to highlight the most recent advances in research and clinical management. Education is the key to prevention and enhancing player safety."

NAN is a professional association founded in 1975 to advance Neuropsychology as a science and health profession, to promote human welfare and to generate and disseminate knowledge of brain-behavior relationships. The Academy has become a vibrant organization of the world's leading scientist-practitioners, academics, clinicians and researchers in th
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