San Diego Reader

The American Academy of Neurology, meeting today (March 18) in San Diego, issued new guidelines for dealing with athletes' concussions. More than one million athletes experience a concussion each year in the United States; the risks are greatest in football and rugby, said the academy. The neurologists recommended that athletes with suspected concussions be immediately removed from a game and not be permitted to return until assessed by a health care professional trained in concussion. If adopted by schools, this could have a profound effect on the sport.

Among other findings: an athlete with a history of one or more concussions is more susceptible to being diagnosed with another; the first ten days after a concussion represent the greatest risk period for getting another; there is no clear evidence that one type of football helmet is better than another in protecting against concussion, and longer exposure to a sport is a big risk factor.

The academy also says that the existence of the ApoE4 gene is a risk factor. This is the gene that makes people three to eight times more likely to develop Alzheimer's disease.