The AAN advises health professionals to watch for symptoms like headache and fogginess and for younger age and history of concussions all of which have been linked to a longer recovery time.
"I'm happy to see the AAN is moving beyond a cookbook approach to this injury, " says Dr. Collins, who questioned the AAN grading system as too liberal in a 2004 study.
Athletes in high school and younger who sustain a concussion should be managed more conservatively regarding a return to play, the AAN warns, since they take longer to recover than college-age athletes.
Evidence reviewed by AAN guideline authors demonstrates that children and teens take longer to recover from concussions than college athletes, prompting a more conservative approach when allowing teens and children to return to play.
Newly released AAN (American Academy of Neurology) guidelines earlier this week to manage sports-related concussions recommend trainers, coaches and physicians to err on the side of caution and remove athletes from play in the setting of a possible traumatic brain injury or concussion.