Historical Perspectives of Sport-Related Concussion

Evaluation and management of sport-related concussion have received much deserved attention in the wake of recent state legislation and congressional hearings centered on concussion management; however, neuropsychology as a field has been interested in the sequelae of concussive injuries for more than three decades. To provide the historical perspective of sport-related concussion, this chapter begins by exploring the shifts in concussion terminology. While clinically driven, societal and medicolegal influences have clearly exerted a force in shaping the clinical vernacular associated with brain injuries. After reviewing some of the more commonly referenced definitions of concussion proffered over the years, this chapter will examine the history of concussion evaluation and management from a sports neuropsychology perspective.