Concussion Network Services

What is a Concussion?

A concussion is a mild traumatic brain injury caused by a direct or indirect hit to your head or body.

Your brain sits inside your skull surrounded by fluid. When your head or body takes a hit, your brain shifts or shakes around inside the skull.

The impact damages your brain cells, causing chemical and cellular changes in the brain.

What are the Common Causes of Concussions?

Concussions can happen from a direct hit to the head in contact sports, in a car crash or during a hard fall. But they can also happen from an indirect hit that causes your head to jerk, like when you get whiplash.

Sports that increase an athlete's risk of head trauma include:

• Rugby.
• Football.
• Hurling.
• Soccer.

Younger athletes and females tend to take longer to get better from concussions. While sports concussions are common, people sustain concussions in all types of activities in daily life.

The UPMC Concussion Network is transforming concussion treatment in Ireland. Education, treatment pathways, and easy access to diagnosis and care are at the heart of what we do.

Our work is borne out of UPMC's world-renowned Sports Medicine Concussion Programme.

Contact the UPMC Concussion Network

We have locations and experts throughout Ireland including:

• Belfast.
• Dublin.
• Mayo.
• Galway.
• Cork.
• Kildare.
• Waterford.
• Limerick.
• Tipperary.
• Kilkenny.

Contact the UPMC Sports Medicine Clinic by phone at 051- 376827 or by email at: concussion@upmc.ie.

Our Specialised Concussion Treatments and Recovery

Our experts will diagnose your concussion and support you along every step in your rehabilitation.

Concussion Rehabilitation

UPMC offers a unique approach to concussion rehabilitation. Our specialists focus on active treatment and re-examination.

UPMC concussion specialists know that no two concussion injuries are alike and use advanced assessment tools — such as ImPACT® concussion testing — to provide a quantitative approach to concussion care.

Co-developed by concussion experts who now lead the UPMC Sports Medicine Concussion Programme in the U.S., ImPACT is a state-of-the- art, software-based neurocognitive assessment tool that assesses a patient's neural process and mental function in detail. It also provides doctors with guidance to help diagnose a concussion and decide the best possible treatment plan.

A baseline test prior to injury is highly encouraged.

Why Choose UPMC for Concussion Care?

The UPMC Concussion Network in Ireland is part of an internationally- renowned team of experts that focus on improving concussion care and treatment. We treat all levels of concussion and aim to:

• Inform and teach doctors on the diagnosis and management of suspected concussion injuries.
• Drive public awareness on the importance of reporting suspected concussion and finding treatment.
• Support sports and schools to develop their understanding of concussion.
• Take part in research and study programmes.
• Create an accessible referral pathway for clinicians to provide to their patients.