Concussion Program

The Concussion Program at the Weill Cornell Brain and Spine Center treats children and adults who have sustained concussion or mild traumatic brain injury (TBI).  Our experts play a leading role in the new Weill Cornell Concussion and Brain Injury Clinic at the New York Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, offering evaluations and recommendations on injured patients; our specialists also work with major sports teams to ensure the health of their athletes.

Concussion is a growing problem in sports, but concussion can happen to anyone — in a fall, in a car, or in a bicycling accident.  Anyone who suffers a head injury, however minor, should be evaluated for concussion or more serious brain trauma. Make an appointment by calling 212-746-1112 or use our online form to Request an Appointment.

Since the effects of concussion cannot be seen on MRI scans, CT scans, or other neuroimaging, our Concussion Program focuses on neuropsychological evaluations to assess the presence and extent of any damage and develop safe return-to-work, return-to-school, and return-to-play recommendations for children and adults. We work closely with schools to evaluate children who have sustained concussion to be sure their return to their schoolwork is does not aggravate the symptoms of a concussion. We work with adults, especially athletes, to make return-to-play recommendations that guard against repeat concussion and further injuries.

The concussion experts at the Weill Cornell Brain and Spine Center consult with the New York Jets, New York Giants, and New York Islanders in evaluating professional athletes with concussions to ensure their safe return to play. These professional teams rely on our expertise to protect their players from long-term brain damage.

Many schools and extra-mural sports teams administer the computerized ImPACT test to assess neurocognitive function, but we believe that careful, individualized testing is the only truly safe way to conduct post-concussion evaluations.  In-person evaluations allow our experts to detect symptoms that patients are not aware of or do not report (sometimes in their eagerness to return to athletics). By comparing a patient’s test results immediately after the injury (while symptomatic) to results one to two weeks later (after symptoms have subsided), we can make safe return-to-play recommendations.

Make an appointment by calling 212-746-1112 or use our online form to Request an Appointment.