Concussion in Para Sport

It is probably safe to say that there has been no sport medicine topic more newsworthy than concussion over the past decade. In addition to intense interest from athletes, parents, the media, and others, concussion has been a popular subject of research, which has grown exponentially over the years. For the Para athlete (the International Paralympic Committee [IPC] term for a sportsperson with a disability), however, concussion struggles to attract interest and attention.1,2 For example, a search strategy developed to find articles regarding athletes and concussion retrieved more than 6000 results, whereas one developed for athletes with disabilities and concussion only returned 60 articles. Furthermore, the recent Fifth International Consensus Conference on Concussion in Sport featured 202 oral and written abstracts, but only 2 were specific to athletes with a disability. Despite this, participation in sport by Para athletes continues to grow, and these athletes are exposed to the risk of concussion in sports that involve speed, collision, and contact. This review examines what is currently known about concussion in Para sport and how assessment, management, and risk reduction in this group of athletes might differ from the general athletic population. Current and future challenges are discussed, but, more importantly, opportunities for further study are identified.